What I learned from a job I HATED.

Today is a really great day. It's cold and rainy outside despite it being June 27th, but it's a great freakin' day.

"Why, Sarah?! Why is today a great freakin' day?!"

Today is the last day working a job I truly dreaded every single morning when I left for work. It has been quite the task, trying to stay optimistic and learn from a job that I had initially expected so much from. When people asked me what I was learning in this position, it was hard for me to come up with a valid answer. I didn't really learn much about the industry. I didn't really learn any new skills. I didn't really learn the key to my eternal happiness... Well, that escalated quickly...

However, this morning when I sat down at my desk, I had a few things come to mind. It was like popcorn going off inside my brain, "Oh you learned this and this and this...."

What had I learned from a job that I hated?

That I am adaptable. To an extent.
It constantly amazes me that we as humans are able to adapt and change depending on our surroundings. My jobs in college were exciting, loud, inventive and full of life, but I adapted into a cubicle with little noise and lots of whispering. That wasn't as bad as it sounds. I also was able to adapt what little technology I had access to in order to make the projects successful, like creating graphs and diagrams in Paint. Yes, I said Paint, like the program you used to color on your parents computer when you were little. I also learned that our generation is much more adaptable to change. We're used to constantly learning new technological programs and we've been raised around constantly changing economics. We know that things happen quickly and that you have to keep up so you don't get left behind.

To stand up for myself.
I kind of HAD to learn this one. I was being emotionally trampled and manipulated. All it took was one coworker to come up and ask if I was okay (after about two months with the company) before I broke down into an ugly girl cry at the reception desk. I didn't realize how badly the negative workplace atmosphere was effecting my self-worth. At that point, my bawling made a scene (or at least it felt like it did), so the issues I was upset about finally made it to the front lines. I was brutally honest when talking with my supervisor about the things that bugged me and a few things actually changed. Finally, being forced to stand up for yours truly caused an increase in my self-confidence.

When to let things go.
I learned very quickly to choose my battles. It was the A-team against me on a few of my early issues with my supervisors. I realized that many times, my tasks were taken from me (not because I couldn't handle them) and I had to choose which ones to fight to retain.

How to work with the most unintelligent human on the planet.
Yep, I found this person. You can spell things out so that a fourth grader could do it but this person will still have questions. Working with such a difficult individual has not only given me a bajillion more grey hairs, but this person has helped me learn to hold my tongue. Many times, I let little sarcastic comments fly but I tried very hard to learn how to be graceful in the face of frustration.

That I have been very blessed with amazing coworkers and supervisors in my past.
Wowza, this one is so true. I have always known how big of a blessing my former coworkers and bosses have been, but this job made it even more obvious. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed the company of a handful of my cowrokers here but nothing like the camaraderie that I've seen elsewhere (SHOUT OUT TO J-Stop and MUPC). Also to the crazy awesome bosses in my past work experiences... I am who I am and I have the incredibly high work-place standards that I have because of the communities you created. Erin and Linda, I'm talking to you two ladies in particular :)

That I am a creative worker.
This position left absolutely no room for creativity. I don't mind routine and I don't mind data. But when you have nothing to do and very little creative freedom in the tasks you're actually assigned, you start missing that creation and independence.

That boredom is NOT my friend.
I LOVE being busy. Not in a "Holy crap I need to stay until midnight and work every night" kind of way, but in a "I constantly have something to do" kind of way. When you have 2 hours total of work in an 8 hour work day, you learn a whole new type of boredom and let me just tell you, it's absolutely exhausting. I'm looking forward to projects and tasks.

And last but certainly not least.
I learned that I LOVE blogging.
It's funny and completely unrelated to my job, but I think that this blog is my biggest take away from this whole experience. I had tried blogging in the past but hadn't found a real purpose behind my writing. NOW, I have found an edge, an excitement and an outlet to discuss what we're going through in our early twenties. I may not be a Carrie Bradshaw, but I have truly enjoyed the conversations that have sprung up through the course of the last two months. I've had mature conversations with friends about the issues in their lives. I've learned about the things to which people truly need support. I've gotten texts and emails saying that the things we're talking about here completely relate to what they're going through in life and that it's been nice to know that we're in it together. This blog has been a huge reason why I feel like my life has taken a more positive path and it comes from the conversations I've had around these topics.


Because of you readers, I have pushed myself toward a more positive outlook and in the last year, that hasn't been easy. In the last 12 months, I have graduated college, sifted through 4 jobs, moved twice (three times if you count my move in the next two weeks), thought I fell in love, then ACTUALLY fell in love, lost -and gained- friendships, fought depression, and made it out alive. Man, the last year has been a doosie. But with a positive outlook, I really believe that there is no end to this progress in sight.

Cheers to the next phase, my dears.