Funny.....I heard this subject line in a movie I was watching this morning and it really struck a chord with me. What is it I'm looking for? Maybe, I'll have better luck finding something worthwhile to me, something that clicks, if I'm looking in the right place!
Well, a good question deserves a thoughtful answer. So, I sat and I thought. What is it I really like to do?
My first thought.......I really enjoy being with people, I am definitely not a loner. Of all the places I've worked, my favorite jobs were jobs where I either helped people both inside my department and my company (my human resources career) or jobs were I worked as part of a cooperative team, a team that supported each other, helped each other, laughed, worked, celebrated accomplishments and even cried together. That camaraderie became something I looked forward to each and every day.
Being at work always has good days, productive days, fun days and hard days, but when those days are shared with a group that is like family, it is truly a pleasure. One of the worst parts of unemployment, is the isolation.
Maybe that's why I enjoyed sales, too. In sales, you are around people, meeting them, helping them, learning from them. I've worked as a Real Estate agent, as a saleswoman in an upscale clothing store, and now at Five Below, a retail outlet where everything costs $5 or below....catchy, eh? Retail is hard work, it's strenuous work when in a physical store moving stock, unpacking shipment and working varied hours, but it does have its rewards. It is fun and sometimes it is funny. People are so different. One customer is nice and thoughtful, the next will throw their money at you while yelling at their small child and dashing out the door. Their frustrations become apparent. Their personalities interesting. Each day brings new encounters and new people, and that is definitely a perk.
But, what does all this tell me? Well, I realize there's one thing I didn't mention - salary. Of course I enjoy money and all the freedom and fun it can provide, but at this time in my life I realize it's not my motivating concern. After existing on an unbelievable cut in salary, and getting by, I realize money is great, but spending my days in a positive, cooperative, encouraging, environment with good people is truly my present goal. How do I find such a place, after all that information cannot be found on any website. Perhaps that's why references and referrals of work locations have become so important to me. I don't mean to sound full of myself, but I am a capable woman. I am a fast learner and a hard-worker. I have succeeded in many, varied fields and have been happy doing many, varied tasks, as long as I was around positive co-workers. So, I suppose I have learned something important by taking some time to think out what I am looking for. My main task right now is to find a position where they will welcome me aboard. A position where I can become a positive, hard-working team member. A position where whether I am filing and handling office details or analyzing data, or selling, I am in a place where I feel valued and productive. I miss being part of a work family.
Know of any place worthwhile?
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