WOMAN IN BUSINESS
MICHELLE-ANN
An incredible thing happened to me four years ago , and it is an experience and important life lesson about the value of showing up and being intentional about your career journey that is never too far from my mind .
I was working as a Marketing Officer at an organisation for approximately three years when the company underwent a restructuring exercise and I was reassigned to the Business Development team in the Sales Division . This certainly was not a part of my career plan and was not an area of interest for me . Suffice to say , my initial reaction was not happiness , I cried actually . I was not pleased about the transition and I spoke up about it , and though it didn ’ t change my reassignment , I felt content knowing that I spoke my truth . Often times , we are afraid of speaking up about things that impact our lives , our well-being and ultimately our future out of fear of ‘ losing what we have ’ or ‘ sounding ungrateful ’, but I strongly believe in letting your voice be heard and taking a vested interest in yourself – whether it be your career , relationship , friendship or any aspect of your life you deem important – if not you , then who ?
There will be times throughout your career journey that you may be in jobs that you do not enjoy and are not passionate about , however , it is important to remain consistent in delivering excellence and giving of your best to each role and task assigned . During the two months I was in the new role assigned to me , though it was a function I was not trained in and was not passionate about , I gave my absolute best to it , ensuring I got the job done and done well . I was open to learning new skillsets , gaining the requisite knowledge , and networking with the right people to be successful in the role , no matter the length of time I held the position for . Having an attitude of willingness to learn and grow even while doing something you may not love will only benefit you in the long run . Always ensure that even while you are learning on the job that you are also bringing your own experience and flair to the mix ; making suggestions and recommendations for areas you identify for improvement and efficacy .