Where I'm supposed to be
A lot of people seemed to think I'd fallen on my head when I decided to move to the discount retail industry after working in Big Pharma for a decade. Even one of my cousins admitted: "When I heard you were working at [my new company], I thought: "Man! She's really gone downhill!" I'll admit, for the first few days as I acclimated to my new environment (tiny workstation, grey paint, industrial lighting, no coffee shop) there were a couple of times when I questioned my decision, too.
But something happened Monday morning that reinforced the feeling I've had all along about this job and company. This was the right move for me. I'm where I'm supposed to be.
It wasn't anything complicated or time consuming. The whole event lasted maybe 20 or 30 seconds. My Senior Vice President (who reports to our CEO) was walking past my desk on his way to somewhere else. When he passed my workstation, he stopped. "How are you?" he asked, and we exchanged the usual pleasantries. Then: "I'm hearing really good things about you. So glad you're here with us!" It was a simple but powerful interaction.
My Senior VP stopped by MY cube to talk to ME!!!
When I was with my previous company, I never saw my Senior VP. The VP underneath him was more visible, but I ever actually met the man. I mean, there were at least three people on the org chart between us, and there were several thousand people at my level. I was just krill in a very large ocean.
I've been with my new company for just shy of three months now, and while it's true that I miss some of the perks of my old job (such as the onsite coffee shops (with baristas!), cafeterias, credit union, health center, etc.) I can honestly say that the perks of my current job are vastly superior. The people are great. The work is challenging, but it's also fun. Most importantly, I feel appreciated.
I'm glad I made the switch.
But something happened Monday morning that reinforced the feeling I've had all along about this job and company. This was the right move for me. I'm where I'm supposed to be.
It wasn't anything complicated or time consuming. The whole event lasted maybe 20 or 30 seconds. My Senior Vice President (who reports to our CEO) was walking past my desk on his way to somewhere else. When he passed my workstation, he stopped. "How are you?" he asked, and we exchanged the usual pleasantries. Then: "I'm hearing really good things about you. So glad you're here with us!" It was a simple but powerful interaction.
My Senior VP stopped by MY cube to talk to ME!!!
When I was with my previous company, I never saw my Senior VP. The VP underneath him was more visible, but I ever actually met the man. I mean, there were at least three people on the org chart between us, and there were several thousand people at my level. I was just krill in a very large ocean.
I've been with my new company for just shy of three months now, and while it's true that I miss some of the perks of my old job (such as the onsite coffee shops (with baristas!), cafeterias, credit union, health center, etc.) I can honestly say that the perks of my current job are vastly superior. The people are great. The work is challenging, but it's also fun. Most importantly, I feel appreciated.
I'm glad I made the switch.
