YOU ARE A MOVING TRAIN

“I’m tired of this job, it never gives me time for myself; I’m constantly stressed and over-worked. I don’t even get paid as much as the work-load deserves and…blah blah blah”.

I constantly ranted and grumbled, this was my response to anyone who cared to listen. It became my daily confession whenever someone asked how was work? Banking in Nigeria can really be stressful and you don’t get paid as much as you work except you have gotten to the top of the food chain. Climbing the ladder to the top usually depends on certain criteria which may be somewhat difficult to attain except you are in the marketing department and can bring in billions of naira. I remember being asked at the interview if I could work under pressure, my response was YES with a big smile on my face but I didn’t know what I had signed up for. Some days I worked from 7am till 8pm, other days I worked from 7.30 am till 7.30pm with less than 45mins break. But the one that really got to me was a day I worked on Saturday from 8am till 11pm (wat da hell) and still continued on Sunday from 12pm till about 8pm (now I went nuts). I wrote my first resignation letter that night after I got home and decided to quit my job. I didn’t have the nerves to do it on Monday so I decided that instead of quitting, I will change my department from customer service to marketing so I could climb faster. My mind was made up, I went to tell my head of operations (one of the best boss I’ve ever had). He looked at me and said, “Are you sure this is what you want?” I replied “Yes sir”. But he still told me to go home and think it through and be sure I had acquired the knowledge I needed to move to marketing. I said OK and walked away.  My head spun in 360 degrees wit thoughts of what my boss said; finally I realized I was in that position for a reason and will not function effectively in my next task if I couldn’t succeed in my present position. I was a MOVING TRAIN. I needed to start from somewhere in the professional track and will need to make some stops to pick up the relevant skills i required to get to the top.

So many times in life we do not like where we are but I also know that if God had allowed it, then there’s a reason why you’re still there. It may be a job you do not like or a situation you want changed. You may be there because God is training you to be more patient, humble, to learn to trust Him or to grow in faith; so recognize that you are a moving train and you’re moving to the top. While on this journey, grasp all the information you need, improve your skills, acquire more knowledge, walk closer with God, build relationships, expand your network and learn to stand strong. If you get pissed at everything and everyone, you may not be able to gain as much as you should and hence may not be able to handle greater tasks in the future. STOP complaining, look for opportunities to exploit and begin to see possibilities for a new and better job.

After what my boss said, I decided to stay in customer-service and this time with a different mind-set. I decided to learn and grow in the job. In few months I was transferred from the very busy and hectic head-office to a new branch with less work-load. I had gained mastery in my role so much that it didn’t feel like work anymore. I left the bank the following year and I took with me so many things that I have applied in life today including patience with people, effective communication, attention to details, going the extra mile etc. My function as a customer service officer played a major role in my dissertation during my Masters degree; from what I learnt in the job I was able to write an article on customer satisfaction which was recommended to be published in an academic journal. What if I had bailed out without making good use of that opportunity?

So don’t be discouraged or depressed, you won’t be there for a long time because you’re a moving train. Get prepared for the next stop and I urge you to acquire as much goodies as you can before reaching your destination at the top. See you there :o)