There's a lot of things that people don't tell you about when it comes to life. There are a lot of things that your teachers just can't teach. I had a mini blast from the past the other day with one of my high school teachers, and when I reminded them of my graduating year, their response was "That's almost 10 years ago, wow you're old". Now I know my old teacher was joking, as they always had an interesting sense of humor, but still it got me thinking, what have I done in almost ten years?
Then I saw a Hey Arnold post about someone who got creative enough to talk about the growth of the characters in 10 years. While some of it was a sad story, it makes us reflect again, on how our lives have changed, of the experiences we've gone through and of all the things we've accomplished, and of all the things we've yet to accomplish.
I have to say, I'm proud of myself for finishing my Bachelor's, even though I was a year behind schedule. And now I'm thinking of going to pursue a Master's, but there's a lot more evaluating involved, as my major was a competitive market, and the program to obtain this Master, can be quite extensive depending on the institution I choose. It can also be quite expensive.
So let's reflect on my 8 years (almost 10). I started working my senior year of HS. I was 17 and I started in a grocery store. Because I was good and had top cashier scores, the Ops manager moved me up to Customer Service as soon as I turned 18. From there it was easy, I went to floral part time to help out, customer service, and eventually worked my way up to a couple shifts a week supervising the front end. I was full time at Queens College with an undeclared major, working about 30 to 35 hours a week, and because I drove in rush hour traffic, you could tack on an extra 20 hours a week with just that alone. So let's just say I was looking at a very occupied schedule with little time to myself, and if you want to talk about getting gray hairs at an early age, yep, that was me. To have to start dying my hair at 18 to cover grays rather than for luxury is no joke.
By 19, I had begun working at Staples, still a full time gig, but for a little more money. Worked part time in Copy Center, until I decided to take a semester off. I was drowning in school, in the long drive, in long hours, and classes that were unnecessary for the major, but part of the liberal arts gen ed program. Still wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but knew what I didn't want to do, and that was enough to switch my path.
By 21, I had pretty much found my way again. I was taking excellent courses in a major that I loved, I had two awesome internships, I was working full time as a supervisor for Calvin Klein, and things were starting to look ok. With the exception of the fact that I hated my job, school was going exactly the way I needed it to, and that's what my focus was. I loved college finally, and I didn't want to leave.
Flash forward to where I am now. 25 years old. I've held a supervisory position in 3 companies, going on 4, I have a total of 8 years retail experience, almost 4 in supervisory, I have completed my Bachelor's in Media and Communications, and because it is a slim and super competitive market, a job is difficult to find. I have a 2 to 3 year plan, but my first year has yet to work out the way I envisioned, and when you have an amazing support system that stands behind every decision you make, all while encouraging you to still do better, letting your other down is the last thing you want to do. And even though you know he's proud of you because he tells you on a constant basis, you know you want to do so much more and you just put pressure on yourself.
My resume shows my creativity and my experience. It's a reflection of my character, and I stand by what's in it. The problem is trying to take old school practices in the professional world into an industry that is forever modernizing itself. Tonight I'm gonna think of him. I'm gonna do my best to continue to make him proud, because I want to continue to hear him say "I'm proud of you". This person makes me feel like I can conquer my dreams, and I want him to be part of that process. He's the person who I tell first about an upcoming interview, so let's hope that I land one incredibly soon.
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