Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is unique and adds value. You find value and appreciation in a job when your boss recognizes what you are good at and gives you plenty of opportunity to shine in, not only what you are great at, but what you love to do. It is equally crushing to have a boss who takes away projects that you are great at and seems to seek every opportunity to either make your job unpleasant or look for ways to see you fail or sabotage you. However, when given a task that you aren’t very knowledgeable in or lack the expertise, see it as a challenge, an opportunity to develop another skillset.
In everything you do, do with excellence. Your work and your talents are a reflection of you. The quality of your work isn’t about whom you give it to, appreciative or unappreciative, it’s about you. Anything worth doing is worth doing great. So that means, it’s not about anybody else, it’s all about you. Take pride in your work and what you have to offer. You seem to have a knack to make spreadsheets sing or words just flow on a page. You make it look so easy that other’s don’t realize the actual knowledge and talent it takes to create something so fabulous.
When my boss said that he wanted to assign a spreadsheet to someone else to help me in reducing my workload, at first I was a bit peeved. The work on my side was complete, I was waiting for another department to put together their portion for me to integrate into multiple workbooks. To me, that project was easy. Also, if he assigned the project to someone else, most people would get lost in the code. It’s all over the place, running across multiple sheets, and ultimately it would be linked and consolidated into another workbook.
It quickly dawned on me that the workbook was, in fact, not mine. It was my boss’s to do with what he wishes. So, in my head, I let it go. I responded to my boss that if he felt it was in the best interest of the assignment to have someone else do it, then it should be reassigned. Needless to say, I am still managing the workbooks and working on the consolidation process. The lesson for me was to learn to let go. To realize that in a power struggle, there is no ownership. So even if you win, it will have been with conflict and, more to the point, you will have created more grief for yourself in the long run. It’s a lose-lose situation. You will have won the battle, but lost the war.
Pick and choose your battles. Lots of other opportunities will come your way. Just be open to them. That includes trying new things. Shine in all your endeavors. After all, you are a consummate professional, you are able to perform with grace under pressure, and you are really good at what you do.
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Layne….I really enjoyed your discussion and it makes so much sense. I like your positive attitude. Thank you for sharing.
Maybe you can give me some feedback on my situation. I have been unemployed for a yr. & a 1/2. I am very discouraged. I haven't had many interviews. I feel I have good experience as an Admin. I check many websites on line for employment and e-mail out my resume, but nothing.
If you can provide any feedback I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
Jackie Marcello
Boca Raton, FL.
Hi Jackie,
Thank you so much for the positive feedback.
I had moved back to California for a family tragedy to help my mom and family. Families have so many weird dynamics that I much prefer to avoid, but I love the whole idea of family and what it should be, so back home to the dysfunction I threw myself into. I spent the first 6 month caring for my mom, who is 85, after the death of my older brother and a hip replacement surgery she went through over the Christmas holidays that went bad in recovery. After taking care of all that, I threw myself into to looking for work.
I have an older sister who has on held one job in her entire life. She worked for Mervyn's in the copy room as a Xerox technician. There's not a lot of calling for what she did for 20 years.
My suggestion is look at all your opportunities. I had always worked corporate and retained a job working with the State. Not nearly what I was making even 20 years ago and the whole environment and the way the system works is a completely different beast unto its own. I'm still getting used to it. About 6 months after I had started working for the State, my sister was out of a job. I helped her navigate going through the testing process, helped her with her resume and cover letters, and helped her navigate the online job posting and all that was entailed in applying for jobs. She got a job within 2 months once she started actively submitting her resumes. Fortunately, because now the State has frozen the entry-level testing to get in and now the priority is to first hire State workers that have been let go.
There is competition everywhere. You may have to find something at a lower pay scale than what you are used to. But look at all the different avenues that are out there. There is state, city, federal. Online at Craigslist, I believe Twitter has some. It is also a process of networking, so you still need to get out there and meet people and connect. Leave no stone unturned. Getting a job is a job. Also, ask. It is probably one of the hardest things to do, but you don't get what you want unless you ask.
I wish you great success and that the perfect opportunity presents itself to you. Stay strong and I wish for you great things. If you keep your resume located on the web that has an address for others to view, feel free to leave it here in a comment so others can see you who work in our field. I believe if a person has the capacity to extend a helping hand, they will. Try not to get discouraged, we also live in a very giving and generous world. Stay positive!
Much love,
Layne