How a Nine to Five Almost Ruined My Writing Career!

A black tie affair. Two thousand dollars a plate. A prominent physician and a notable figure in the world of sports were hosting a private gala to be held at an upscale, chic restaurant. They wanted the occasion to have that 'special touch', so they requested to have the invitations handwritten. But, where would the event planner find such a person?

That personal request found its way to my ears by way of my supervisor who shared the story with me and I eagerly jumped at the chance to help her out (and show off my handwriting skills).  I plucked my extra fine point marker from my pen holder and wrote my name in my best calligraphy on an envelope.  She was impressed, but the problem was that the request came to her only days before the event was to occur and because the event planner was such a good friend of hers, she accepted without really knowing how she'd actually pull it off.  Once she saw the envelope, she knew I was the person to solve her problem.  That weekend,  I stroked the names of 250 people onto purple envelopes in glittering, golden ink.  About a week after the event, my supervisor came to show me a lovely Thank You card she received with a big check made out to the organization tucked inside.  And she even went so far as to reward me with a little bonus—check , that is.  So what's the moral to this story?

The truth is, I absolutely despised working there at that point!  After all, as her administrative assistant, she must have seen my handwriting at least a thousand times, but never once did she comment on my exceptional penmanship.  I came to work every morning feeling under appreciated and I knew that a great deal of my talents were hidden while I was on the job.  To release some of my frustrations, I often turned to writing; scrawling out short stories and poetry in longhand on a legal pad during my lunch break.  But, on that day, I recognized the open door.  I took the opportunity to do something that I enjoy doing and earn some respect  in doing it!

No matter how dark it may be on your side of the earth, it's cocktail time somewhere else!

Categories: Dream Careers, Changing Jobs or Careers, Career Management & Transition, Career Plan, Work Life Balance, Things You Need to Know