ca·reer
–noun
1. an occupation or profession, esp. one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework.
2. a person’s progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking.

First I must say I am enjoying how the ABCs are coming together. We’ve had some great posts so far and I am really looking forward to all of the upcoming posts as well.

The writer of this post is not a blogger, she does even have a website (shocking I know). How could I know such a person, do you ask? She is my best friend of 11 years. She is also a high powered career woman living in Boston. Of all of my friends she by far works the longest hours, and consequently has progressed up the career ladder much faster than some of the rest of our group.

Knowing how crunched she is for free time I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found out that she hand wrote her blog post on her train ride home (and then typed it when she got home). This is a lesson in and of itself. When you spend a large part of your days working you must learn to be very efficient with your free time.

This guest post was written by Kaity Mahoney, a twentysomething Media Supervisor in the Advertising industry in Boston.

As I push my way to a seat on the 7:50pm outbound train, I scroll through my blackberry reading the last email of the day. I type a quick note, press send, and slide the device into my bag. Settling in, I begin to think about this post and what it means to have a career in your twenties. At this moment, I feel that it is extremely exhausting - so I think back to earlier in the day. To my morning routine of coffee and emails, to the chaos that ensued with meetings to be had and deadlines to hit - and I wonder, why do I do it? For me, this stress-driven day is what challenges me and keeps me on my toes. It’s what motivates me and pushes me to reach my goals.

To the stay at home mom, to the part time chef, to the high powered exec, the word career has different meanings. For me, a Media Supervisor in Boston, it has one meaning – profession - but many purposes. It provides me with knowledge to keep my mind growing, an income that will someday provide for my family, and tools to be a better manager… and ultimately a better person.

As much as my career adds to my life, it doesn’t define me… It shapes me by continuously providing me with new knowledge for the road ahead. So as you race through your hectic day, take a moment, relax and ask yourself how your career is transforming you and your twenty-something self. Ask how what you are doing now will shape your career’s future and long-term growth.

Career for me provides me with a path to my future, creativity, knowledge and growth. Through my career I learn and grow every day.