I haven't been back to this thread in a while.
So, I have NO idea where my career is heading right now, and it's kind of scaring me or it's a bit nerve wrecking. I am supporting my team and am not doing the job I was hired to do. I do not carry clients, I do not write reports, and I am not in charge of strategy for any client. I do strictly support work for the team, and fill in as needed. I am also building article outlines for various articles to be written on my company website or on external sites such as Forbes. That's definitely pretty cool, and I like creating these outlines - it's fun for me, but I have no idea where this is going.
I will stay in my job as long as they allow me. I like the company culture, it's respectful and healthy, although I've found out that our CEO is extremely picky and perfectionistic. So that creates a slight problem whereby I feel my best work isn't good enough. Perfectionism always creates a feeling that you're never doing anything right or well enough. She pushes us to continue to do better and better and better - to grow. Which is not a bad thing, but the perfectionism is I feel a bad thing.
So, while I am enjoying the respectful company culture, I always wonder if I am doing a good enough job. And of course, I worry with a looming recession about the security of my job, but I try not to worry too much about it since it's mainly out of my hands.
I just wish I knew where my career is headed, and I hope that my having to take a month off from work didn't kill my entire career, which is my concern, especially since I continue to only be in a support role.