When I was young I wanted to be a teacher. There are many teachers in my extended family and it seemed like something I could do well, but our family did not have any money to further my education and I became a secretary instead.
Another time I wanted to try a career in the travel business. I am sure I could have done well as I have learned nearly everything there is to know about getting someone from point A to point B. I have become familiar with time zones, airport codes and international holidays to avoid.
Desktop publishing would have been interesting as well as there is so much you can do with graphics, text boxes and watermarks. My sister, who is also a secretary, is great with graphics and has designed some beautiful covers, invitations, flyers and other marketing material.
I have seen some contracts for event planners and it seems like a lucrative career to get into. I love the planning, organizing and running around that goes into bringing a conference from a thought to a successful event.
Now I am glad I stayed in this career because I can do all these things. I make travel arrangements, do desktop publishing (well, I usually get my sister to help me), organize events and now I am even going to be speaking at an Admin event in April (which I will pretend is sort of like teaching)...Yes, I'm glad I stayed in this career because I can do a bit of everything and that avoids boredom at work.
3 comments:
The company I work for has a great attitude toward staff professional development and hiring from within for open positions or new position needs. At my annual review each year my supervisor asks me if there is some area that I would like to move into and each year I tell her why would I want to close myself into just one job when right now I get to do everything I love.
My Story is pretty much like the story above - "Just a Secretary". I always wanted to be a Teacher and a Secretary and had a go at both jobs in past years. I helped my husband occasionally with his Event Management Projects and when it came to graphics I always took his help, I still do. And today, here I am working as Personal Assistant to the Executive Managing Director, I do travel arrangements, organise board meetings, staff meetings and other preparations that go with it, I teach at Sunday School in my parish, infact am now a coordinator for a whole grade of children, planning their lessons, chalking out events etc and I have to say I grab the opportunity to teach when one of the group teachers can't make it to class.
I am happy with this role of a Personal Assistant, Teacher, Event Organiser and to top it all I am a working mother !!
Zelma De Souza
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
You wonder how we do it all between our personal and professional lives, but we manage and I think it has to do with the fact that we are organized. You couldn't survive if you weren't.
I am a mother as well, but my daughter is grown up and I am now a grandmother.
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