I know life is a gift, and I'm glad to be alive, but sometimes it gets so difficult that you begin to question your existence in the general scheme of things. You think you've got it all figured out sometimes, and then suddenly, it throws a curveball that you swing at, only to land on your ass, which is coincidentally right where you started.
I remember April of 2018 when I was just fresh out of NYSC(National Youth Service) and very hungry for employment. I got wind of this "employment opportunity" from an acquaintance back in University, so I jumped at the opportunity.
The job role was "Territory Sales Assistant", and I thought, well, being an assistant can't be that hard. Plus, I'll be handling a whole territory, therefore big bucks pay, thanks a lot bro, sign me up for that shit. So I eagerly rushed down to Bayelsa from Jos where I just concluded the NYSC. My blood was hot and I was brimming with enthusiasm, ready to take on the corporate world.
After the 15hour frustrating road trip to Bayelsa, I spent a few days with my family, then got done with all the early excitement of seeing me after 6 months, now it was time for business. The first step was a short 2-hour trip to Port Harcourt from Bayelsa for a meet and greet with the company reps and some orientation.
Rude Awakening
Now, this is the part where things started to get a little...dicey, if I may. You see, all along I was expecting a job, like an actual job that involved doing office job stuff. You know, taking records, using spreadsheet and all that assistant stuff but that's not what this shit was.
Okay, a little background to the company; The name of the company can't be mentioned because I signed a non-disclosure agreement, but I can tell you that they're a conglomerate of some American franchise that specialises in making solar equipment. I studied Mechanical engineering, and while this isn't directly linked with Solar powered things, I figured adapting wouldn't be too hard, so what the hell. Okay, back to the story.
So, it turns out the Territory Sales Assistant is a fancy way of saying door to door salesman. All my dreams and fantasies of working on Spreadsheets and doing all that tech stuff dissipated like a fart in the wind. All that was left was this big blob of disappointment that hovered over my head, but you know what? I ain't no quitter and I certainly ain't no punk either, so I went against my gut and took the job anyway.
After all the documents were signed, blah blah blah, it was time to work, and boy was I pumped up. I was going to walk around town with a big bag filled with overpriced solar lamps and try to convince people to buy them. My supervisor who turned out to be a great guy after I quit was busting my balls because they set a freakishly high sales target for me and the other "Assistants". The first day of work was a disaster, or at least that's how it felt because I sold a grand total of zero and that set the tone for a miserable four-week spell of my life.
That period of my life was absolutely horrible like I can't mince words. Now I always knew I wasn't suited for the role so it wasn't supposed to affect me mentally, but the woefulness of my failure was too much for my nonchalance to ignore. So after two weeks of excruciating pain, I wrote a "Quit letter" to HR on the grounds of Education, which was technically true, but at that point, I'd have simply just stopped going to work if they refused. HR was very understanding, and accepted my resignation, but requested I worked an extra two weeks to complete the month and receive full pay for my services.
I reluctantly finished the month and put that short but painful chapter of my life behind me. It wasn't all bad though, because I bought my current laptop with that salary, and this laptop has earned me a reasonable amount of money because it facilitates blogging and despite being a second-generation core i5 processor with ancient NVIDIA graphics, it runs some powerful applications, is very sturdy and generally gets me across the line. So life gave me a shitty job, and I turned it into a money-making laptop, I guess sometimes, quitting pays.
It is important to do what you like in your job. Gives more value to your life and to the people around you
You're totally right Mary. Sometimes, it is not just about the salary, and that's something I learnt from experience
Glad you got some positives out of it, that's the only way to look at a terrible job situation.
I think you have to have a certain vernacular for sales. I had a job for 9 months in that field as a product specialist but yeah, handed my notice in after 7 months with a 2 months notice. Terrible company to work for as the management lied to me constantly about the job, I was being pulled from pillar to post all across the UK and they wouldn't give me any information about commission or let me work from home like they said they would in the interview stages.
It was only after I handed in my notice that they decided to tell me and let me know my (piss poor rates) which cemented my decision to leave.
The good that came out of it was that I used the money to go travelling around Australia and NZ last year so every cloud 🙂
They become so nice and honest after you submit that resignation letter lol. Oh, that's when you made that trip to Australia lite, well that is some silver lining, I give you that.
Hopefully, when I get done with school, I'll get a better job and this time, I'm going to ask a lot of questions.
Yeah chalk it up to experience. I have had a few jobs and with that comes interview experience so you know the questions to ask to see if it's right for you, salary expectations, what to research before hand etc.
Yeah, that's something I didn't learn at school
Yeah, you don't learn any of this stuff at school haha! Life is the real education hey
True that brother. We live to learn.
Fancy name for a door-to-door salesman... oh, what recruiters would do to attract candidates. 🙃 Must be decent-paying though, since you were able to buy you a "money-making" laptop.
It was a second-hand laptop, got it from a friend who was looking for money to buy a better one. So it was kind of a giveaway
Everything na packaging. If to say dem tell you say na door to door sales or should i say hawker.. you for no come ..
Atleast they tried with their salary. Guy! Some managers are terrible.. you go work your ass out then no better salary
Oboy the work tire me. There was one time I almost cried in the morning. Around 7am, my supervisor don dey call me and ginger me to enter road. I felt like dustbin
Marketing work is the worst if you don't have passion for it. Frustration go finish you
I learnt that the hard way. I find digital marketing to be a lot easier for me than face to face marketing.
Run, run to the hills!!!!!!!!
I Love, LOVE, LOVE the ending.
I have a HUGE smile on my face from your life story.
Thank You so much for sharing it with me!!
I feel like the job advert was a catfish lol.
At the end of the day, I'm happy how everything turned out and once in a while, I just look at my laptop and smile because it reminds me of that period.
well, Duh!! who in their right mind wants to sell door to door solar panels of all things? :D
lmao. Overpriced solar panels by the way. I remember walking up to people and giving them my "elevator pitch" and they'd tell me that they have something similar and got it for half the price. Those were the moments that I wished the Earth could just swallow me
Ohhhhhh, that would be bad.....and embarrassing. You way earned that laptop!!
my first laptop was from my son. He left for Colombia, South America and asked me to take care of his laptop.... it was very old and used but it still worked over a year later when he came back home.
Do mums go to a particular training where you're taught to keep things safe? Because my mum is basically my safety deposit box :D
it is in the "How to be a Mom" book. I can not tell you what chapter it is in or I would be breaking the law from the beginning of time. I could get fired just for saying there was a book but I can always say that you are young and must have misunderstood me so I'm not too worried. :D
haha. It all makes sense now. My lips are sealed
So many companies use juicy nomenclature for their jobs. Some will call Messenger, office assistant and sometimes people travel very long distances to resume such a job. Sometimes it's better not to have a job than to resume to such a job. There are some people who will never assist with good jobs once they are aware you are working in an establishment, they won't care if you are well paid or not, or if the environment is favorable. I have been in that situation before, when I was desperate to get a job, and find myself with a man who doesn't pay salary and I have to resume to work. I left his work because I was getting depressed already.
Wow, how long did you work there before you quit the job?
I worked with him for like 3 months. I had to run away.
Three months without salary? Bros, you really tried. I'd have quit after the first month. I rather be unemployed than work where I won't get paid.
Seriously, Nigerians are going through alot. Some people are now slaves, even graduates. They get paid as if they are illiterates. Sometimes I see a graduate doing Okada. I always feel bad. Do these guys need a degree to ride a commercial bike?
The country bad bro. I've done a lot of menial jobs in my time as well. Prior to graduating, I use to work in construction sites and stuff like that, and I use to meet some graduates doing labourer work. We're all just trying to make ends meet at the end of the day.
I understand you. Where do u work now? Those experiences make us stronger but graduates deserve more and better because that's the reason for being in the University and also graduate.
Looks like I am going to follow you soon.
Lol do you have an alternative though?
Yeah! I've some actually. :)
Oh then go ahead. Your mental health and sanity is more valuable than money
Good on you for making wine out of sour grapes lol. I remember back in my youth having a door to door job selling advertising to businesses and holy hell, was I out of my league there. I quit that position after a couple of weeks and have never taken a sales job since lol. I am just not cut out for that.
I think you are going to make something grand out of yourself. Just look at how far you've come since joining Steemit!!! You have really come out of your shell :D
I know right? And you've been there all through Tamara, thanks for that. 😁😁
I'm looking out for lecturing jobs because that's just about the only thing that I have flair for
Aww, it's been a pleasure! Can't wait to see how far you go...prolly 'to the moon' lol
That would be awesome, and you're coming with me 😄
hahaaa....i'm ready!
Love the contradiction in your last words "quitting pays". Thank you for sharing..
Haha yeah, you noticed that huh 😁
Sales is tough especially if you don’t like that kind of work. Working on commissions is kind of scary. If you are good you came make a great living, but the middle and lower salesmen turnover like crazy. It’s also a bit unnerving that loosing one or two clients can wreck a year. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Thanks. Yeah the situation was terrible but I knew a few people that excelled at it. It isn't just for me.
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so now i know what territory sales assistant actually means :P
Yes and it should be avoided if you're not ready to carry a big ass bag selling stuff.
i have a same story with a friend of mine that went for a sales position and they gave him a big ass vacuum cleaner that costed 2-3k and he had to carry it from door to door. Aside all of these, who's gonna buy a vacuum cleaner that costs 2-3k while you can find ones with 100-500 bucks at most :P
Lmao. I want to buy your friend a beer because that shit is horrible 😆
hahaha i bet you gonna be good friends :P
Inspired from the story of your life. Thanks for sharing and letting us know what happend to your career and how you overcome the situation.
Yeah, I'm glad I could share
What a catfish? What a drag? I'm glad you are making progress.
Amen to that brother. It is a relief.
Well done on you for lasting 2 weeks! I quit my first job I got after university after just one day. Same misleading title situation. I was told I'd be a content writer for a product comparison site, but turns out all I had to do was connect new products to old products in the system. Which basically meant clicking a button. I quit after the first day. Went in the next day and quit on the grounds of the job killing my soul. Mind you they were really nice guys and are a pretty big players in the local market now. But it was the best decision I made, so I totally get where you coming from!
I can totally relate. People always make it seem.like the salary and "prestige" is all that matters but the truth is, I'd rather work where.i feel comfortable with my self and satisfy the yearning of my soul than take a job that kills it.
How has life been afterwards?
It kinda worked out. I went it it to a series of jobs and had a record of 5 jobs in one year. But it slowly evened itself out. My hunger for learning and experience kept me motivated for moving. Fast forward 12 years later to present day and im cofounder of my own 2 man startup. Building my dream slowly. In fact, I'll write a full post about it, you kinda inspired me to debunk this quitting myth!
And you, have you been writing ever since or you putting your engineering degree to good use?
I've been writing ever since and it has been rewarding. Although my dream has always been to be a university lecturer like my dad, so I'm doing a Master's degree in Aerospace and I also got a diploma in education.
My love for lecturing isn't related to the money but more of an itch to satisfy my soul's craving. I intend to continue writing and earning crypt for as long as I live, I also intend to start a business that will be my main source of income, despite being a lecturer.
One motivation I have to lecture is that I want to be able to tell my students about the realities of life and that's something I was never taught. I want them to know that it doesn't matter how many complex equations you can solve, if you don't learn how to use it for something relevant, your knowledge is redundant and you're better off doing something else that's productive.
I guess this circled back to our other convo about passing on the real lessons. A very admirable goal, and the money won't hurt either! And you get to keep up the family tradition!
Wow aerospace!! that's gotta be ind boggling! But I guess it's just another day on the job for you :)
It's been fine. Aerospace is basically mechanical engineering with wings