In response to my post about The 5 intangible benefits from the perfect job, here is one of the career options that I had consided. I am writing this primarily for myself as I am a kinaesthetic learner and I learn from doing which includes writing things out in full. But I hope my thoughts may be of interest or help for others who are going through the same thing as I am.
The road to becoming a branch manager & senior gamesmaster at Escape Hunt
As alluded in my earlier post where I considered being an administrative assistant in a interior design firm, despite that position seeming to tick all the things I was looking for in a dream job, there was this deep down, there was a quiet but insistent feeling that was telling me to take a risk with Escape Hunt, a new business that was opening in Fremantle.
And dear friends, I dared to take that chance!
For the past month, I’ve been busy helping the family behind Escape Hunt get the business off the ground. During the times of stress leading up to the opening day, even though I had not signed any contract, employment papers, or received pay for a good few weeks, there was this strong, positive feeling that this was definitely the right path to go on. It was a plunge into uncertainty that I was willing to take. I was ready to make the choice and accept the challenges and lessons that I would learn from the decision if it ended up being a mistake.
However, Escape Hunt has just opened; and let me tell you, so far, this has been the best decision in my life.
When I look over the 5 intangible benefits from this job, I know that it ticks off all boxes:
Pros
- I use all my prior professional and soft skills experience as a lawyer while undertaking the manager/admin role, but then I am also able to use my people skills, acting, and creativity while being a gamemaster. As such, I constantly feel growth.
- I like, respect and care about my boss, his family and the casual staff employed. As such, I feel invested in them, their well-being and the success of Escape Hunt. So much so, that I constantly think about Escape Hunt and how to improve things outside of my working hours.
- The wonderful people that I work with constantly collaborate with me on ideas and issues and I feel safe in voicing my opinions and receiving and giving constructive feedback. This has made me feel worthy and valued, and not like some insignificant, tiny, replaceable clog.
- When I met for coffee with the owners of Escape Hunt in July this year, I voiced my vision as to how I would like Escape Hunt to be if I worked there. I had played similar games in London and had given a lot of thought about what I would do if I could get a job in a business like that. When I expressed my ideas and goals to them, they excitedly told me that they shared the same dream I instantly felt and I still feel like I belong.
- Working at Escape Hunt has given me the opportunity to move from north of the river, to a more central area in order to make commuting to work easier, it has been the vehicle that has allowed me to design my lifestyle the way that I want it making me feel free and empowered.
I’ve never felt so proud of what I do. Never.
I was proud that I was a lawyer way back then, but I wasn’t passionate about my job. I had to rationalise to people that I had just met, that my job was awesome. Actually, perhaps I was really just rationalising to myself each time I explained what I did… Whatever it was, the pride was not 100% heartfelt. In fact, looking back now, the pride was more based on the idea that being a successful female lawyer was what I thought most people would be impressed by, and as such, that’s why I ought to be proud of what I did. I didn’t know what I was doing back then. Now I do.
For the Anna today is a completely different creature. I am so happy, and so proud of what I do, that when I tell people about my job, I can’t contain all my ecstatic and passionate energy when I do so. Happiness just oozes out, and I just have so much fun explaining what I do for life.
Ok, so what are the cons?
Cons
There are very little cons, so I’m actually scraping the barrel for these:
- The uncertainty. This was a bigger issue earlier on when I was still waiting to hear back from the owners about the job. When I was going for interviews and being offered the job for Flight Centre, in the back of my mind, I was still thinking of Escape Hunt, and the uncertainty as to whether I will be offered a job with them did eat away at me.
- Being a new business, there are times when it’s quiet.
- I am working indoors for most of the day, and with no windows looking out (as the nature of the games require secrecy).
- I don’t get an hour lunch break as I used to in the professional world.
To be honest, none of these are huge problems for me now. I’m just happy that I took the risk and rode the wave of uncertainty until I was able to get where I am at this point in time!
What do you guys think?
Have you ever had the choice between the safe job and the job that excites you but you don’t know how it’s going to turn out?
I would love to hear what happened when people chose the safe job?
I also want to hear about what happened to those who took the risk?
What are your thoughts about the perfect job?
Have I got the checklist of the The 5 intangible benefits from the perfect job correct?
Are there any other benefits I should add to it?
Let me know in the comments section!
A Step Outside 