Where do I start? The thing is, lessons are hard to learn; that’s why they’re called lessons and not “cotton candy that teaches you junk” (or something like that). I recently learned a very hard lesson and I want to share it with you all.
I recently ended a work relationship the wrong way. It was abrupt and full of emotion, where it should have been calculated and professional. But it wasn’t and it might damage my future. I was upset and this was one of the few times when I let my emotion get the best of me and it clouded my judgment and I acted out of turn.
I learned ANOTHER valuable (albeit) painful lesson about this industry: you’re only as good as your last. Despite everything leading up to that point, all of the good, that ONE bad outweighed it and it sucks (for lack of a better word). Hindsight is 20/20 and we have ALL got to learn somehow.
The thing is: I’m human. I make TONS of mistakes and from each of those mistakes? I learn, I’ve learned where I want to be, where I don’t want to be, what feeling is okay, what feeling is NOT okay, etc. and I learned for me and you. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes, but if you do, take it from me; you can pick yourself right back up and keep going, just like I am.
So next time you “fail” or make a mistake, remember this: we NEVER learn from constant victory, but we do learn from a slip up or 2. I hope your week is good and I hope you chase your dreams.
Until next time,
XOXOXO,
Jess AsPRing
Jess AsPRing 
Jess, I understand how you feel.
Here’s my personal story of a lesson learned the hard way I’d like to share. After four internships I finally landed what I thought was a dream come true and a payoff for all my hard work: a permanent position in the communications field. However, at the same time I had already accepted a temp position with an excellent company. I called the temp agency and let them know I couldn’t do it because I had accepted a permanent position.
It became one of the worst decisions I made in my career. The director and the communications specialist were horrible to work for (absolute curmudgeons) and I wasn’t treated with respect. Also, in my initial meeting I was told the position was part-time and I thought they meant 20-25 hours a week. Imagine my extreme disappointment when I discovered my weekly schedule was 12 hours a week for the next three months until the start of their busy season. The position was seasonal so it meant it had a limitation on how many days and hours I could work.
And, they didn’t offer automatic deposit because the part-time position didn’t qualify under their guidelines for automatic deposit. So not only was I working a sorry 12 hours a week, but now the bank was charging me a checking fee. I felt like the biggest loser for not finding this out ahead of time. The other position I had been offered was more hours, closer to home, with a weekly paycheck that included automatic deposit.
Long story short I quit after working six weeks and gave the shortest resignation I’ve ever given in my career – two days. After a few weeks I realized it was difficult for me to acclimate working there – in four weeks I had worked 48 hours. Who can do a proper job under a short amount of time? Once I figured out I didn’t belong there I got the hell out in a hurry.
Some people say “don’t burn your bridges’, but in my lifetime I’ve burned a couple and they became some of the best decisions I’ve made. You were probably angry for a good reason (perhaps they led you to believe one thing when really they had other intentions).
Since then, I landed another temp position. I didn’t care that it was permanent (I learned my lesson!), but this time one of my priorities was the level of professionalism within the company culture. I could tell from my meetings that I was dealing with people who treated each other respectfully. The good thing is that it might lead into something permanent and help me get to where I want to be. And it’s a great company to work for!
Keep doing what you’re doing and remember the road to success is never easy. Yes, corny, but so very true.
Thanks for sharing Marlene! In this industry, we place so much emphasis on relationships and its good to hear that even with a few bridges burned, you’re doing fine. I hate learning lessons when I’m in it, but looking back, I am glad.