Know the value of your employer – even if it’s not the job for you

Know the value of your employer – even if it’s not the job for you

I’m a recovering accountant. Graduating at the peak of the recession in 2009, I was convinced by friends and family to accept a job as an auditor in a large accountancy firm. They obviously saw the value of my employer.

As safe, well-paid and happy it made my mother, I knew it wasn’t for me. With all due respect to the profession, I had very little interest in accounting but I benefitted by knowing the value of my employer. Do you know the value of your employer? 

 No matter who your existing employer is, below is a list of values you can take away from any employment:

You have achieved something

You got the job out of dozens, maybe hundreds of other applicants. It’s not your fault you got the job. You should be proud that you put your best foot forward and nailed it. Now go apply that to for a job you love.

You know what you don’t want

Retrospect is a beautiful thing and half the battle in life is knowing what you don’t want. However, assuming and knowing are two very different things. You need to try things outside of your comfort zone to understand and appreciate them. It may be fear that is getting in the way of great opportunities.

You developed skills you would never have had otherwise

Crunching numbers, analysing trends, preparing budgets, analysing cash flow and constantly ensuring return-on-investment for all spending are not always in the job spec of a marketing manager but they are crucial to a modern digital marketing manager’s daily tasks. Ironically, training as an accountant gave me a competitive advantage over many other marketers because of my skills in these areas.   

You will be protected

If it wasn’t for my employers, I would have had to move abroad, away from my friends and family, or worse, I may have stayed unemployed straight out of college. What are your employers protecting you from?

You will learn something

When you respect your employer and work hard for them, you’ll be amazed by what you get in return such as training opportunities, travel opportunities or certificates in areas of interest to you. Use this opportunity to build your CV. 

You will make new friends

I met so many great people in my intake and we’re still friends to this day. They’ve all gone on to do incredible things within the accounting and finance sector and it’s great to know an accountant. I know 526 according to LinkedIn.

You will learn the rules of the game

I gained office experience and commercial awareness. This can’t be learned in a classroom. Some people refer to it as ‘playing the game’ or the ‘rat race’. Whether you like it or loathe it, it’s good to know the rules.

New contacts

Besides making friends, you will also have plenty of new contacts in various industries and at various levels. It broadened my network and often it’s not what you know, it’s who you know that will land you your next job. 

Let your next dream job find you! Simply register your CV with us and/or create job alerts tailored to your specific career preferences and never miss a golden opportunity. Sit back, and let us do the hard work on your behalf. Feeling confused about your career? We’ve got everything you need to know about progression, new jobs and happiness in your career right here.

Lightbulb photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash