Dear Rachel,
I've been very anxious for months. I'm just out of college a year now, and I was lucky enough to land a job as a junior planner at a large agency. I have to say the people here, especially my supervisors, have been very supportive, which is not something I expected. But after a year of this work I realize I am just not cut out for it. I like working with teams of other people my age, and I don't mind the long hours. But I'm not really good with numbers, as much as I try to fake it. I don't see myself doing this for the rest of my career, and I'm looking for a graceful way out. How should I handle this? A friend has turned me on to a possible job in book publishing, which is where I think I'd rather be. -- Trying to Do Right.

Dear Trying.
Stop faking it. Go to your supervisors and explain exactly how you feel.

Tell them that you don't want to leave them in a bind but that you want out. Tell them you want to do right by the agency and ask for their advice on how best to do it.

Don't be surprised if they're not surprised. If they are good supervisors, and you suggest they are, they'll have detected your unhappiness.

The fact is, when agencies hire kids right out of college, they are fully aware of the minuses that come with the pluses.

They know they'll get lots of energy and high spirits. They get brains. They'll get enthusiasm. They'll get the fun too. It's great having young people around. They wake people up with their curiosity.

And in that group of bright young people they're going to find the next generation of leaders in media.

But agencies also know that a lot of those young people are gong to leave within a year or two, after figuring out that media is not what they want to do.

That comes with the territory, so to speak. They put effort into training someone who will be gone in six months.

Frankly, the bigger concern for agencies is the young people who should go but stay because they don't really know what they want to do.

They don't grow. They complain. They shirk responsibility. Yet they continue to draw a paycheck that could be going to someone who really wanted that job.

So don't feel bad that you want to try something else. You are young, and this is the best time. Better now than when you are 40, have a family, and can't make the move without a huge disruption in your life and career.

If you move on now you will have the pleasure of looking back and remembering how much fun you had in media and how you got out just at the right time.

If you don't move now, you will only look back with regret at the road not traveled.

Now go talk to your supervisors. Good luck.