Here we are. Back then, 10 years was something that you had in the back of your mind and a day I always thought would take a long time to arrive. Time is a funny thing because something that is far away isn’t really that far away in the scheme of things. We all perceive time differently even though each day is the same amount of time for everyone. The question is - do you use your time you have wisely?
I am thankful for the people that helped me get my foot in the door 10 years ago. I remember going in for my interview in late July. It was a hot and sweaty day. I parked in the guest lot in front of the building and made my way in. I was so anxious I could not determine if I was sweaty from the heat outside or nervous for my interview. Probably both, if I am being honest.
That interview went well and I heard back several weeks later that they created a job for me working with human resources, records and the records center. That first day, 10 years ago today, I did my best to learn as much as I could and ask questions. I knew it would be a marathon being brand new in the state government. I impressed my team and others around me so much that they kept extending my time I had there. Unfortunately, it did have to end. They wanted me to succeed within the agency that they even spent some time helping me look for another job.
That landed me in the mailroom after another nervous interview. I dove in and learned as quickly as I could. There was a lot of memorization, sorting and learning a routine. Once I got that down, the job was easy, but navigating personalities took a little bit longer to figure out. I was able to learn the building and meet different people throughout the various program areas.
Within the year, I applied to a non-permanent job in retro so I could gain knowledge on two of our widely used computer programs. I figured that the reason why I was not being picked for jobs was because I had no experience using those programs. That year was probably the most taxing one I had because the unit was so different from the previous ones I’ve been in thus far. I met some great people there that I still talk to even to this day.
I left my agency to another agency for a month before coming back to the agency I was familiar with. I started in another business area within the office of the medical director. I had no experience with any of that sort of work, but I am a person that learns quickly and uses what I learn to make my job as easy as I can make it. I am thankful they brought me back to the agency where I felt like I belonged. I was there in office for eight months before we were forced to work from home due to Covid, and that is where I stayed for almost seven years. We adapted to our new normal and working from home was odd at first but after almost five years I couldn’t imagine going back into the office and being around people again.
Then what seemed like out of nowhere - last fall I was offered an opportunity to do a developmental job assignment with another business area I was unfamiliar with. I did not hesitate, I said yes without even hearing what they had to say about it. It was worked out with both program areas, and I was doing two jobs at the same time for five months. I never thought I would have a chance to do a DJA.
That DJA brought me back into the building and let me tell ya, from a person who used to go to work at HQ to see how life was before 2020 – it was so busy with people all over the place, it was noisy, the cafeteria had a line, there was always something going on in the many training rooms, the rotunda was buzzing with activities, you didn’t dare leave at lunch time (unless you had your monthly lunch meetings with friends) because you would lose your parking spot and have to hike when you got back and most of all you were able to network with people. It’s much harder to network with people when you are at home.
Post 2020 – I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone every time I came in. It was so empty, entire floors were moved around, the bank of elevators were updated, there were a lot of new faces I didn’t know because a lot of them got jobs after 2020, I felt like I was one of the old people when I learned how young these people were, the parking lot was virtually empty, the cafeteria will never be the same, the cubicles and working areas are so quiet but it was nice to meet new people and network with them, even the technology was different. However, I still enjoyed working from home.
A position opened up and I applied for it. I believe I needed a change and I could not pass it up. After another nervous, sweaty interview (this was my first virtual interview) and several stress-riddled weeks later, I found out I got the job. I was excited to start my new work journey. Job transitioning is never easy especially on the unit losing the teammate. I enjoyed the time we all spent together.
The first four and a half years seemed to go by slow because I was going to work every day at HQ and in that span, I held five different jobs in five different capacities and moved around a lot in the building. I had to learn a new job almost every year up until 2018 (if you broke it down with the actual time, I was in each job). It was difficult to be the “new kid” every time I changed jobs and had to be trained on how to do the job just to turn around and have to learn a new job a year later. It was wearing on me and stressful. While that was happening, I just didn’t understand why I was always being passed up for that full-time permanent job. Was I not worth taking the risk? I applied for at least 70-80 jobs during that time frame.
The next four and a half years went by faster than the first four and a half. I enjoyed the extra hour to sleep in, I could wear sweatpants all day, I had two fuzzy coworkers who kept me entertained, no commute, I could make an actual lunch during my lunch hour, no one interrupted me and I was able to get my work done efficiently. The best part is that was able to get more personal stuff done with those extra hours I saved not getting ready or commuting. I learned a couple new skills like learning how to cook better, and I had more time to exercise. I loved being able to do chores during my breaks or lunchtime, that also saved me time during the day.
I do believe that I was in the right place, with the right people, learning what I needed to know at that point during my career. I was supposed to learn those certain things, meet those particular people and learn those specific lessons for reasons beyond me, however, if you are not being challenged there is no personal growth.
Was every day perfect? No.
Were some days harder than others? Yes.
Were there days I didn’t want to get out of bed and go to work? Yes, but I did anyway.
Did I want to do better than the day before? Yes.
Will I ask you questions? Absolutely.
Will some of them be dumb? Maybe.
Did I learn something new every day? Yes, and I will always continue to do so.
A huge thank you to those I have met throughout the years without you, your advice, stories, support and expertise, I would not be where I am today. I appreciate the time and effort you put into me. That does include - the ups, the downs, the teamwork and collaborations, the miscommunications, the successes, the failures, the learning moments to do better, to be better, the education and training opportunities, celebrating the victories, giving and accepting feedback and most of all being human and giving me that chance.
Here’s to the next 10!
I received my 10-year certificate about a month after my anniversary date during a quarterly program virtual meeting. I also received a pin and a $50 gift card to Amazon.
Next Adventure: Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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