Good For My Career

My boss wants me to go this conference in Houston this October. It's a week long, meetings in the day and hobnobbing at night. He insists that I should go because it will be good for my career. Translation: it will help me move into line for a promotion, raises, etc etc etc. The thing is -I don't want to get promoted, or move up the corporate ladder, or any of those things. All it gets you is more responsibility and more work, and therefore less time for your family and yourself.

Not only that, I'm leaving this career. I'm starting back to school full time in January. They don't know that here yet, but when they do they won't be happy. What's the point of training to advance in a career I'm leaving? Even if I was staying in this career I'm not interested in that.

And finally, it's not exactly easy for me to drop everything for a week and leave town. I have classes, I have responsibilities outside work, and I have a house full of animals. You can bet they wouldn't help me pay for petsitting! I am going on vacation later this week, my first time in several years, and it was a nightmare trying to make arrangements for my pets and my house. I generally don't like to travel at all; it's a headache and I'm a homebody.

So no, I don't think I'm going to Houston in October. Even if it would be good for my career.