by McKayla Holson, Editorial Editor
Adaptability is the word.
If you can’t be adaptable in this world, you sink. It’s hard to move forward in the world and even impossible in some situations.
For example, you have to be adaptable for and in your job. Whether it’s a part-time job or a full-time career, you have to be able to do more than what you signed on for.
Think about it. Would a company/person rather hire one person who will do only one thing, or would they rather hire someone who will do multiple things? Or, at least, someone who is willing to learn something new.
I work at a state park. The state changes things periodically to make improvements to the way things happen. I have to remain useful, so I have learned how to do more than just working gate like I was originally hired for. I learned how to collect camping fees to help when the other camping girl was gone and I have become the main one to go out into the campground to collect the fees. I have been through at least three or four system changes for the way we do camping. I’ve gone through learning the process on paper, tablets, computers and I have taught several people these different processes numerous times. I’ve had to do everything there from communicating with guests, to building picnic tables and other manual labor tasks as well as running the office when we were shorthanded.
I have another scenario. I work at The Bull here in Alva. I started out as just a server, but I’ve had to adapt and learn to bartend. Not that much of a difference, but I’ve also recently started helping out back in the kitchen. Nothing too serious, I just work the fryer and occasionally work as the middleman. I was needed in other areas and I adapted.
If I was unwilling to adapt, what would be the point in keeping me as an employee?
Those are part-time jobs, but it works that way in the big, career world as well.
I started my internship this semester at the Northwest Technology Center here in Alva. I’m a marketing intern, but I do and learn more than just marketing. For example, I will be helping out in the tech department this week. I’ll be helping set up laptops for students in case everything has to go online like last year. The guy I’m helping said it won’t be hard work, but it’s still something different than marketing.
Adaptability is actually in my journal entry that I have to turn in as a part of my internship class. I personally think it’s something that everyone should know about.
All the time I hear “oh, I won’t ever need to know that,” but you probably will actually have to know whatever it happens to be that you’re learning.
I’m guilty of saying that on occasion, and boy am I always wrong about it.
Skills transfer over.
One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to remain open-minded and adaptable. It’ll help you out in the future.