Lesson #1: Get experience in the industry you want, or think you want, to work in. At the very least, talk to someone in that field, it will open your eyes.
I had gone to school with plans on becoming a therapist. I knew I was good at listening and helping people out with their problems, but I soon found out there's much, much more involved. I learned through my first job that being a therapist wasn't really my passion and not what I should be doing. Had it not been for this job, I may have gotten into a line of work that I would be unhappy at. I will always be incredibly thankful for that learning experience.
Lesson #2: A full-time job may not always be the answer. Sometimes an internship will be more valuable.
When I graduated from college, I had no full-time job lined up and I was getting frustrated. However, I was able to get an internship at a radio station. That is where I found my real passion and what I wanted to do with my life. Had it not been for this internship, I would still be wondering what I should do "when I grow up."
Lesson #3: Time with family (and friends) is the most important thing in the world.
As I was going back and forth between my job and internship, my aunt was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. If you are familiar with ovarian cancer, you know that it is usually diagnosed in the later stages. My mom would go to Indiana, where my aunt lived, to help take care of her. While my mom was gone, sometimes for weeks at a time, I was left to help out around the house and take my sisters to school. My aunt eventually moved in with us to be closer to the family. Sadly, in less than a year she passed away, but I will be thankful for the time I got to spend with her.
Lesson #4: Things happen when you least expect it.
A few months after my aunt passed away, the radio station went out of business. I had stayed there for over a year, working for free, hoping to be hired as a paid employee. That just wasn't meant to be. Again, I will always be incredibly thankful for my experience there. After this happened, a coworker decided she was going back to school so I was offered her full-time position.
Lesson #5: You are supposed to be where you are to get things accomplished.
I had always planned on getting a Master's degree and thought it would be in social work, but then that plan changed. It was after my internship I decided to get a MBA. I was hoping to get a job that would help pay for school, but again that wasn't meant to be. However, my job was very,very flexible with my schedule and worked around my classes so I could still work full-time. Who knows if I would've ever gotten the chance to go and pay for grad school had it not been for my job.
Lesson #6: Be thankful for every experience.
More than two years later, I still don't know why I don't have a job. When I look back at the last few years of my life, I can't help but to think that it will one day happen, hopefully sooner than later. Everything seems to eventually fall into place. Sometimes it's hard to get past the "why is this happening?" phase. I know when I look back at this a few years down the road, it will all make sense, and perhaps even learn a few more life lessons. I don't see it now, but I know that everything happens for a reason.
Ever had a time when things worked out?
P.S. For more information on ovarian cancer or how to support please go to: www.ovarian.org
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