Work Lessons

Everyone has some interesting work stories. My first job was at a day care center when I was 18 and home on Christmas break from college. I was kinda-sorta paid under the table (I was dating the owner’s son at the time), and I just showed up when she needed me. Part of me really doesn’t want to count it because I was only there for a month. But it did teach me that I wanted to work with older kids. I can now say that I’ve had three real jobs: working at a grocery store, teaching, and my current job as a proposal writer. I think I’ve learned some great life lessons from these jobs.

Grocery Store (6 years)

Since I was at the same store FOREVER, I had the opportunity to pretty much do everything there, although my official titles were cashier and produce clerk.Trust me, this was not a glamorous job. There were plenty of times where I got covered in baby food, meat juice (sounded better in my head), and random produce ickies. There were also plenty of times I had to deal with really rude people (ex.: arguing over a $0.50 coupon). Even though it might not have been the best job in the world, I was very thankful to have it.

Lessons:

• Patience: Dealing with people all the time made me realize that I needed to be more patient. I had to be understanding of people’s needs.
• Teamwork: I usually like to work by myself on things, but sometimes you’re forced to be with someone else. Learning to tag team a task is really important.
• “Fake It ‘Til You Make It”: Especially when you have really annoying customers, pretending you’re happy and OK really helps. Sometimes you can trick your brain into feeling that way.

Teaching (1 year)

This has, by far, been the most difficult think I’ve ever done. Surprisingly, it wasn’t my students that were the issue, it was the administration. There were many days where I would come home sobbing and I’d be throwing up from stress. I had food poisoning during my time there, and I was so stressed out that I made it last over two weeks. Combine this crazy stress with normal teacher stress of paperwork and classroom management, and it made for one hell of a year.

Lessons:

• Communication is key: This was the biggest issue EVER. My assistant principal and I did not communicate well at all. We learned to when it was too late to really fix things. The APs did not talk to each other. I’m sure if we worked on that, most of our issues would have been resolved.
• Stress management: I’m still not the best at this, but it’s something I know I need to work on. I tend to internalize my stress and worries, which I know isn’t healthy. I’ve gotten better at sharing how I feel, but I need to learn how not to let things get to me as much.

Proposal Writing (Current)

This job just fell in my lap rather fortuitously. This is completely different from what I’m used to, but I think I needed this. I’ve been here over a year already (time has really flown by!), and it’s been a fun experience working in the corporate world.

Lessons:

• Attention to detail: There have been many a time where I’ve forgotten to change a client name or number. That is absolutely crucial. Having a keen eye, not only for proposals but also for proofreading, is a must.
• Slow down: Coming from teaching to this was definitely a learning experience. At school, I had to complete everything PRONTO. Now, I have consciously make an effort to slow down. It’s hard!
• Networking: I got this job because one of my friends works here. Sometimes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I think I need to work on not being as  social…like keeping things separate.

I know there are more lessons that I’ve learned, and there are more to come. I hope that I can take everything I’ve learned and make myself a better worker bee.