No Job is Beneath You...

*especially dedicated to those with Masters or PhDs*

If I told you I went from making coffee for a small company to managing beauty partners in North America for a corporate cosmetic firm, then would I have a little bit of your attention? From drudge work as an MBA student to receiving a dream job before graduation, I thought I'd post my thoughts here gathered from over the last few months.

Though I had written this post as a private letter to selected friends, I've decided to publish this in public after a conversation I had yesterday with a fellow MBA classmate. This person is leaving his/her job because (s)he felt that (s)he was overqualified for the position that (s)he currently held. (S)he had just graduated with me a few days ago from the MBA program. However, when putting in his/her resignation, (s)he decided to 'give the last word' and told his/her management "I'm quitting because I feel I am overly qualified for this job. In the future, I advise you not to hire MBAs for entry level or support jobs." (S)he realized this was a mistake the moment it came out of his/her mouth because management did not take kindly to the statement.

I agree that this person is definitely overqualified for his/her position, but the thing is, we are not given chances to advance until we have proven ourselves first experience-wise. If we don't show we can perform well in entry-level jobs, how would companies even know we would perform well in management-level jobs?

I've seen too many Business and MBA students, come in starry-eyed and naiive, dreaming of a ridiculous 100k job offer right after our graduation. I too, came into Business school, believing that I would be immediately come out into my dream job in management in a beauty or cosmetics company. (Yes, I know I have that now but let me finish my story to make my point).

Like the classmate above, the most frequent complaint I hear from most of my friends is how much they can't stand their jobs, how dreadful Monday mornings are, and how they can't wait for their work week to end.

No matter what line of work you currently have, how awful your boss is, how 'beneath you' it is, or how incompletely related to your studies it is, you should always do your best at it. And if somehow, the environment does not permit you to excel in your performance, get out and fast. But leave on a good note, you never want to burn your bridges. I do not advise on 'getting the last word', because that can come to haunt you in the future.

But while you are stuck in your drudge job, why not make the best of an already dreary situation? In the meantime, it is good experience to build on your resume as one of the stepping stones to better jobs, and have a record of good references for your career if you do not have enough employers yet. There is no such thing as a "useless" job, every line of work provides experience in some way - insight into a certain workplace environment, social interaction, and the business ethics there can give you a firmer idea of what you want or don't want. Not everyone finds their dream job, but I think their ultimate fate is partially affected by their own personality and traits.

During the summer of 2007, I landed an MBA internship with an international skincare company based in the States. I was paid a horrible salary, and worked under an ill-tempered boss with emotional mood swings and abusive treatment. I vowed never again to work in cosmetics since I thought it was overrun by catty and manipulative women. (Little did I know at the time that I would come back to work for one of their rivals come April 2008).

Nearing graduation, I began hearing that my peers were landing jobs. Not the 100k jobs that media likes to spin to us, but, at least they were landing some sort of job related to their studies in the 30k - 50k salary range. I was quite lazy, not worrying about it until it was too late. Then the panic settled in. I was rejected job after job, because my resume and wants were so specific - I had wanted only fashion or beauty management positions, but I just didn't have the experience. After a 45 minute call with Shiseido in New York, which had my hopes up temporarily, in the end, they rejected me because "you just don't have enough experience as an entry salesgirl in your background." Same answer from L'Oreal, Biotherm, and countless other fashion and beauty related firms. Great. I paid $40,000 into my Masters degree to hear that I was underqualified for management because I did not do 'entry' level work? I was crushed, to say the least.... yet, it was an eye-opener.

I began applying for any jobs while I was still studying, with the mentality that I should at least start working before I graduate so that I gain more experience. I was no longer looking for that dream job, I was looking for anything to get myself into the job market. I ended up being an Office Coordinator, which really translates into receptionist. That's right, you heard me. A Masters student doing what a highschool dropout could easily do. And ironically, it was for a politics firm... those of you who know me well, know there are 2 things I cannot stand: Politics and Religion.

While I was a receptionist, I did wonder why I was stuck working this low-level job while I was in the process of such a high formal education. But I didn't let it cloud my performance. I did the best I could at it, trying to change how things were run in the office, changing employees' attitudes, and bringing positive cheer into the environment. I didn't take on the attitude that "this was beneath me", and kept a bright smile all day even when people treated me as if I probably could not add 2+2. I made coffee every morning for all the employees, I cleaned the kitchen counter in the mornings if there were any spills, loaded the dishwasher, and was the girl everyone went to for tasks such as, "Can you fax this for me? Could you pick up the mail? Where's the newspaper? You forgot to make coffee today." Hardly MBA level.

I could have sucked up my stomach and given up hope of ever finding a good job, or drop it completely and bounce from job to job like many of my friends. But instead, I kept at it as it could be a possibility to lead into a future, and took on a second job to up the chances! In an ad, I found that one of my favorite beauty products company, Open Sundaes, was looking for retail girls.

So in February, I applied to work on weekends as a salesgirl, making a wage much lower than my office job. But I was so happy being here, being close to the products I loved! Again, I took to doing the best I could, sweeping the floors, cleaning and organizing the desk area so the other girls could have more room, making sure every product was facing to the front, and giving the best customer service I could to anyone who entered. I told myself that if I didn't work hard at entry level jobs, then why would I even be considered for management by anyone in the future?

I thought about my future and came to terms with myself, no longer vying for that 6-figure instant job that Business schools so like to make us believe... no matter what company I'd be with, I could work hard to move from Entry level to Assistant Manager, then be promoted to Junior Manager, a few years later I'd be at middle management, then perhaps 7 - 10 years down the road, I'd be Senior level and when I'm 40, I would reach Director someday. This was my new plan and I held onto my vision everyday.

In April, the beauty company phoned me and asked me to come in for a meeting/interview for promotion opportunities. I was curious and assumed perhaps it would be a job offer for an assistant. The Director of Sales & Marketing position was dropped into my lap. It came out of nowhere and it was a dream come true at this point in my career life. "You'll be managing our retail partners across Canada, we are currently expanding into the States and Europe." How did I get from "You forgot to make coffee today" to this?

It may sound like this came in an instant and had happened to be a very fortunate fate, but then, don't forget that I started out doing work which high schoolers were doing. Work attitude dictates everything. No matter how overqualified you may feel you are for a certain job, never do it with the attitude, "This is beneath me." Because it will reflect in your outward appearance, and no one would even consider you for management level if you cannot even do an entry level job with a fabulous style and attitude.

(PS, if you are wondering why I was not continuing with my own company during the MBA, it's because my entire investment of $60,000 went right into MBA tuition and rent. So it was a huge step down from running my own company to being an obscure receptionist for a temp job, but I never let it crush my dreams of a better future).