Jennifer Askey earned tenure and enjoyed her job, but found her husband’s career opportunities limited where they were located. When he got a great offer elsewhere, she quit and moved with him. Fast forward a few years and Jennifer’s now working part-time for the YWCA — a position she got after volunteering at the organization — and building a new academic coaching business.
What most surprises you about your job?
Training to be a coach has required me to articulate very clearly my vision for my career and its place in my life. The process of slowing down and looking inside myself for answers to some pretty big questions has brought up lots of pleasant surprises for me!
Working at the YWCA has also brought a few surprises: I’ve learned so much more about the depth and breadth of the employment services they offer. I’ve begun referring women I know who want to start businesses to my colleagues here. As a volunteer, I edited a dozen or so business plans from a women’s entrepreneurship group. I was doing this as I thought about going into business for myself as a coach. Getting insight into how a business is run was a surprise bonus for my volunteer hours!
Read the full post over at University Affairs!