Lessons Learned From Different Jobs

Careers are funny, aren’t they? I say that because I actually hate the word “career”. Not because I don’t respect the idea or people who truly find a path and rise. But probably because I’ve never really connected with the idea of choosing one thing & sticking to it my entire life. If you’re curious about all that jazz, check out my post about being a multipotentialite. I’ve had anything but a straight path in my professional life so far. It used to really frustrate me and make me feel insecure. Until my journey finally led me to where I am today, I never realized how many lessons I was learning along the way. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately – is that a pregnancy thing? – and thought it’d be fun to share some lessons from my different jobs.

Retail

Lesson learned: It’s ok to not make the right move the first time

Ah, my first “real world” full-time job. With a degree in apparel merchandising, I had my sights set on being a clothing buyer. I landed a shop management position at a large sports retailer in our local mall. The position offered not only retail experience, but also in-house buying. Best of both worlds if you asked my college-graduating mind. I really enjoyed the experience as a whole, but when it came down to it, making commission selling $20 t-shirts, working weekends/late nights and dealing with holiday shoppers was not my forte. I couldn’t use my creative side as much as I’d hoped & I had to come to terms with my first job not being “the” job. And that’s totally ok. Who’s really is? You gotta start somewhere.

Banking

Lesson learned: Sometimes you have to push through just to survive

I worked retail through Thanksgiving but wanted out before Christmas. My exit plan? Whatever it took. So I accepted a cubicle job closing loans for a bank. Turns out, you just need the ability to learn commands in order to push through refinanced loans. Because I completely lacked any other qualification. Oh, technology. Why did I take this definitely-not-even-close-to-anything-I-want-to-do job? Well, for one, I was broke. I had rent to pay, my retail job paid me nothing & I my bank account reflected it. I had to get comfortable doing something out of my element in order to stay afloat. Looking back, those 365 days I stayed there seem torturous. But, I made money. And good money. Which I’m thankful for. I finally saved some, got back on my feet & started looking for other options.

Real Estate

Lesson learned: Working your a** off really does pay off

I had a part time leasing agent job in college that I absolutely loved. When an opportunity to get back into the industry came my way 2 years post-college, I was beyond excited. I say real estate, which is what the company does that I worked for, but I hung out on the residential property management side of things. I managed all kinds of properties from low-income to communities with the highest rent in the city. It was fascinating and I worked by a** off. I quickly learned what it felt like to be great at something. How it felt to “rise” in a company, how to multi-task, communicate effectively & function among chaos. I was a negotiator, a salesperson, a boss, an operations manager and even a counselor on most days. I learned my true potential & how much I could accomplish in 8 short hours. It was a lot. But in the end, I also learned what it feels like not to be treated right at work. How corporate politics is not my thing and how sometimes, it’s just time to move on. And ultimately, I made the decision to walk away, knowing that I put all I had into it.

And if I fast-forward to today…

Lesson learned: There’s light at the end of the tunnel

I work in advertising by day and run this blog by night. I am beyond happy doing both. Nothing in my prior work experience has much to do with what my life looks like now, but I have no doubt those lessons (& much more I can’t fit into one post) allowed me to get me to where I am. And everything I’m learning now will help me get to where I’m going.

The best part about it all though? Being able to pass on some encouragement to anyone who feels like I ever did over the past 7+ years. Lost, frustrated, unhappy, unfulfilled. Because jobs don’t need to define us or limit us. Should they make us happy and teach us lessons? Yes. But sometimes it takes a little work to get there.

xoxo. B