Get Out Quick!

Posted by Khadijah Ali-Coleman Jul 25, 2006

I made a challenging decision to leave my last place of employment after working there for five years. Initially, when I first started, I was enthusiastic, motivated and encouraged each day to give my all and do my all, never hesitating to take on the extra load of work when appropriate. I conducted psycho-educational groups with young people witin an afterschool and in-school environment, doing it all, like we often do as youth workers, serving as counselor, teacher, coach, food server, etc. etc. all rolled into one. Within my first year I was promoted to a supervisory position, supervising a staff of full-time and part-time staff doing what I had done intially starting out.

Over the years, my commitment to working with young people never waned, but my enjoyment in the particular role I held began to diminish greatly. I knew it was time for me to leave when my attitude towards others began to change.

I shared my own personal tale as an example of what can and often does happen to those of us who choose to work within the very challenging field of youth work. We give, give, give and often the responsibilities don't diminish, but, instead, increase as we excel in providing services appropriately. What I recommend is that when we begin to dread coming to work or our attitudes toward our colleagues, and in some cases, our youth, we do some serious soul-searching and reflection and determine if we are where we want to be. For me, the issue was clear for me that I wanted to stay in the field of youth work, but it was clear time that I begin to create a new path that worked best for me. That path began with leaving where I was and beginning to focus on areas that included training providing resources for youth workers while beginning to work with another age group. For me, during my self-reflection I realized that I need to not feel like I'm being stagnant. The more irons in the fire for me, the better.

What's your soul's desire in the field of youth work? If you're not feeling where you are, definitely assess if you need to get out quick!!! An unhappy youth worker is of no use to promoting positive youth development!