Many of my friends know how stressful my summer job can be at times. This is because I tell them horror stories any chance I get about getting yelled at, writing complicated page long emails, having people cry at the other end of the line or looking for something that is simply not there.
I cannot possibly explain to you the pain of trying to console someone who is in hysterics over the phone because the course that they want to register for is not being offered this year. Neither can I express the frustration I have towards parents who simply do not understand that I cannot release information about their child to them without the student's permission. I really detest students who were denied registration requests and call me expecting that I have some special powers that will get them into closed courses. I vent the frustration out on my keyboard or a bag of tangerines (on occasion, significant others get to experience my pent up wrath).
There are times when I wake up in the morning and feel like calling in sick (never have! So far..) and just doing without the angry parents, nervous students, conflicted schedules and incoherent international calls for one day. Sometimes I just wish that the people of Carleton would call upon some other being to magically solve all their problems, transfer them to the right department or reset their PIN numbers for them.
It just gets too much for me sometimes. Screaming phone call after screaming phone call, it just gets a girl down y'know?
Yes yes, but there are those bright moments where a terribly grateful mother is on the line because you've just explained how Education funds work or sometimes you can get a caller who is so thankful that you've helped them put through a Special Student Application that they scream out 'thank yous' till they're breathless.
It's human nature to always focus on the crap that life throws your way instead of the row of lovely rainbows lining your path.
Today started off on a pretty sore foot. I had to reply to a complicated email, answer unruly calls from a few rude people and was nervous for a test that I had to take.
But then I had a streak of really great callers on the line who all asked me how my day was going, said thank you before hanging up and told me I was a "star" (fact).
I helped a mom work through one of our many processes and before she hung up she said, "You have been tremendous, so patient and polite. Thank you so much." I don't get many calls like that so I told her that she just made my day, and she laughed and said that I made hers.
I hung up the phone feeling super positive and thought "there really are good people in this world".
Sure, that sounds quite pessimistic, because OF COURSE there are wonderful people in this world. But once you work on a registration job for a university, you start disbelieving in humanity a little bit (I kid, a little).
Bottom line is, I realize that people are going to throw a shit ton of problems your way, expect you to solve them and they are not going to say thank you when you figure them out. But I always have the power to be patient, polite, do what I can and try my best to make their day. I always have the choice to be the better person and decide to accept that my job does have its downsides (sure it sucks), but it has a lots of upsides too.
Hey, at least I have summer job.
It just gets too much for me sometimes. Screaming phone call after screaming phone call, it just gets a girl down y'know?
Yes yes, but there are those bright moments where a terribly grateful mother is on the line because you've just explained how Education funds work or sometimes you can get a caller who is so thankful that you've helped them put through a Special Student Application that they scream out 'thank yous' till they're breathless.
It's human nature to always focus on the crap that life throws your way instead of the row of lovely rainbows lining your path.
Today started off on a pretty sore foot. I had to reply to a complicated email, answer unruly calls from a few rude people and was nervous for a test that I had to take.
But then I had a streak of really great callers on the line who all asked me how my day was going, said thank you before hanging up and told me I was a "star" (fact).
I helped a mom work through one of our many processes and before she hung up she said, "You have been tremendous, so patient and polite. Thank you so much." I don't get many calls like that so I told her that she just made my day, and she laughed and said that I made hers.
I hung up the phone feeling super positive and thought "there really are good people in this world".
Bottom line is, I realize that people are going to throw a shit ton of problems your way, expect you to solve them and they are not going to say thank you when you figure them out. But I always have the power to be patient, polite, do what I can and try my best to make their day. I always have the choice to be the better person and decide to accept that my job does have its downsides (sure it sucks), but it has a lots of upsides too.
Hey, at least I have summer job.
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1 hellos.:
MashaAllah. That is brilliant, Iman! ;) Makes me think that we are lacking even more in the politeness & respect & patience department over here (Msia). T-T
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