You will hold many jobs in your lifetime. Like—a lot. And each will shape you differently. Get ready.
My career journey has been really weird. But I guarantee you, no one has a very consistent type of journey. I started off at NIS as a file clerk and then I was moved to this weird, stuffy office where I scanned old remittances ALL DAY LONG. And I didn’t have a smartphone back then to listen to podcasts or music or anything. It was rough. Rough enough to keep my eyes fixed to the clock on the wall throughout each workday. Plus, the office was so old and boring. Gah, I'm sure things have changed and improved, but back then, it wasn't great for a 16-year old eager to do something more meaningful.
But...my coworkers took care of me. And that made an otherwise snail-paced job more tolerable. They all were overly-accommodating, but in a nice way, and included me in their inside jokes to make me feel like part of the team. I appreciate that so much, even now. Even though there were ways we all didn’t make sense together, with our varying ages and stages of life, I joined in with the group and it made the work more tolerable. Didn't learn as much as I thought I would there. But I did learn the value of camaraderie. Even among people who aren't my peers.
Believe it or not, my next job was at KFC.
That one was one of the hardest positions I've ever held. Not because the work was particularly tricky or difficult.
It challenged my pride. A lot.
I'd just graduated from TAMCC with a high GPA and as valedictorian and the only people that would hire me was KFC. And you know what’s funny? Uncle Philbert knew of an opening for a cashier position at Hubbard's and didn’t let me apply because he thought it was too low for me. Yet, there I was at the KFC Grenada Corporate office, picking up my uniform for my first day of work. I nearly cried on the way back home. It was a hot day, like all the others. And the sunshine felt almost blinding in a way that made me realize how much my emotional brokenness was suddenly affecting my actual body. It was horrible.
On my first day, I felt that same disorientation. But I knew it then and I know it now—God was using every work experience to slowly chip away at my pride. I had to get up early and prep stations, season raw chicken, make coleslaw cups, refill the drink fountains, clean chicken pieces (which I wasn’t even doing at home at that point), and sweep and mop the floors every few hours. I left home after cleaning the verandah, and I went to work to mop the KFC floors.
Here’s what I take away from those 5 weeks of work...
- I’m not too good for anything when it comes to work. I was overqualified, sure. But I’m not too high or valuable as a person that I can’t reach down and pick up dirty tissue paper from the bathroom floor. Jesus Himself washed the disciples’ feet. Would you wash a vagrant’s feet? Probably not. And I’m sure the disciples, walking around in the sand, had really terrible feet. The God of the universe set an example of humility but washing the feet of His creation. He wasn’t too good for that task. He was there to serve, so I had to learn how to take on a servant’s heart in all I did.
- The people make the job. Again, like with NIS, I learned how important it was to make bonds with the people I worked with. For jobs you dislike in the moment, proactively making connections is not just a good thing–it’s so necessary. It makes time go by faster and the work feel less strenuous.
And I get it. I’m not super sociable either. But making a little bit of effort to get to know people goes a long way. Ask a few questions: when did you start working here? Do you like it? What else have you done at this company? Do you have kids (be careful with that one). A few simple questions help people open up and they’re more likely to seek you out when they’re going to pick up lunch somewhere. The women I worked with at KFC were nothing like me. They were mostly older, single mothers just trying to make a living. But I made some valuable connections that made my first and last day very different from each other. By the end, I was a more empathetic, thoughtful and humble person.
- Finally, I learned the value of never giving up. I got the KFC job from emailing my resume and custom cover letter to every email address I could find in the yellow pages. EVERY. SINGLE ONE. It took some time and I had a few bad emails go out, but a few people reached out. KFC was one. My second post-college job was the other. Because of my efforts, Mr. Anvar at Allamanda Beach resort had my resume and called me. 5 weeks after KFC, I had another, better job offer. The work you put in matters.
I have a simple rule when it comes to perseverance. Don’t stop unless you know you’ve given it your all. That was my strategy with CXC. And it’s my strategy with jobs. For CXC, I would stop studying sometimes days before an exam because I knew I pushed myself right to the edge and I was proud of my efforts_then I’d stop studying altogether. It paid off. The same goes with my career.
Stay tuned for more from my career journey. I love you, sister.
My career journey has been really weird. But I guarantee you, no one has a very consistent type of journey. I started off at NIS as a file clerk and then I was moved to this weird, stuffy office where I scanned old remittances ALL DAY LONG. And I didn’t have a smartphone back then to listen to podcasts or music or anything. It was rough. Rough enough to keep my eyes fixed to the clock on the wall throughout each workday. Plus, the office was so old and boring. Gah, I'm sure things have changed and improved, but back then, it wasn't great for a 16-year old eager to do something more meaningful.
But...my coworkers took care of me. And that made an otherwise snail-paced job more tolerable. They all were overly-accommodating, but in a nice way, and included me in their inside jokes to make me feel like part of the team. I appreciate that so much, even now. Even though there were ways we all didn’t make sense together, with our varying ages and stages of life, I joined in with the group and it made the work more tolerable. Didn't learn as much as I thought I would there. But I did learn the value of camaraderie. Even among people who aren't my peers.
Believe it or not, my next job was at KFC.
That one was one of the hardest positions I've ever held. Not because the work was particularly tricky or difficult.
It challenged my pride. A lot.
I'd just graduated from TAMCC with a high GPA and as valedictorian and the only people that would hire me was KFC. And you know what’s funny? Uncle Philbert knew of an opening for a cashier position at Hubbard's and didn’t let me apply because he thought it was too low for me. Yet, there I was at the KFC Grenada Corporate office, picking up my uniform for my first day of work. I nearly cried on the way back home. It was a hot day, like all the others. And the sunshine felt almost blinding in a way that made me realize how much my emotional brokenness was suddenly affecting my actual body. It was horrible.
On my first day, I felt that same disorientation. But I knew it then and I know it now—God was using every work experience to slowly chip away at my pride. I had to get up early and prep stations, season raw chicken, make coleslaw cups, refill the drink fountains, clean chicken pieces (which I wasn’t even doing at home at that point), and sweep and mop the floors every few hours. I left home after cleaning the verandah, and I went to work to mop the KFC floors.
Here’s what I take away from those 5 weeks of work...
- I’m not too good for anything when it comes to work. I was overqualified, sure. But I’m not too high or valuable as a person that I can’t reach down and pick up dirty tissue paper from the bathroom floor. Jesus Himself washed the disciples’ feet. Would you wash a vagrant’s feet? Probably not. And I’m sure the disciples, walking around in the sand, had really terrible feet. The God of the universe set an example of humility but washing the feet of His creation. He wasn’t too good for that task. He was there to serve, so I had to learn how to take on a servant’s heart in all I did.
- The people make the job. Again, like with NIS, I learned how important it was to make bonds with the people I worked with. For jobs you dislike in the moment, proactively making connections is not just a good thing–it’s so necessary. It makes time go by faster and the work feel less strenuous.
And I get it. I’m not super sociable either. But making a little bit of effort to get to know people goes a long way. Ask a few questions: when did you start working here? Do you like it? What else have you done at this company? Do you have kids (be careful with that one). A few simple questions help people open up and they’re more likely to seek you out when they’re going to pick up lunch somewhere. The women I worked with at KFC were nothing like me. They were mostly older, single mothers just trying to make a living. But I made some valuable connections that made my first and last day very different from each other. By the end, I was a more empathetic, thoughtful and humble person.
- Finally, I learned the value of never giving up. I got the KFC job from emailing my resume and custom cover letter to every email address I could find in the yellow pages. EVERY. SINGLE ONE. It took some time and I had a few bad emails go out, but a few people reached out. KFC was one. My second post-college job was the other. Because of my efforts, Mr. Anvar at Allamanda Beach resort had my resume and called me. 5 weeks after KFC, I had another, better job offer. The work you put in matters.
I have a simple rule when it comes to perseverance. Don’t stop unless you know you’ve given it your all. That was my strategy with CXC. And it’s my strategy with jobs. For CXC, I would stop studying sometimes days before an exam because I knew I pushed myself right to the edge and I was proud of my efforts_then I’d stop studying altogether. It paid off. The same goes with my career.
Stay tuned for more from my career journey. I love you, sister.
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