Tough Times of Transition by Zack Dresser

Transitioning from one job to another is never an easy time in a person’s life. That is certainly true for students like myself who change jobs in high school or college. Recently, I left my job of two years at a senior living community, a good job, one that I valued and loved. After working for two years in dining services at this elderly housing facility I felt like it was time for change.

Saying goodbye to my co-workers/120 residents was incredibly challenging for me. Leaving any job, especially one that you get to know so well, is an emotional challenge. In my case, the elderly residents had come to see me as a grandson, making leaving my job even harder. At the time, I felt so attached to that job that I was so concerned leaving it. I did not have another job ready, so my future employment was a mystery and I had no clue what I wanted to do. At this point I felt lost and insecure.

Throughout this whole transitioning time I learned a valuable lesson. I learned to keep the potential future opportunities in mind. This is important to remember when facing forced or undesirable transitioning. When an important part of life is over, try not to dwell on what you’re going to miss about the old part and focus on the unlimited potential for the future. Remembering the amazing time I had at my old job and the things I learned has become very important to me. Although there was hostility between me and my boss when I left, I think back at that job as a useful life experience. Also, this job gave me skills that I applied to get a new, much better internship for the summer.

I landed a new opportunity at an online database publisher as a customer satisfaction intern. I am assisting salespeople gather information about companies to create customized demos of their online products. The company that I am working for treats its’ employees excellently and it’s an amazing place to work. My new job will help me gain skills that I can use in college and beyond. This just affirms the lesson that I learned when leaving my old job.

This is something that I am hoping that I can do when I graduate high school this June. I now believe that it will be a lot smoother for me keeping this in mind. When something’s over, not everything is over. If you’re going through a transition, remember, keep your head up and look towards the bright future ahead.