Once upon a time there was a young woman that had to settle for a night security guard position in a large office building after graduation from college. Not finding work that could use her degree in Psychology, she resigned herself to the drudgery of sitting at the reception desk, signing people in and out, and doing some light clerical work left over from the day shift. The building was one many that had been managed by her family for years, but after the death of her father she was left to beg her step-mother for some kind of employment to pay for her meager apartment. Her two stepsisters also worked there, but before Ella’s graduation they had already assumed the more lucrative positions on the day shift managing tenant leases and doing bookkeeping for the family business. They were very good at their jobs, but they also found time to pick on poor Ella. As the youngest she had always been the favorite in her father’s eye and now the tables were turned.
The family strife was not so bad that it was unbearable, but it was as if Ella did not belong anymore. She took the sibling teasing and mockery in stride because she knew that someday she would have her place in the sun. She was well liked by the people who came and went while she sat at her desk. She called them by name and learned something about each of them. Even people working late after a long day left smiling after Ella cheerfully wished them a good night. In spite of the good times, she felt that she was trapped in a dead end job with no time to improve herself. Working until she was bone tired every night, she returned home to eat, sleep, and start all over the next evening. Her stepsisters didn’t really have it much better, but at least they were not nocturnal like Ella. They found time during the day to send out resumes and network with people.
One weekend when the whole family was together for Sunday dinner, the hot topic at the table was that of a company opening a new branch in town in the next few weeks. They were starting from scratch and hiring locally to fill positions in almost every department. Stepsister Anastasia commented that she had talked to a recruiter about a position in engineering that required experience in space utilization and move coordination. Drucilla chimed in that she too had spoken to the recruiter about working in finance and accounting. They laughed when Ella spoke up that she was thinking about talking to the same recruiter on her next day off. “Whatever would they do with somebody like you?†Everybody laughed except for Ella.
Ella called her college career center advisor, Wanda, and got some great advice that transformed her mindset. It made her wish that she had visited the center more regularly before graduating. Wanda gave her some key resume tips, instructed her on how to dress for an interview, and went into a detailed search of available jobs that matched Ella’s education, skills and interests. Suddenly she was no longer ashamed to be working in a menial job because she had experience that proved her work ethic. She also had developed people skills and several of her nighttime visitors had offered to give her a recommendation if she ever needed it. It helped to be well liked and personable as well as educated.
All three women were invited to interview with the new branch manager of the company, but there were hundreds of applicants and it felt more like a cattle auction than an open house interview session. The charming branch manager had a lengthy conversation with Ella and they clicked immediately. He saw in her the potential as a human resources generalist because of her people skills, her proven work ethic, and her academic record. The next day he called Ella and made her an offer of employment. One of her first tasks was to be recruitment to fill the remaining open positions, so she recommended her stepsisters and they were offered the jobs that they wanted.
The moral of this story is that opportunity may only come around once and when you least expect it. Being unprepared and unaware doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t open that door. Finally, when success comes your way, remember those who are also in need and lend them a hand.
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