Alexis Senge JohnsonWhen I returned to the company I’m now with, back in October of last year, I never thought that just ten months later I would be entering my third work location. Within my first four months I managed my short term goal of being transferred into the department I was immediately aiming to get into. Now here I am, just six months later, and I’ve been transferred once again to another area within my department. I’m very excited that I’m now in a location that utilizes my diverse background of knowledge. I never thought I would find a place where the information gained during my years as a performer, stage manager, costuming manager, production manager and event manager would all need to come into play but it appears as if that is exactly what has happened.
This might be the first time in my career where I find my extensive background to finally be a bonus and not an anomaly. Up to this point, I’ve found through interviews that being a jack of all trades within my industry has actually thrown people off. It seems because HR managers can’t figure out which box I fit into that no one was ever quite sure if I was really the right person for the job. I’ve been the runner up in many interview processes and received glowing emails about how I was the type of candidate everyone hopes for. However, each of those emails ended by the hiring manager letting me know that they had decided to go with someone else who’s background was more strictly aligned with the position. Many of my friends have shared similar experiences of frustration, but we’ve all continued to struggle onward in hopes that we would find a place we fit in.
At first I was insulted each time I was turned down, but that was until I realized they were looking for someone who was a one trick pony within their arena. In retrospect I understand now that I probably would have gotten bored in each of those positions as I wouldn’t have been as challenged as enjoy being. I thrive for positions that keep me on my toes, encourage creativity, and allow me to always continue learning while I grow in my management background. I didn’t see this transfer coming at all, but I’m happy that it happened. As a matter of fact, I only learned about it on Friday after receiving an email from my last manager letting me know it was a done deal.
I’m starting to feel like my hard work and determination in proving that I’m well rounded and ready for a challenge is starting to pay off. I was a bit defeated recently after being encouraged to leave my career in the hands of others, but maybe taking a step back was the right thing to do in this case. It seem as if the life lesson of relinquishing control was an important one I needed to learn and I’m being rewarded for finally embracing it. Many of us classic overachievers often have trouble giving up the reins to others and it’s understandably so. However, learning when to let go and when to still hold on is an important lesson that I think each of us can gain from understanding. I’m beyond thrilled that I gave it a chance and recommend that those like me evaluate if there is a situation in their life that could benefit from taking a step back as well. Being willing to face challenges head on is an important quality, but so is knowing how to take the time to step back and smell the roses.
