20something profile: Ari

This post was written by Ari, who works at a bank:

I have just graduated college! I am now part of this huge group of twenty-something-year-old graduates. I went to Florida International University right in Miami, Florida, and graduated in Fall of 2013. I double majored in Marketing and Finance.

I loved my college years. I met great people, I took on a lot of projects, I was part of the Honors College, I did two internships and at the same time I worked part time at a Bank during my last two years at FIU. Do I wish I would’ve done something different? No. I did the best I could have done and fully enjoyed every single semester.

Today I am still working at the Bank and moving up in the company. Is it my passion? No. Do I want something else? Yes. But rather than just go crazy and quit my job, I am staying in the safe zone. It is not the worst job in the world; it is just not what I really want for myself.

In the following months I will be staying at my current job and just save money. I will use my experience and knowledge here to transfer to a job in Houston, Texas. I have my personal reasons to go there and aside from those, the market in Houston is great and will give me huge opportunities to establish a career in Business. And not to mention how much better is the cost of living there compared to Miami.

It may sound crazy to leave Miami behind. I know so many people who would love to live here. But the opportunities are bigger in other states sometimes. And regardless of what state I was to live in right now, I would still move. I am 22-years-old and have not lived in any other state but Florida. I lived in my country Venezuela until I was 9-years-old and then moved to Miami.

I wrote a post on my blog called “My Selfish Years”. I believe this is our time to travel, to move, to learn, to discover, to try new things. If not, when? When we are fully established in a job that we may or may not take vacation as often as we would like? When we are married and with kids?

No, let’s do it now. Let’s travel now. Let’s meet new cultures now. Let’s open our mind to other views and ideas now. It will only make us better people and more cultured individuals. A degree is just a safe card under your arm to open many other doors. But experience is gained by putting ourselves out there to new adventures.

These twenty-something years are all about discovering ourselves to be more prepared for our careers.

Check out Ari’s blog Now What?