All The Small Things

It was exactly 10 months ago today that I started the job that, for the first time gave me hope I had a career.

Although my job was relatively small and I got stuck with a lot of the crap jobs, I was eager to prove myself to get ahead in a project management office.

So I was prepared to do anything, whether that was making sure the printer always had enough paper or book meeting rooms for everyone – it did not bother me as I had escaped the job from hell, so to me the only way was up.

This feeling of joy was ruined by my new colleague

 “Is this all you want in life, don’t you want to reach for more”

She said patronisingly.

I was quite annoyed about it firstly because she had spent all day talking about herself and knew nothing about me and secondly because she was actually only one step ahead of me on the organisational ladder.

I went home pissed off, she had diminished my moment.

The next day I woke refreshed, her words still fresh on my memory, it made me even more determined to make the most of the opportunity.

And I did.

As a result I got promoted.

While I had done nothing but improve and impress, my colleague  had done nothing put piss people off – she talked the talk, but she couldn’t walk the walk and as a result went on sick leave.

She was considerate enough to come back around the same time I was moving up so I could rub it in her face.

But before I left to join my new team my manager gave me one more job – teach her how to do my job.

At first I didn’t want to, but I soon realised the satisfaction from showing her how to do a job that previously she had look down on and now was stuck with!

And so I showed her all the jobs (even the crap ones!) and I moved on to better things.

She still e-mails from time to time asking how to do certain tasks and I smile – I know I shouldn’t like this feeling so much, but it is those small things that make you think

“I showed you…”