Full-Time Influencer Reveals The 3 Reasons She's Quitting Social Media For A Corporate Job — 'I'm Tired Of Being Self-Obsessed'
She doesn't feel fulfilled working in social media anymore and wants to challenge herself with working in the corporate world.
BublikHaus / Shutterstock Over the last several years, having a career in social media has become extremely coveted, especially for Gen Zers. Being able to make an income through these different social media channels has become more and more of a possibility, but it seems it might not be the job that everyone thinks it is.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Ana Wolfermann revealed the reasons behind her decision to step back from social media and instead start working in the corporate world. She admitted that the decision made her "nervous" but she no longer has a love for creating content.
The influencer revealed the 3 reasons she quit social media for a corporate job.
She explained that she's been a full-time influencer for the last three years and it's how she's earned an income. Graduating from the University of Notre Dame in May 2023, Wolfermann said that during her time in school, she felt as if she had the "golden ticket" to maximize her growth on social media.
"I couldn't take advantage of it because I had to devote so much time to studying in school. I was so excited to do this full-time. Naturally, once I graduated, I chose to pursue this path," Wolfermann said.
She admitted that being an influencer has brought her amazing opportunities, and she's aware of the privilege that the career holds, but doesn't feel as if it's for her anymore, and listed the reasons why.
1. She's tired of making everything about herself.
Wolfermann pointed out that the entire point of having a career in social media is showing her followers the intimate details of her life and having to be the center of attention at all times.
"My job requires me to look at myself and talk about what I think or what I did," she said. "Then I post myself and then I reply to comments about myself."
Photo: kasto / Canva Pro
Wolfermann claimed that when she goes out with her friends, or just goes out into the world in general, she has to take the time to take a picture or video of herself so she can use it as content on her platforms. However, she doesn't find it fulfilling anymore and that being an influencer is too much of a "self-obsessive job."
"I understand the benefits and I understand the fun and so I've done it for 3 years, but I'm so tired," she said.
2. She doesn't feel as if she's learning anything new.
Wolfermann noticed that during her career in social media, she wasn't being challenged intellectually in the same way that she would be in a corporate job.
"Yes, I could always get better at strategy, at marketing, but I feel like that just gets a bit repetitive," she said. "I know that I am capable of learning and growing, and I feel like since I graduated and I've done this full-time, I haven't done anything with my brain."
She's found that the only brain stimulation that she's gotten since graduating college has been from reading, and desires something more challenging that tests her abilities a bit more.
3. She feels being an influencer has made her 'superficial.'
Wolfermann said that being on TikTok specifically means that she often has to talk in shorter sentences because short-form videos are the most engaging for viewers. She also had to learn not to elaborate on her ideas.
"For years of my academic life, I was taught to elaborate on points," she recalled. "TikTok has kind of brainwashed me into just giving blurbs with zero explanation because the less you explain, the shorter the video, and the more comments you'll get asking questions."
She pointed out that humans are creatures of habit, and because of this, Wolfermann has gotten used to the habit of giving less information because that's how she has to talk to be successful in social media.
Photo: warrengoldswain / Canva Pro
"This job is based solely on marketing, which means, what do people want? And all anybody wants is products, so I say it's made me a bit more superficial because I've had to shift my attention and my focus towards thinking about marketing for brands."
Wolfermann admitted that she feels she lost a part of herself through being an influencer.
She recited a quote she'd seen recently: "What you do with your life is determined by what you do with your time," and suddenly realized that she spends most of her time talking about herself and showing parts of her life to others. She's constantly taking photos and videos of herself, and that's just not how she wants to live anymore.
While social media has managed to connect her with all kinds of people, and she's eternally grateful for the life she's been able to live, it just isn't for her anymore. She insisted that she has no plans of completely deleting her platform, but will no longer be a full-time influencer. She's decided to start applying for jobs in the corporate world, and she would feel happier being able to do both content creation and working a 9-to-5.
Wolfermann's decision isn't something common, in fact, most young people are often trying to leave the corporate world for social media. According to a report from Morning Consult, a decision intelligence company, some 57% of Gen Zers said they would like to become an influencer if given the chance.
53% of Gen Zers believe becoming an influencer is a reputable career choice, and a similar share would quit their current jobs if they could become an influencer if it was enough to pay for their lifestyle. Three in 10 young people would even pay to become an influencer.
While being an influencer is something most people are striving to become, it's not for everyone in the same way working in a corporate job isn't for everyone.
Putting your entire life on the internet where it's available for scrutiny and judgment, having to create an online persona that captivates an audience, and essentially becoming a celebrity where people look up to you and follow your content, can be overwhelming.
Wolfermann's pivot to wanting a corporate job is her decision and she should be commended for voicing to millions of people that a certain career path that may be full of opportunities and aspirations won't always appeal to everyone.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.