I can remember it all too well—it was the summer of 2013 and here I was, fresh off graduating with my undergraduate degree from Ball State the year prior, and I was working a position that I strongly disliked. I was employed as a consumer sales representative for a small sales and marketing firm in Indianapolis, where I would travel to local Sam’s Clubs and Kroger’s throughout the Central Indiana area, selling anything from steak knives to overpriced personal massagers. Working 50+ hours a week (with only Monday’s off), which doesn’t even include the travel (sometimes the locations were more than an hour away), selling items that I had no passion for, and interacting with people who 80% of the time had absolutely no interest in talking with me, was not what I had in mind when I walked across that stage and received my diploma in May of 2012. Honestly, there was numerous days where it was a challenge to go into work and complete my daily tasks. For me, I’m at my best when I’m naturally enthusiastic about my work and this position was taking its toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. However, when I reflect on the position almost 2 and a half years later, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have the job I have today if it wasn’t for this aforementioned position. Below, you’ll find the 3 reasons why I wouldn’t have the position I love today if I didn’t have this experience.

1. It Taught Me How to Appreciate Having a Job (and the Demands That Come With It) – When I give thought to my time at this position, the first thing that comes to mind is how grateful I was to have a job. Especially in today’s super-competitive job market, I was fortunate to have a job that allowed me to boost my resume and increase my overall experience for future employers, as well as improving a number of professional skills. In addition to this, it showcased to me just how demanding, time-consuming, and exhausting having a job entails. I struggled during this time with the fatigue of the position and finding ways to wind down after the long days of work. Nevertheless, it ultimately taught me that you can’t bring your work home with you and that it’s important to reserve time for yourself, your family, and still spending time doing what makes you happy as an individual. As a matter of fact, I began practicing yoga during my time at this position and it changed my life in more ways than I could have imagined. It vastly improved my mental well-being by creating mental clarity and calmness that completely changed my outlook on numerous areas of my personal and professional life.
2. My Professional Skills Before < My Professional Skills After: As briefly mentioned, I’m grateful for the position in the fact of how much it enhanced several areas of my professional skill set. The first one that comes to my mind is my professional speaking and overall speech as a whole. Truly, this position bestowed on me the confidence needed to be able to speak to people on a daily basis, especially large groups of people. Each and every day, I would be at the store selling merchandise to groups ranging from 5 to upwards of 50 people. In retrospect, I still chuckle when I think about my first few times speaking in front of complete strangers, nevertheless, after I did it a few times I started to figure it out and my poise began to build.  Isn’t that the case when you embark on anything new in life though? While you might struggle the first few times with something completely new and unfamiliar, after you do it a few times your confidence slowly begins to rise. Furthermore, this position improved several other professional skills, including my problem-solving, planning, leadership, and adaptability.
3. It Ingrained in Me the Determination and Perseverance to Find a Job That I Love:  As most people realize and comprehend, when you work at a job that you’re not passionate about, it takes nearly double the energy to fulfill your obligations and responsibilities. Subsequently, the fatigue and stress your experience invariably follows the amount of energy that you deliver. As someone who had to endure the stress, fatigue, and agony of working a position that I didn’t authentically love, it ingrained a deep fire in me that I was going to do whatever it took to work a job that I loved with all my heart one day. Moreover, I recognized that it was going to take more than just this position to attain the job I desired and, consequently, I was going to have to put in several long days & nights, as well as continuing to push myself in all areas of my professional skill set. This meant going above and beyond what my job description entailed, fine-tuning my writing, communication, and listening skills, and exerting 100% effort every single day.

I can honestly and wholeheartedly say that I’ll forever be thankful for this position. If reading this and you’re aspiring to work at a position you love one day, my advice would be to stay patient, continue to go over and above what’s asked of you, and remember to advance your professional and networking skills. Following this position, I still I had to work two more positions (albeit, I enjoyed them much more ) until I obtained the position of my dreams today. It’s critical to respect the process of advancement and realize that not everything you want to happen is going to overnight. With that, I leave you with some words of wisdom:

“Success isn’t an upward trajectory, it’s a winding road. The awareness that the bigger your dream or ambition, the harder you have to work is vital.”

Thank you for reading!

— Chris