When I was in high school—facing graduation, I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life. If I had my choice, I would have waited a few years before going into college—but I was pressured to go right away, for fear I would never go back and never get a degree. Ironically, I was not “ready” for college because I really needed some experience in some field to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. So for three years, I changed my major 6 times, took courses in every direction. Nothing was focused toward any area of concentration, except perhaps partying and debt.
However, I was fortunate to take on two jobs during that time, which lead me in the direction of where I am today. First, I was a dispatcher for a K-9 security company for 5 years. I actually worked a radio and had 7 roving and 13 stationary security personnel and they worked in not so friendly areas at night—so their safety was frequently on the line.
The title of “dispatcher” led me into my next job as a Logistics Coordinator for a 3rd Party Logistics Company. I went from being a Rent-a-Cop style dispatcher to dispatching freight to the expedited trucking world. It was this second job with the logistics firm where I climbed the ladder and gained experience in Management. I also went back to college and finished up my Bachelor’s degree. Although thankful for the experience this job provided—I was one that needed constant challenge to be happy, so after 9 years, I left my secure position to go into business for myself
I started my own transportation agency with one of our country’s largest trucking outfits. I was an independent agent, having to secure my own accounts and run my own operations. The first year was the toughest—but then, after finding a formidable business partner things smoothed out. We had 5 good years until the economy took a dive and corporate greed kicked in.
It was at this point I became disheartened with my career choice. Working in the field of logistics is like a constant puzzle with many variables and it is constantly challenging you to think outside the box. I knew deep down, in a perfect world this was what I loved to do…but at the same time—watching our business be pulled out right from underneath us, because the company we were independent contractors for got greedy was too much. They took our most lucrative account away from us, making it a ‘house’ account (thus swiping all of our sales and operations commissions in the process) just turned my stomach.
Perhaps I just wasn’t cut out to be an ‘owner’ of my own business—but at that point, my fate seemed sealed. The economy being in a downturn had a direct effect on transportation—and I wasn’t able to get hired in my own field, as most companies were folding or laying off. I made a choice though. I walked away from the business and I ventured into a field more in demand—along the lines of the medical field.
For an entire year, I worked as a one-on-one provider for a man with a traumatic brain injury with multiple complications. The experience taught me a lot about myself—and I learned some wonderful life lessons, but I also gained some surprising personal insight about myself. I was NOT cut out for the medical field—what-so-ever. It made me utterly miserable. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the job—I just could not stay objective enough to separate myself emotionally from the patient’s issues.
Basically some of his complications made me scared of him, of what he would do to himself, and at times I was worried for my safety. He could not be held accountable for his actions because his mind reset constantly—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t come “at” me. His significant brain injury affected the emotional part of his brain. There were times he was perfectly happy and then on a dime he’d be very angry.
Then there were his seizures. I was scared he would not recover from them. They were grand mal seizures, which aren’t pretty to witness to begin with, and then he’d turn grey and blue—and according to his Individualized Service Plan I was not allowed to call 9-1-1 for 7 minutes. Many times he pushed that time frame. I was uncomfortable with the prospect he might not survive one of them. While I wanted to be of service and help this individual have some semblance of a normal life on his good days, I was just not cut out emotionally to deal with his various issues…so I made a decision to find my way back into the Logistics field.
Slowly, I have reemerged back into the field I love. I work for a private airline, in their Global Solutions division, finding air charter, air freight, and expedited ground solutions to all the customers’ transportation needs. Each and every night—I sit in my home office and take on the challenge of thinking outside the box and offering solutions to my customer’s requests. I finally have made it to the point of doing what I love and working for a company I love. It is wonderful to be able to look forward to my work each and everyday instead of dreading it, and I no longer have the stress of owning my own business. I am gainfully employed and able to concentrate on what I am good at doing.
What do you do for a living?
Do you love what you do?
Cheers,
Written for GBE2 topic “Work”
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