In 2003, I graduated college and wanted to work as a PGA golf professional. Not the one where you play on Tour, the one that works at a Country Club and runs the daily operation. I loved the game and despite having a 4-year degree and college debt, I went for it. I was 22 years old, loved the game and would do anything to succeed. What I didn't realize was working 10 hour days, 6 days a week for a salary was not only dumb, it was horrible for my health.
Yes, I was at a great spot in South Florida, one where all the PGA stars are today and thought I had the world.
Nope.
I gained clarity in my 3rd season. We had a Head Golf Professional, I was the 1st Assistant and a younger kid was our 2nd Assistant. He was the guy that wanted the job but also had a BS meter that would peg far easier than anyone I’d ever seen. He didn't care if we had a tournament today at 7 and had to arrive at 6 to get setup. He would show up at 7 because that was when his day began.
After a few weeks he said this is a terrible lifestyle and a horrible path to a career that will work me into the ground….I read these posts and feel as if he was an early breed of antiwork.
2 months into the season he quit. The kid just picked up and left and moved back home to Pennsylvania. Rather than hire someone or bring another person into the shop, I carried his and my workload through the season. Full disclosure, my boss the Head Pro was not a bad guy, he just had no support and the cheap membership refused to rehire and said we could just continue on because we were…
…sO GreAt aT oUr JoBs…wE cAn dO AnyThiNg!
That was it. My take-home pay was $525/week before taxes and insurance. 6 and 7 day weeks, 10-12 hour days. I could’t take it anymore and told him in March right before the end of the winter season that this was my last year. I would be leaving in June.
Fast forward a few years, I tried unsuccessfully working in tax/accounting and then found my dream job as a Firefighter / Paramedic.
If you're stuck and feel like there is no way out, remember that life is long. What feels like a trap right now isn't a forever life-sentence.