Comments on: Update on our 23-year old career-challenged wannabe ballplayer trapped in dreaded job

By: Update from Jon the Ballplayer’s Mom | Escape From Cubicle Nation

Update from Jon the Ballplayer’s Mom | Escape From Cubicle Nation — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:27:56 +0000

[...] Update on our career-challenged 23-year old wannabe ballplayer trapped in a dreaded job [...]

By: Whip out the kleenex for the update on Jon the 23-year old ballplayer | Escape From Cubicle Nation

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:25:01 +0000

[...] Then, as Jon’s Mom got involved in the discussion, it got much juicier and interesting, when we learned that not only was she blown away with the quality of support from my blog readers, but she also completely changed her view of the risk involved with Jon’s decision. She inspired this follow up post. [...]

By: Overloaded corporate employee w/entrepreneurial dreams needs your advice | Escape From Cubicle Nation

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:13:00 +0000

[...] The 23 year old ballplayer trapped in a cube and the follow up post with input from his mom [...]

By: Kathlyn

Kathlyn — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:25:24 +0000

I love that Jon’s mom calls herself his life coach! What a great way to look at parenting. I think her saying that Jon needs to give 110% at his job now until he leaves is invaluable advice. She is right – if he wows them now, they will be an ally for him later, no matter what he ends up doing. We let ourselves get in situations (I am speaking from experience here) where we hate our jobs so much that we not only burn bridges unnecessarily, we annihilate them. What a disservice we do ourselves. Make that break a good, strong part of your work story, and you’ll always be doing yourself a favor.

I think Jon is lucky to be related to such a great life coach!

Cheers.

By: Naomi Dunford

Naomi Dunford — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:04:03 +0000

First off, thanks for the detailed follow up. That’s super cool.

OK, I freely admit I haven’t done a lot of thinking on this because the members of this household have said that by eight o’clock I should stop schmoozing on blogs and, you know, spend time with my family. But here’s my totally unsolicited opinion.

The dude is asking for advice on a blog called Escape From Cubicle Nation. His responses are going to be a tad on the skewed side, n’est pas? Certainly not all of your readers are drum beating stick-it-to-the-Man types, but we’re not exactly an unbiased bunch. And the fact that he asked you — and sort of us — instead of Corporate Right Wing Blogs of America says that we already know where he’s leaning.

I only read some of the comments last time so this may have been said before, but holy cow! He’s 23! He’s got his whole life ahead of him. I don’t think a few months or years abroad is going to hurt his chances for a job when he gets back home.

And if this DOES hurt his chances with this employer or that employer, they don’t sound like the kind of companies Jon’s going to be happy in — and therefore successful in — anyway.

By: Tom Volkar / Delightful Work

Tom Volkar / Delightful Work — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:15:05 +0000

“I am much more convinced of the fact that if you practice doing what you love, you are much more likely to discover what to do that you love, or at least like, which also pays the bills.”

This is very well put. Thanks Pam.

I really get this and I’ve found it to be true. Who you are (how you are being) and what you are feeling while doing what you love, is an excellent compass for finding what you love that does pay.

By: Amy Lightholder

Amy Lightholder — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:37:19 +0000

OMG thanks for the follow up. this whole thing has been just so awesome

By: Graydon

Graydon — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:07:18 +0000

I don’t think Jon will have a problem finding something to do after the baseball adventure.

He is obviously smart enough to have been able to tap into the readers here for launching his blog… and future career… lol

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:03:35 +0000

Apologies if this point has already been made, but instead of looking at this decision as either/or and seeing the time in Germany has purely vacation-like, isn’t it possible that Jon’s experience in Europe may *help* him land a job in US when he gets back?

Aren’t there some employers who might find it valuable to hire someone who’s spent time in a foreign country like what Jon may do?

And aren’t some of the those companies likely the ones that someone like Jon might want to work for?

I think this has the potential to be a great experience. And even if it turns out not to be, Jon will have a new feather to add to his cap and be able to take with him the lessons he’s learned.

Go for it, Jon!

By: rick

rick — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:32:27 +0000

Even in this economy he should go. First, it’s likely things will be better in a year when he comes back. Second, he’s 23 – his costs of living are low so he wouldn’t need to land a great job right away when he’s back in order to just live. And third… life has no Undo option. You can’t pass on this, live life for a decade and then say ‘oh hold it, let’s go back to when I was 23…”
Finally… if you hate something it’s always a waste of time and talent to do it. How ‘good’ the job is doesn’t matter.