With Thanksgiving just around the corner, my homesickness has never been as bad as it is right now. Honestly, until this semester, I had yet to truly miss home. Sure, I missed my parents, my dog, my bed, and my friends, but I never missed it enough to wish I was back there instead of here at Scripps. But right now, I would be so incredibly happy to be home. The only thing getting me through the amount of work I have right now is the fact that in just over two weeks, I will be a stuffing my face with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner (made by yours truly, of course).
To try and cure my homesickness, my parents and I talk all the time on the phone. Honestly, I talk to them sometimes two times a day. We don’t have a schedule, rather I just call whenever I have something I want to talk about with them. I love this arrangement because it then becomes a way for me to destress and take a step back from the work I have on my plate. My parents and I all know that our time on the phone together is worth a lot, and none of us would ever think otherwise.
There was one woman I interviewed, Hannah, who took her own time, talent, and worth, for granted. After she left Scripps, she went on to grad school at UCLA, where there was one class that stood out to her more than the rest. And, apparently, she stood out in the class, too!
“One of my teachers at UCLA offered me a job on the last day of class…I was so excited I accepted on the spot…and told her I would work for free…I came back to Scripps the next day and the woman at the career center was horrified! She said ‘women do that all the time but don’t ever do it again. Your time is worth something.’”
Now, thankfully, the teacher refused to let Hannah go unpaid. But I think Hannah’s story can speak to a lot of different fears that we might all have about the working world (or at least I know I have!). I think a lot of us assume that when we first begin a job, we are at the bottom of the totem pole. Yes, obviously, we are not there to run the business. We don’t have the power to fire people, and a lot of us honestly will be making coffee runs for the first year or two. But, it’s important to keep in mind that you are still at the company for a reason. There is a reason they chose you— it’s because they think you’re worth something!
Now maybe this isn’t the right advice for me to give, as I haven’t had any “professional” work experience. My career experience has been limited to ski racing instructor, literary intern, and now blogger. I’ve never worked in an office and haven’t had to make any coffee runs before (I also don’t know anything about coffee— I’m a tea girl— so I dread the day I have to do so and make the biggest mistakes ever). But I think that if you are working for someone, your worth extends beyond what you might think.
When I was a ski race coach, I was what was called the “backdoor.” I was the coach that followed the group down the mountain to make sure they were all safe, while the main coach was in charge. She was the one who came up with our daily plans, created the games and drills for the kids to do. I was a newbie, young and 16, so I didn’t really consult with her too much about this. She would ask for my input, but honestly for a good while, I would just agree with whatever she said because I was afraid to say otherwise. One day, however, while the kids were training on the course, I noticed a bad habit that most of them had. Moreover, this habit was one that I had struggled with when I myself raced. Instead of talking to the coach, however, I spoke to the kids individually, telling them at the end of their run what they needed to do to change it and make their time better. I was very surprised when they all picked my advice up very naturally!
By the end of the day, the other coach had noticed the change in the kids’ skiing. Furthermore, one of the students told her how I was the one who had helped them improve. She came up to me and thanked me, telling me that my help was incredibly appreciated, and that I should always bring something up if I have something to say.
When you are at work, I honestly think that you should not be afraid to speak up during those weekly meetings, no matter how small you think your position is. If you have an idea, why not promote it? I think you should take the time to speak to your boss about the company and where he/she sees it going, because what if there is something you can do to help? Like Hannah’s story shows, it’s the little bit of extra oomph that gets you a job on the last day of class! But also, it’s the little bit of oomph that makes others know you and your time is worth something to them— so why not make it worth your while, too?