It's going to look pretty homemade, especially since I messed up a few places and just called it good enough.

I also say Nanoryemo.

So, I don't have a lot of people to talk to about this, but I need reassurance. Long story short, last May I recieved my new job description, which basically took the work I was doing in recruitment and retention, and the work I was doing in instructional design, and changed it to "support the director of these programs by updating her calendar and processing reimbursements for her". I was then offered a created for me instructional design postion, which I leapt at, because anything to get away from that. I was pretty clear that I was afraid it was going to be boring and I would rather be doing recruitment and retention but I was told that no opportunities would be available in that field.

FF- I am bored and stultified, and now a position has opened up that would seem like a title promotion (Assistant Director of Enrollment Management vs Instructional Design Assistant) but a pay grade demotion. This is because ( as I told them) no one understood what I was doing and me leaving the job left a hole.

My plan is to apply for the "demotion" to assistant director, but I feel so bad for all the people who went to bat for me to get me in the new position (which I kind of hate) I have come up with some strategies to make me hate it less - like more interaction with faculty, solving more problems, more interaction with students and more visual and "instructions" control over the online offerings, but ultimately, I think everyone would be happier with a real instructional designer and me in recruitment and retention.

I have a meeting Monday to talk this over with the department administrator, but I need reassurance that I am doing the right thing. As soon as I realized it was an option, every cell in my body relaxed, but I don't want people to hate me!

I have a working arcade cabinet now.

Gud, that's so cool! You are so talented!

I need reassurance that I am doing the right thing.

I think your very next sentence is your reassurance:

As soon as I realized it was an option, every cell in my body relaxed

I understand not wanting people to hate you, but -- this is your career, your life. You have to do what's best for you, not what's going to make people think more kindly of you.

Steph is right. No one benefits from your being miserable.

It seems like the right call to me. You don't want to be bored and stultified.

Sophia, I did a similar thing when I transfered to my current position, and even though I have some mixed feelings, there is no question that it was ultimately the right move. (I miss the amount of money I was making before, and stepping down a level is a big difference in how people treat you at this company, but OTOH I no longer spend 2 hours a day crying while sitting in traffic in NJ, and since this role is so much less stressful I have the mental energy I need to focus on school.)

Sounds like a good move for you, Sophia.

Ryan makes me happy.

Gud, that cabinet is excellent.

Very nice, Gud!

Sophia, you'll be spending 1/3 of your life, five out of seven days a week for the next several years, doing something. If that something can be an activity you actually like, I think you should go for it.

Thanks guys. I am pretty sure of my decision, but I needed to hear feedback. I know I dont care about the money-- I would have been perfectly content doing my same job until retirement. I only started looking when there were rumblings of "a person at your level can't make decisions at this other level"and I knew my job would not be my job any more.