For over a decade, I worked for one company. I went through two lateral moves, but none of them were promotions. I was with one team for six years, so I thought I was golden. I knew quite a bit about the company, how things worked, and I did my job well. Until one day they thought I didn’t.

Even though I was secure in that job, I’d been there for so long, yet I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t appreciated for what I knew. I was used. My employer expected me to be the person to clean up all of the accounts and then hand them off without any credit for the hard work I put into things. So, I did the only thing I could think of, I left.

When I found my new job, I initially took a pay cut to get away from the old place. I was desperate, needed a chance to do something else, anything else. I told myself I would never take another customer service job but it’s where my experience lies. So, I took one. Things were rough at first as I learned about a new company and new programs.

However, something happened. I got a pay raise and a promotion, and I had only been there six months. Then came a job opening. It was in a position related to training but not quite full training. I told myself, what’s the harm? I was used to being told no, or not getting interviews. That was, after all, the worst they could do, right? So, I was nervous but I applied despite the experience I had at my old job.

I never expected to get the job, but I did. I moved into a specialized team. It’s a small team of four, and it’s a lot of work, but I feel valued for the first time. I can use my creative writing background to help our clients out by creating custom documents for them. This team embraced me, and I have never felt more welcome or comfortable. It honestly feels like this is what is missing in my life right now.