Can A Job Change Your Life?

"I'll just go on the interview to get some practice."

That's what I told myself when a company I randomly sent my cover letter and resume to after a miserable week at my job called me to set an interview. They were a privately owned temporary staffing agency called, Office Specialists. (FYI - they were eventually bought by one of the largest staffing companies in the world, Randstad.) They had posted for a training specialist for their HR department. I had been a "temp" one summer in college and didn't have a good experience. Based on that limited knowledge, the idea of working in the industry didn't appeal to me. But, I still agreed to the interview.

Then....

I walked into the headquarters for my interview fifteen minutes early and almost fell over. The offices were beautiful. I remember thinking, "Thank goodness I decided to do some research on this company and the industry so I don't blow the interview."

I spent the time chatting with the receptionist in hopes of getting more information on the company. Soon, I was ushered in to my first interview.

Two hours later and having met five different people, I left in full "job crush." The company was nothing like I had expected. The people I met were intelligent, professional and clearly passionate about their work. I sent a personalized thank you email to each person I met, even the receptionist!

In the end, it paid off and I landed the job - the beginning of my career in the staffing industry.

One Job Catapulted My Career

I spent the next two years working in an fifteen-person HR department. It was challenging, inspiring, and in phrase, "life-changing." I learned so much. I built some deep professional relationships. A gained confidence in myself and my ability to do great work. When you are surrounded by bright people with whom you share the same work ethic and vision, the capacity to improve yourself is expanded. I was eventually promoted and became a regional manager. It was bittersweet to leave the team, but I moved on with a new level of confidence I never dreamed I'd ever have.

I Moved On - But, Not Without Learning...

There are times in your career that are intense for all the right reasons. Those years in that job taught me things I still use today. So many valuable experiences were compressed in a two-year time frame. Lessons in project management, leadership, employee development, budgeting, sales, business strategy, and HR best practices. So much gained in so little time.

Yes, A Job Can Change Your Life - For Better Or Worse!

At the time, I didn't know that particular job would be such a life-changer. In fact, it wasn't until a fair amount of time had passed that I realized just how truly unique it was. A few not-so-great experiences taught me to appreciate it even more. Come to think of it, a particularly bad job experience also changed my life. In short, jobs matter. They affect us deeply. That's why I got into career coaching. When I realized how important our careers are to our health and happiness, I was shocked at how little education and support we were given to ensure we made good career choices and were equipped to create the level of career satisfaction we want and deserve. As a result, many people are leaving their careers to chance - and luck isn't always on their side.

We Are Too Short-Sighted Regarding Our Careers

We spend more time at our jobs than any other single activity on a daily basis. Yet, most of us don't have the support we need to excel in our careers on our own terms. Ironically, we use doctors, dentists, financial planners, accountants, lawyers, personal trainers, and plenty of other specialists in our life to help us get results we can't get on our own. But, for some strange reason, we don't think to engage the use of a professional to help our careers. Instead, we try to do it ourselves, and lose our confidence in the process. Even worse, we make the mistake of thinking our employer should guide us. They have their own agenda, and our careers only matter to the employer if it serves their needs. To really excel, we need an unbiased mentor. Pro athletes and executives all use coaches to reach higher levels of performance. We should too.

Now, I'd like to hear from all of you. What job changed your life? Share the good, bad or ugly. Tell us how you got smarter and stronger from the experience.

Use this hashtag in your comment so we can see it: #ajobchangedme

I look forward to seeing your stories below.

If you want to read more of what I've written, check out my articles on Inc.com.

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Some other posts I've written:

• 10 Things Recruiter Won’t Tell You (But I Will)
• 4 Words Control Your Career Decisions
• Worst LinkedIn Summary Ever
• 10 Reasons Happy People Get More Job Opportunities
• 3 Techniques To Fight Unemployment Stigma

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