I thought it was the worst!
A while back, the question was asked, "What was the worst advice you were ever given?". For a long time, I thought my parent's advice, "Take the first job offer you get after you graduate from college.", was the worst.
After I graduated, I went to a job agency because that's what I was told to do. I interviewed and was offered the first job I interviewed for. It was a job with a finance company. The funny thing is, my degree was an A.A. Degree in Communications (Theatre & Speech). So there I was, earning a tad over minimum wage as the customer service rep. (Basically I did everything but close loans and make collection calls). It was primarily a basic bookkeeping job. I took payments from customers, balanced and prepared the deposit at the end of the day, answered all of the phone calls, documented everything (on paper cards), and paid the monthly bills and hand wrote journal entries to log the funds going out.
Why I thought it was the worst!
What happened is that this job dictated my future jobs. Although I don't like working in just accounts receivable or just accounts payable (because it's repetitive and boring), it has opened doors for me and could again in a pinch. Most of these jobs were great work experience, but I spent years at a few different jobs where the management was hostile and abusive. I was not valued, and although I worked my butt off, I was not considered for promotions or to move to something that would grow me. This is where I thought it was the worst advice.
However, as we get older, we start remembering differently and thinking differently. My thinking is still that I hated most of those "accounting department" jobs. But lately, I saw how God used it for good and realized what a blessing this has been and great advice from my parents.
How God used it for good.
My last accounts receivable job was the pits. It was boring, I had nowhere to move up to, my lovely manager got promoted and an evil tyrant was brought in to replace her. She was legit mean... then our company got sold to a larger chemical company and that usually means they'll centralize accounting at the home office. So, I started job hunting before I had to job hunt. As I drove into work everyday, I saw a sign for a business across the street and it struck my curiosity daily. I finally checked them out on the internet and their job openings too. There were 2 openings in their finance office. I sent an interest email.
About 1 month later, I received an email from the human resources admin asking if I was still interested. Since I was employed still, I had not been super active in my job search, just dying a little more inside everyday as I continued to work and fear my job would end at any moment. Anyway, I thought the email was automated and not from a person, so I sent a short and not so professional response of "Yes! I am still interested!". A few days later I had an interview scheduled after work.
The beauty was, it was across the street, so I brought dress clothes and kept them in my car. I worked on the 4th floor, so I was able to change before my interview on the main floor and then head across the street. The not so beauty part... I was sick as a dog. I had no idea how sick though until I got home.
Long Story Short
Long story short, I botched everything on top of having a fever and a sore throat (strep to be exact). I questioned the HR admin when she gave me a spelling and math test (hello... spell check and I'll have a calculator in accounting), I questioned if they read my resume when I realized my job would be in accounts payable when I had not done that since my very first job, I cried when they asked me to share about my daughter (single mom life was hard y'all and I love my daughter more than life). Not to mention, I prayed the entire time that I was not sick or contagious. ( I was!). When I got home, my mom asked how my interview went. Here's what happened!
It'll be God if I get this job!
So that's how I responded to my mom. And guess what? I got the job! I was so excited. God really helped me get this. I needed to honor God in that. But after a while, I had my usual problem with this work. after a little over 2 years, I got a little bored, but I loved my team and my boss. I prayed for the Lord to help me be content and to open doors if possible to stay but do something different. God honored my choice to be content and try to bloom where He planted me. Anyway, I was moved to the department I work in now. Fourteen years later, I still struggle with leaving my family in the finance office, but was so excited to do something new and more hands on with our organization's mission.
The gift that keeps on giving.
How did this advice continue to bless me? Well, a door opened for some extra work (which I would be able to do from home and was very part time with the hopes of growing a bit). My finance background helped me be the best candidate in the Director's eyes, although I asked him to take more time to find a better qualified person. I am happy to say I've been assisting this Director for almost 3 years now and I keep learning so much and assisting more, which I LOVE.
I met my best friend! She was temping for a co-worker going on maternity leave and thought she was part of an event I was working on... Anyway, this is been a huge blessing to me.
Another door opened for more extra work with another non profit that I am blessed to assist with and still maintain relationships with folks I adore.
Unsolicited of course...
My advice... when someone asks you, "What's the worst advice you ever received?" remember the best advice I found... "Remember, no one else knows what they are doing either". ha ha.. just kidding. I would rather challenge you to consider, was it really the worst? or was it a pathway to blessings?
