Career choices

Hey folks!

Today, I'd like to pick up another thought from Erin's blog entry about falling in love with her job every day anew. Yesterday I wrote about my inner flame (Btw: Feel free to post what's burning inside you! And don't you are to write 'that nasty chili from last night'), which is handball. However, Erin also described another important aspect:

"It is in this moment, as I place the medals around these athletes, that I fall in love all over again with my career."

Quite recently, I updated my CV, just in case some irresistible job offer would float in. When looking at the 2 pages document I'd produced, I had to smile. Since it is in a chronological order, the practical experience section reads:

• International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland
  International sports governing body, right holder to the (Youth) Olympic Games
  Named Young Ambassador for Austria

• Union St. Poelten Team Handball, St. Poelten, Austria
  Austrian team handball club, currently playing in the 2nd league
  Project manager

I just think that it is a funny contrast, having the IOC, which is without a doubt the biggest, most influential and powerful sports governing out there, on the one side. And then, on the other side: Union St. Poelten team handball, playing in an Austrian amateur league. People frequently pick this fact up and say stuff like: "You must be so happy to do stuff with the IOC and to get away from the boring day-t0-day stuff you usually do."

Well, I have to say: They are wrong! Not about the being happy part - I haven't found a way yet to describe how happy I am to be involved with YOG. However, the last word coming to my mind when describing my duties with the handball club would be boring ("well-paid" would be runner up). For once, it is because the stuff is never boring. One day, I'm involved with planning a season closing and opening event in June and September respectively. The next, I am negotiating a new supplier deal with a sports company. And on the third day, I might be helping with putting together a budget for the next season.

However, apart from being quite diverse and thus interesting, I wouldn't necessarily agree on the fact that the IOC is so much cooler and better than my club. Of course you can't compare the two, that goes without saying. However, just because the IOC is bigger and global doesn't necessarily make it much more interesting. In fact, I discovered that when it comes to work, they are no wizards or the like. They haven't invented a secret program to do budget calculations. They haven't reinvented the wheel when they are promoting the different types of events there are. And from what I have heard, it's also a myth that days in Lausanne are 30 hours long, which is why they get more stuff done than us.

Don't get me wrong: The people at the IOC are amazing in their specific domains and so on top of their game that they don't need me to confirm this fact. However, at the end of the day, they do the same thing everybody around the globe involved with sports does: Work hard to promote the merits of sport. So no matter if I am giving presentations about the YOG or coaching my little league team: Both things involve what I love and thus chose as a career path. So the difference is only quantitatively, not qualitatively...as psychologists tend to say. And when talking about psychology, all I can say that the satisfaction I get from either one activity is just great!