5 Things I’ve Learned During My 10 Years as a Supervisor

This month, I celebrate ten years as a supervisor at my job. It’s been a journey, one where I’ve seen my job grow and change and one that has had both challenging and rewarding moments, just like any other job.

I still remember where I was when I got the promotion. I was on vacation. It seems that every time either I or my husband has gotten a job offer, we’ve been out of town. The day I returned, my boss smiled at me and said, “Congratulations. Now guess what? You get to hire three people.”

Huh? Keep in mind that I’d never hired anyone before in my life, let alone interviewed anyone. I began my first foray into true on-the-job training. Book learning only goes so far. Then comes the real work of learning on the job. Very quickly, I realized why my boss said, “Make good hires. Re-post however many times you need.” And I did. I wound up hiring four people by the middle of 2009, and I’m thankful for all of them (long story there on that fourth person).

As in all jobs, there were times when I wanted to quit. Things weren’t going that well. I had to deal with some challenging situations. I struggled to listen to God very closely rather than hop to the next available job. Things go through cycles, and that includes how fulfilling or difficult a job is.

Then came a time of enormous change to the section where I worked. In 2013, our small section of 25 or so people became a division that now has close to 50 people. Our duties changed so drastically over the next three years that sometimes, I don’t recognize our old work. Being part of such change that benefits the citizens of North Carolina can be extremely rewarding.

Then came four years ago. My job as I knew it shifted as our work duties changed. I learned to be flexible and take on whatever challenge came my way. Has it been easy? At times, no. At times, I did indeed want to quit. I’m so glad I hung in there because I’ve found great fulfillment at my job.

Over the past ten years, I’ve seen employees of our division come and go. A core group has remained, and we’ve made sure to hire workers who are as dedicated to the work that we do as we are. The people make the job, not the technical work we do. We laugh together. We sometimes squabble with each other, just like any workplace. And there have been times when we’ve cried together. But we are like family. And to me, that is a huge blessing.

Being a supervisor for the past ten years has been rewarding. Here’s to, Lord willing, staying im my job until my retirement.

Question: What do you find most fulfilling about your job?

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