Were My Past Jobs a Waste of Time? Absolutely Not!
Have you ever taken a job you thought was really pointless because you were between jobs or just starting your job search? Do you feel you didn’t learn anything in some jobs? Over the years, I noticed that even the most pointless job taught me something – whether it was a real skill or a confirmation that I never wanted to work in that type of job again!
Before reading further, allow yourself to think back on your previous jobs (no matter what they were). Now try to think of one thing you may have learned from each of those jobs. I can almost guarantee that you will come up with something for most–if not all–of them!
My experience working within a wide range of employment (see my list below) resulted in the realization that each of these jobs taught me something I eventually used in another job:
🔸 Retail Clerk: I learned how to work with different types of customers.
🔸 Teacher: I learned how to address an audience at the appropriate level, whether it was a sixth grader or a remedial reader.
🔸 Legal Secretary and Word Processing Supervisor: I became adept at computer skills, which were key to becoming a supervisor. As supervisor, I had to work with a team and make informed decisions.
🔸 Technical Writer: I was able to hone my writing, editing, and proofreading skills in an insurance company environment. I learned to work with a team here as well.
🔸 Senior Communications Specialist: I worked in a software company, where I was constantly multi-tasking, working with different personalities, reaching deadlines, writing/proofreading/editing, working with a team, running a charity event, learning new software, and writing to an intended user audience.
The opportunities to work in different kinds of businesses was ideal for understanding their “language” (retail, education, legal, insurance, technical). This gave me the confidence and ability to proofread and edit for a variety of companies.
I can state with absolute certainty that my prior jobs eventually led to my current role as a freelance proofreader/editor, because:
🔸 I can work with different clients.
🔸 My acquired computer skills are wonderful to have in this technological world.
🔸 I know how to work well with others.
🔸 My skills in writing/proofreading/editing are sharpened and professional.
🔸 I am an awesome multi-tasker.
🔸 I know how to meet deadlines.
🔸 I have learned to present a cohesive and concise message to content for a particular business or audience.
My final thoughts to you are this: If you are working in an awful job or feel you are wasting your time where you are, don’t despair! Somewhere down the long road of employment, you may look back and say, “Hey, that job I hated actually helped me reach my career goal!”