When I started a job as an HR Manager at the Denver International Airport, I knew right away that this was going to be one of my worst jobs. I started on a Thursday and on Friday as I was standing in my manager’s office, he told me that I had a union grievance meeting scheduled in 5 minutes. I asked him what I should know about the meeting and he replied, “Too much to tell you in 5 minutes! Off you go!” I had never worked in a unionized environment, let alone been included in the management of one, so to say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Fast forward a few weeks and my routine was to get in my car at 5:00 PM and begin crying almost immediately as I drove home. When I woke up in the morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I dreaded heading into the office and seeing the line that had formed before I even stepped foot into my office. As I came into my office, people would start filtering in, one at a time. One lady came in and said, “I wore these tennis shoes first. Then, Maribel wore them today. Now she’s copying me!” “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” I replied, and escorted her out. The next person was offended because he was eating fish in the breakroom and someone sprayed air freshener to make the area smell better. The next person came in because they had crashed a truck outside (into the building) and I needed to determine what to do about it. It. Never. Stopped.
A few months into this experience, I decided that I would stay for 1 year. I would learn everything I could and know that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It was the only way I could cope. And, learn I did! It was fantastic schooling in the world of HR. Exactly 1 year after I started, I applied for a job as an HRIS Specialist with another company and got the position.
Without my experience during that year, I would not have been able to qualify for the HRIS Specialist role. Sometimes, we are preparing for our next step without even knowing it. It’s why we have to grow where we are planted. Has this ever happened to you? If you’re in a difficult situation at the moment, maybe you are growing and preparing for a next step that you don’t even know about yet. Share by leaving a comment (reading this via email? Click “Read in browser” below).
The Squirrel