4 Things I Have Learnt From My Professional Life

I started with my professional life in August 2008. In these ten years, I have worked in one education consultancy, three radio stations, two NGOs and one school. I have quit one organization on the second day of joining. I have quit working in one school after working in it for less than a week and quit as a social media promoter for an online store after three months of doing something I had no clue about.

I have made decisions that have helped me progress in my career and I have made decisions that have made me feel stuck. Despite all the rights and wrongs, my decisions have helped me shape my career. Although I still feel like I am only starting with my career, I thought writing a blog is a good way to mark a decade of my professional life. So, here’s what these ten years have taught me as an employee.

1. You are always working for yourself

You might be associated with an organization but it is important to remember that at the end of the day, your work brings positive results for you. Your hard work and diligence makes you more efficient and helps you inch a step closer to your ultimate goal. What you do might benefit the organization you are associated with but your work experience must be useful for your career and personal life as well. That is why you need to take pride in your work and do your best no matter how challenging situations might get.

2.  Speak Up

Have you ever been in a situation when you have wanted to disagree but you simply grind your teeth and nod in silence because you want to avoid the whole drama of disagreeing with someone’s opinion and just bear with it? I think we all have. Stating disagreement without sounding too harsh or uncooperative is a skill that gets better with time I suppose. I, for sure, don’t yet know how to speak up. I prefer to avoid discussions with people who want to have a discussion for the sake of it, without any substantial logic. I just cannot disagree without losing my temper. I once had a row with an employer, over a thread of emails because the lady said that if I couldn’t work properly because there was no proper toilet in the office, I should take a break. Share your thoughts on how to disagree without putting your job at stake!

3. Never say ‘NO’ to an opportunity

‘Opportunity comes once in a lifetime.’ Or maybe, more than once. But it definitely doesn’t come often to those with a fixed mindset and say ‘NO’ to a learning opportunity. I have come to understand that these opportunities come in different forms; such as of attending a training, traveling, leading a training, taking up a new role or an additional responsibility, enrolling in a new course or just helping out a colleague in a project. Taking up a new responsibility or making a new commitment in your work is adding another feather to your cap. Every experience is honing your skills. Grab It!

4. Quit

If you think your work or your workplace or your co-workers are pulling you down and making you feel less important and unworthy, maybe it is time for you to quit. Holding onto something that doesn’t make you a better person can only further destroy your morale. Don’t fear what’s in store for your future. If you truly believe in yourself and your hard work, you can survive even in the most adverse situations. But when you do decide to quit, quit gracefully. Don’t quit in the middle of something important or without giving a notice on time. You have been associated with that organization; you have earned its respect. Give yourself a ‘dignified exit’.

These past ten years have been a marvelous journey of learning, struggling, getting disappointed and still learning for me. Here’s wishing all of us finding motivation to wake up every day and working hard. Share your work experiences with me. Leave a comment!