Alright, let's chat.
I have a BA and an MA in art history, a subject I genuinely love. Unfortunately for me, landing a good job in the art world is...tricky. The market is competitive, and like most fields in the humanities, there are few positions for entry-level workers. With this in mind, I know I have to "play for the long term"; I'll need to have a different job at first for a good number of years before I'm able to look even moderately impressive to a museum looking for a new hire. And that's my plan: work somewhere that not only I'm happy at for awhile—maybe do volunteer work at a museum or two so I'm still doing something relevant in the field—and dive back into museum job applications once I've worked for awhile. It's all about timing, I've found.
Am I *in love* with my current (or was current, as I'm now unemployed thanks to the virus) job? Not entirely. There are certainly valuable lessons in childcare, and I love the kids I look after, but I don't want to be a nanny for the remainder of my career. I want to have a more steady paycheck (and a much higher one at that), and actually have coworkers; nannying can be a very lonely job. But I appreciate what I've learned by caring for kids, and will definitely be using that knowledge for when I become a mother one day. And you can take whatever valuable experience you're gaining now in your temporary job for your future—both career wise and in life experience.
Whatever job you have now, don't fret that it's not where you'd thought you'd be at this age, after earning such and such degree, after moving to X city—the job you want will happen for you as long as you keep working towards it. I don't wallow in self-pity telling myself things like "oh you got a master's in art history and now you're a nanny? What a loser" (I used to think this maybe a year or so ago); I reframe my thinking so I'm more grateful for what I have and maintain perspective: "How lucky am I that I have a job that pays my health insurance and allows me to go out with friends for drinks? I'm able to support my hobbies and be around kids who genuinely love me." Shift your perspective and watch your happiness grow.
I want this post to be a reminder to you to keep going after your dream job. Even if you're not where you want to be right now, doesn't mean your career of choice will never happen. Keep working, keep making connections, keep maintaining perspective, and see how your life improves over time. Even this virus making me unemployed has made me see that it's time to take the plunge and move on from being a nanny; this job has made me too "safe" in my day-to-day life, making me want to take less risks and really go after what I want because I'm comfortable. Now that I'm very uncomfortable due to unemployment, I feel more pressure and drive to make my next move. Perhaps you feel the same way and want to branch out once quarantine ends; start making those plans and write everything down. It'll motivate you more to actually do it.
Keep moving forward; keep perspective on your circumstances; and keep your goals at the forefront of your mind. They are possible.
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