giggling

To be proud is to have proper self respect. It is good to be proud of our accomplishments. Parents can be proud of the good job they are doing for their children. But excessive pride is harmful, and can cause us to lose out on great opportunities. The definition of pride in the dictionary is: disdainful haughty behavior, an inordinate self esteem, conceited, looking down on others, while exalting self. Nobody likes being around people like that!

So we are in the month in which millions of young people will be graduating, (or have already) from some of the top Colleges and Universities in the world, or even from High School. Many with Degrees in highly specialized fields of study. Ofcourse all graduates are proud to have finished school and look forward to finding a great job in which they can utilize their acquired knowledge and skills.

But in today’s economy it is going to be very hard for many young people coming out of school to find jobs in their field, or any job at all. So here is where they have to swallow pride, (bad pride), and start digesting their brain. To digest is to classify, distribute,  assimilate mentally, or to extract ingredients from the brain to help yourself find a way to make a living while putting pride aside. Because it will involve accepting jobs that you will consider beneath you, or are to educated or qualify for, or pays hardly anything for someone with an education at all.

Sometimes a person can develop a Big Head because of their new profession, and look down on others whom doesn’t have the same. And may be determined to find a job in their profession no matter what. But the bigger your head, the harder it will be to get into any opening. That increase in size is all Bad Pride, a lot of wind that can overcrowd the brain and make it more difficult to digest, to use it to your advantage.

Let me use some examples of lowly jobs that some people might have to take to make some money even if much less than what is expected from a higher position. What if the only opening that is available at S&W downtown is for a janitor, or an office maid, someone to upkeep and clean the office buildings. Now that might be a company that you have the qualifications for to be an executive or any other high position, and make a good salary. So here is where swallowing pride, and digesting the brain comes in. If you take the cleaning job, you will at least be making some money, getting experience, and you got your foot in the door of a great company.

You can learn a lot by just observing what goes on in such a company while cleaning off the desks, emptying the waste baskets etc. Don’t you think when the economy turns around and a new position that matches your skills opens up in one of the departments, you might be the first person they call? They already have your Resume, they know your qualifications, and you are already working for them, so no doubt you will finally get the job you want! So swallowing pride, and digesting the brain will eventually pay off.

Some young people can find jobs at Fast Food places, in small retail stores, at gas stations, cashiers, tellers, provide dog walking services, dishwashing services, baby sitting, tutoring, waiter and waitresses, cleaning for large institutions like hospitals, supermarkets, warehouses, companion care, etc. I just saw a small Flower Store that was looking for someone to clean the floors, and they wanted a young person. There are a lot of companies that will hire you to do Odd jobs that will require you to swallow pride, and use your brain but you will be employed and have money to support yourself. All the while learning all you can about serving people and running a business.

Do you know that many Managers and business owners started off working in fast food restaurants, or doing other odd jobs? Many Business owners (myself included) started from learning all they could from lowly jobs. Because every business no matter how small means serving people. Learning good customer service habits and getting along with people is one of the most valuable skills you can put on your Resume. Because no business can succeed without customers.

I have seen it happen many times, and even with myself. When I finished Art & Design School I walked the streets of New York City for months and couldn’t find a job in my field, basically because everybody wanted experience. So that is another thing many young people will hear, you got no experience. I got one job with a small Graphic Design Studio, but they wanted me to assist with design work, but mostly to answer phones and lie to their customers, which I refused to do.

 Some businesses will test you to see if you are willing to do anything just to use your profession or work for them. Swallowing pride doesn’t mean sacrificing all moral values or being dishonest just to get a job. So that ended, and any other design job I applied for wanted reference from them, which they didn’t give.  So far that was the only experience I had. So it meant doing other jobs that had nothing to do with Graphic Design while learning all I could. I worked through many temporary agencies doing administrative clerical work for some very good companies throughout New York and a few even in New Jersey.

Most of the time I was told I would be doing clerical or administrative work, but then they had me doing some data entry, or working in the back office, taking care of old files, and inventory, all kinds of odd jobs. I used every opportunity to digest my brain, by learning everything I could about running a business, customer service, how files are kept, how they did their accounting, everything about business that I needed to know I was learning. I was not working in my field of study liked I hoped to, even though I continued to look, but I was learning a lot about the needs of businesses, and how to serve them, and acquiring skills necessary to run a business of my own.

When the temporary agencies had no work, I tried some department stores. I was hired temporary at one large department store. They told me I would be the Sales Associate, but when I got there I was given the command to walk the sales floor and pick up all the stuff that customers were dropping on the floor, and put them back on the racks and shelves. I knew I was certainly far more qualified than that. Did I had to swallow pride?

 Oh, yes, I wanted to tell that manager that I know I was better educated than her, but I kept my mouth shut, swallowed pride, digested my brain, and did as I was told. Because I needed the money, but at the same time I was getting experience in customer service, learning the retail business, and while picking up and re-stacking clothes, I got a great look at all the new fashions, which is one of my loves. You see by then I was determined that I was going to have my own business and I was learning all I can even from the lowliest of jobs.

When that sales job ended, and the temporary agencies still were slow, I tried a domestic cleaning agency. I was sent to a little elderly lady home to do cleaning for her for $6 an hour for 4 hours. She loved how I cleaned her place, and before long she told all her older lady friends about her new cleaning girl. And within a short period of time I had a new base of elderly women customers for whom I was doing house cleaning for. Yes I was cleaning homes, their dirty kitchens and bathrooms, all through referrals.

Some even referred me to jobs in between, as babysitter, nanny, elderly companion. Swallowing pride paid off because I was always employed, making some money and was learning all I need about serving people, and managing a business. I was keeping books, had my own lists of clients (all elderly women) scheduling appointments, making and receiving phone calls, all the things every business does. And making double what I started with since they didn’t have to pay an agency anymore. I got the full price of $10 to $12 an hour, saving them money and learning a lot from those of older years.

Eventually my older customers died off. No, I didn’t kill them, I missed them, I looked forward to working for them, but they were all in their 70’s and 80’s. So when they died my cleaning business came to an end. By then things started getting better, and I eventually worked myself up to becoming a Sales and Customer Service Rep for a large International Beauty Company, using the experience I had acquired from doing those previous lowly jobs. This eventually lead to finally using my professional creative skills in Graphic Design, designing ads, brochures, flyers, and developing my parttime business, own line of Unique Greeting Cards.

So recent graduates or any young person looking for work now, if you speak to many well established business owners you will be surprised at how many of them had a very humble beginning. So don’t become conceited or high minded, extract information from your brain and use it to help yourself.  Don’t be afraid to take a job that is out of your profession, or you might consider beneath you. 

 Your education will never be in vain. Eventually when the economy turns around you will get the job you want, or use your profession. Or you might even decide to start a business of your own from doing one of your odd jobs.(email me for info on catalog sales jobs, that you can do besides any other job, email address is on “About Me” page)

 One thing for sure about swallowing pride and digesting your brain is that you will always be employed. There is always somebody that needs a service rendered for them. Especially the elderly, you can get paid just by being a companion, a listening ear, or running errands, and learn a lot from them. 

 Just swallow that pride and knock on doors and you will find them. Find a need that you can fill, and fill it. And if you do a good job, people will be calling you to work for them. That is what business is all about. (Remember my experience above). You might enjoy working for yourself, that you may decide that you no longer want a company job. Many businesses started this way. No matter how lowly the job is, it will teach you something, you will be making some money, and be able to put a dollar away, and whether you decide to work for yourself, or get a job with a company, you will have the experience of providing great customer service that will serve you well throughout your life.

Written and illustrated by: Glenda Brill

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