…Or so I was told by my former boss. At which point I mentally flipped the table and decided to go freelance.
In my book experience counts for quite a lot. Call me picky but I would much rather have heart surgery performed by a surgeon who has done 1,000 operations rather than me being their first, I would much rather have my electrics checked by a certified electrician rather than somebody who’s watched a YouTube tutorial on the subject or have a ride with a taxi driver that’s got a driving license rather than someone who has just picked up the car keys. Experience means we cross the road with the green man rather than running out in front of a lorry, and experience means that we add value to a task through the skills that we offer, the process we go through and the product we deliver.
Experience counts in the workplace and to not have that recognised is quite mentally debilitating and utterly demoralising. It makes you question the very reason why you get up in a morning to go to the office, and it makes you question life choices.
Luckily I was able to make and act on a choice and made a positive step out of the situation, and it was a gamble that has very much paid off. Unfortunately, there are many people who can’t easily make the decision for change, and have to carry on in the direction that they know is wrong for them which must be hard.
That said, it’s amazing how comments flippant or serious can affect how people feel, and it’s something of which we should all be aware. What some class as banter can be taken to heart, and the times we live in always seem to be survival of the fittest rather than being supportive of each other.
From my point of view, I am now working with clients who respect what I have to offer and I now receive emails such as “Love it!,” “Where have you been all my life?!” and “Mega!” to what I consider to be relatively straight forward tasks. But because of this constant wave of positivity in my inbox I want to do a good job and I know that they value my experience and the skills I have to offer. And in these current times when we can’t do this and we can’t go there, it’s awfully nice to have clients who value what you have to offer, and in return I aim to do my best work to exceed their expectations, and hopefully the positive vibes will keep coming through 🙂
In these strange and uncertain times I know it can be difficult to look on the bright side of life, but a bit of positivity goes a long way, so when I send my messages with “fab” and an “awesome” and about a 1,000 exclamation marks, not only do I mean them (I don’t say what I don’t mean!) but I’m trying to spread a little bit of sunshine on somebody else’s potentially cloudy day. And I know that positive words spread positivity because I experience it every day thanks to my client emails and in return I am grateful to them for being such a pleasure to work with 🙂