Have you ever had a job where it just felt like an utter flop, and you couldn’t wait to leave? I can remember a job that is reminiscent of Lucy at the chocolate factory if you are familiar with that famous (and hilarious) scene from I Love Lucy. It was my first (and last) day on the job, and Murphy’s law was alive and well. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. I went to my truck at lunch time and cried until it was time for me to return. Then I just “numbed” my way through the rest of the shift. Needless to say, it made an impression. However, it also taught me something. Given enough time, we can learn a lesson from anything, and that includes a bad experience.
Thankfully, that was the only job I’ve had where I can say it was completely terrible the whole time it was going on. (Keep in mind that I only worked it for one shift. Hahahaha!) When I had time to reflect, I realized that one shift taught me a lot. One, I knew I was not cut out for that type of work so I shouldn’t waste my time or anyone else’s with a future interview in that field. Two, I have a new appreciation for what that field involved, and I don’t take it for granted. Three, I learned that there are people who may be paid well, but when I tried to do what they did, I realized they aren’t being paid nearly enough. One shift at a job taught me a lot about myself and an entire career field.
In my most recent job, I learned a lot about real estate, legal documentation, laws pertaining to property, and property taxes. (I also learned a lot about politics in my county which is an entirely different blog.) After I dealt with the emotions about why I had to leave the job, I was able to reflect on what all I had learned. I gained an entirely new category of knowledge while working there for less than a year, and I learned a lot about character, personality, and the insidiousness of politics and ambition.
It’s important when you have a bad job experience to grieve and deal with any negative emotions associated with it, but it’s also good to ask yourself what the positives were. Even if you didn’t learn anything knew in the way of professional knowledge, you did learn something when you left the job. What was the breaking point? What did that breaking point teach you?
Yes, some jobs can be absolutely awful, but to deal with them, turn those negatives into positives. Ask yourself what you learned. Ask yourself how it changed you for the better. Did it make you stronger or more independent? Did you learn what you weren’t interested in doing? Sometimes the things you learn are more about what you can’t or shouldn’t be doing. That’s okay. You still learned something so don’t let those “bad” jobs weigh you down. As I have heard someone say, look for the gold in it instead.
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Inspirational verses for the day:
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12 (NLT)
All Things Subject to Change 