By Come August I will be a job lighter. I will be leaving my full-time day job to pursue music. After 18 years at UBM (www.ubm.com) working on web analytics, I’ve decided to change careers and follow my passion for music. I will be leaving UBM on August 1 to pursue a career as a violinist and music teacher.
I have adored working at UBM! I love working in web analytics, especially the training and consulting components, and I truly have fun at my job. My colleagues make me laugh and are responsive and creative, our businesses are interesting, complex and challenging and it is very nice to earn money doing something I enjoy! I will certainly miss my career and the financial stability and benefits that go along with a corporate career. I have tried to balance practice, teaching, parenting, farming, friends, community and a full time corporate job, but it isn’t possible. Too often the full-time job requires full-time hours and I have trouble fitting in practice and exercise and wind up working late into the night on the days I teach.
Announcing that I’m off to pursue my passion for music to UBM has felt a bit like coming out. My corporate career and my life as a violinist and farmer’s wife (www.twigfarm.com) have been more or less isolated components of my life. Few folks know the roles I juggle and it is a bit cathartic to get the word out. I am so fearful that the decision is a simple mid-life crisis and that it is truly insane to give up a financially stable and fun career in web analytics for music and the “am I good enough” ego dialog is hard to ignore. But, I’m looking forward to the adventure!
Emily Sunderman 