Today I started thinking about the importance of who you know. We have all heard the adage of being nice to the nerdy kid in school because he may just be your boss some day, but what about your boss now?
I have never worked at a ‘real’ job before and have in fact worked at a wide range of small part-time ventures from waitressing, being a florist, running a kids fitness camp to of course freelance writing. My latest two gigs are as a secretary for a real estate company and a part-time nanny for two-year-old twins.
People have always questioned why I work all these odd jobs, and truthfully the best answer I could ever give is because they pay me, however minimally it may be. Today however I realized that all of these jobs do serve a purpose because in a small town it’s all about who you know. It turns out my boss at the real estate office goes to church with the twins' father, who works at one of the most respected companies in town.
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My boss stopped by my desk this afternoon to tell me he heard I was working for that family and to tell me that the company the father works for is great. He said that since I plan to stay in the area that company would be a great one to get in with and promised to refer me for a ‘real’ job next time they spoke.
While a secretary and babysitter may not be the glamorous job all students hope to land when they get out of college, I took both of them with the thought that at least they are jobs. Although sometimes the tasks seem menial , I would take them again if given the chance and encourage others in my situation to do the same, because you never know; your part-time boss may just be friends with your future full-time employer. (And it still never hurts to be extra nice to the nerdy boy at the next desk over either. )
