Just within the last year or so, I have come to realize that something I saw as a major weakness might actually stand to benefit me in the long run. I have made it clear that I am interested in a sports-related career. The problem was that while looking at my previous experience, none of it really has to do with sports. Yes, there were times where I was able to work in a similar capacity, but I have no obvious experience with a team, league or sports marketing firm. After editing my resumé, updating my LinkedIn profile and conducting networking calls, I realized that it might not be as detrimental to my career aspirations as I made it out to be. More importantly, there have been worthwhile experiences outside of internships related to advertising and PR.
I have been so easily swept up in the idea that everything I do needs to be directly related to this dream career I have in my mind. I am so engulfed in this bubble right now of people frantically searching for jobs and internships. Everything seems like a competition.
Recently, I was in a meeting with one of the hiring managers at Campus Rec, where I work as a marketing assistant. We discussed how we can be more inclusive in our hiring process moving forward. He said something that really stuck with me. "It is important for us to look at the unrelated experiences as well because most times they are just as influential in shaping the way a person would perform in any job setting." I thought back to how hard I worked to land internships in my field and how much I value the experience gained. The truth is, my jobs as a hostess/server, a camp counselor and a middle school coach have been equally as significant to my growth as a professional.
Here is what I've learned in these roles that I take pride in and will use in the future.
I was first really able to be creative as a summer camp counselor in high school. The kids attended theme weeks where every activity was centered around the theme of the week. I worked with my boss to plan every single activity and to understand what would hold the attention of 3 to 12 year olds. I learned how to respond to the kids based on their needs. Not everyone could be disciplined or accept feedback in the same way. Every child learned at a different pace.
This is so important because I have already experienced this with other interns and group members of school projects. It is very easy to get comfortable in the way you like things done or the way you like to communicate, but in order to bring out the best in everyone, it needs to be personalized. In the future, I want to work in a place where my coworkers and I take the time to get to know each other and how we can help each other reach our highest potential. It will only strengthen our team or business as a whole.
As a middle school volleyball and basketball coach, I worked on lessening my competitive edge. Notice I said "worked on." We are not there yet. The school was focused on allowing every student the opportunity to learn any sport. They wanted them to have fun so they would not be discouraged from trying new things. While I understand why they support these values, this was extremely hard for me. I wanted to win. I wanted my middle school girls to feel the excitement and the drive that comes from being successful at your sport.
So, I learned to focus on the positive experiences and use the losses to help the girls improve. This is so important because at every point in my life I feel like I have been competing for something. I get tired of it. I know there may be times in the future where I work for a boss or a client that does not share my values, and I need to be open to what others believe. It is much easier to be cooperative when you are not worried about your ego after losing some unspoken competition.
Finally, I have spent the last two years as a part-time hostess and server in two different restaurants (one of which closed due to Covid). Working in a consumer-facing job has been eye-opening. The truth of the matter is, not everyone in this world is nice. I have been screamed at, received eye rolls and listened to complaints over things that were just not my fault. There is no way to eloquently phrase this, but you just learn how to deal with people.
Gif courtesy of Wix.
There were so many times when I was tired or having a rough day where I could have screamed right back or voiced my complaints. I learned to just keep it inside and do what I can to make the customer happy. I have been lucky in life to have always enjoyed my classmates, teammates and roommates, but that may not always be the case. I know there will come a time when I will work with someone I just do not agree or get along with. Working in restaurants has taught me to put myself in someone else's shoes and just try to understand where they are coming from and what they are going through. When I do meet this not-so-nice coworker in the future, I will do the same then too.
With this experience plus my technical background in marketing and PR, I am ready to market myself to potential employers. I know what I value and what I can add to a team. I think understanding that and being aware of my weaknesses will land me the dream career I have been searching for. Moral of the story, never underestimate and be grateful for the small or odd jobs that have made you who you are.
Header image courtesy of WebStockReview.
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