What I Want in a Career

As I start interviewing and exploring different job opportunities, both inside my current company and externally, I’m noticing a common theme. I don’t want to show up to work every day and do the same thing I did yesterday.

I think a lot of jobs are designed exactly that way, including my current leadership role as a program manager. I can show up and do the same tasks every day or at least the same type of work every week. There are problems to solve, but after ten years, they start to feel like the same problem with a slightly different flavor. It’s frustrating and boring.

A job I really wanted but didn’t get was very dynamic. Ever since I didn’t get it, I’ve been thinking about what drew me to it. Part of it was the potential for travel to France, which excited me. Part of it was the hiring manager. You can tell when a hiring manager loves their work. Some of them warn you that a job will be hard, but they say it with a kind of drained, beaten-down energy that makes you feel fifty years older just talking to them.

This particular hiring manager said it with intensity and passion. She loved showing up to work every day. That resonated with me. I realized what I really want is a job that excites me. I want to go into the office every day and do something a little different, something meaningful. Not perfection. Just variety and impact.

Doing the same thing every day, same report, same people, same problems, buried five layers deep, is not my thing. I want to feel like what I do matters and that every day has a bit of challenge and interest.

A job opportunity came up with the church. I reached out to a friend who was handling the applications and asked about the pay. I have six kids, so I wanted to be realistic. I love the idea of working for the church, and honestly, I would have taken even a lower pay just to do meaningful work.

The answer, though, was a salary cut of more than half, which was not feasible for my family. Still, it was exactly the type of dynamic job I crave. It would have had thirty different things to manage every day, plus the chance to push the church community forward in meaningful ways. I knew it probably wasn’t going to meet my salary needs, but you never know until you ask.

Even if it doesn’t work out now, it’s clarified what I’m looking for. I want meaningful, dynamic work that challenges me and keeps me engaged. Maybe someday, when my kids are grown and I have more flexibility, I’ll find a role like that. For now, it’s about knowing what truly excites me and not settling for boredom.

That is why I love photography so much. Different people, most that come back year after year. Watching their kids grow, watching their businesses grow, making them smile, making their day a little bit better. The technical challenges are fun, too. There is always sometime new to learn!

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Think about every photo you’ve taken of your children, every memory you’ve preserved for them. You deserve that same love and attention. Come to Kristian Hutchings Portraits, let me pamper you from start to finish, and leave with portraits that show the beauty, strength, and grace you give the world every day. Motherhood is part of our legacy and we should leave our children and grandchildren a true reflection of our beauty to remember us by.

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Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles — where we celebrate the mess, the miracles,