As I was walking out of the office on my last day of work today I was moved to tears. I didn’t cry leaving lab. I didn’t cry leaving chapter. I didn’t cry at graduation. As I was walking out the Office of Postdoctoral Studies and saying goodbye to my boss who had become my mentor, I remembered the person I was when I started working there. I started out so insecure and unsure of my plans. With time it became more than a job, it became the best part of my day and it helped me discover my passion for project management. It taught me how to see a project through from start to finish. It taught me how to network. It taught me the value of communication. Whether you’re a waitress or a CEO, they are lessons you need to know.
I resented changing my preconceived career plans because I felt that I hadn’t chosen this path; that I had lost control of my future.
This past year brought so much change into my life. One year ago I was 21, finishing my junior year of college, and had just been laid off from what I thought was my dream job. I thought it was my ticket into the biotech industry, my foot in the door to a successful career. Then one day before finals week I was told that my hours for the summer were going to be reduced by more than half and that my position would be eliminated come fall. My boss discouraged from continuing my position for the summer telling me I would be a “wasting my time”. My measly undergrad position was being removed because my department wanted to afford better equipment and more PhDs.
When I started working at my new job I resented it. I resented my old job for letting me go. I resented the constant stream of lab jobs I applied for that all told me, ‘no’. I resented myself for feeling so helpless. After giving up on finding a lab work I started looking for any office job that would take me. Soon enough the Office of Postdoctoral Studies hired me because I knew how to use Excel, Mailchimp, and Illustrator. I knew I was lucky for having found another job so quickly, but I resented changing my preconceived career plans because I felt that I hadn’t chosen this path; that I had lost control of my future. I didn’t know that this new job would introduce me to a career field that I never knew existed. Over the course of the year, I learned how to make connections that led to my first out of college job. I learned to speak up for myself and ask for what I want. I learned that my mind moves a mile a minute when I get excited about a new project and I learned how to communicate what was going on in my head with my peers. If I let go of the fear of trying, I can far surpass the limits I thought I had.
My time at the Office of Postdoctoral Studies has been such a formative and meaningful experience not just in my professional life. It has taught me that if I let go of the fear of trying, I can far surpass the limits thought I had. It led me to a career path that I never knew existed and that I never knew I would find a passion for. I was able to discover my love for problem solving, communication, and management. It showed me how amazing mentors not only give you the tools to succeed but also get out of the way to let you fly on your own. They teach you to hold yourself to a higher standard, but give you to tools to take on a project and run with it.
Take my advice and learn to love running with it. It's the best feeling in the world.
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AuthorEmma Neale: (young) adult, cat mom, and aspiring for adventure. Archives
February 2019
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