I fell into my career as a trainer, but I became good at it on purpose. Education can do that, you know. It can help you do things better.
Way back in the stone ages (you know, when I was in college), I worked as a manager at a big department store. After a few months there, I started to gain notice among senior management. Apparently, I was really good at making my department look pristine and perfect. It didn't take long for me to be named a regional trainer. It became my responsibility to travel around the country for new store openings. I would set up the department and train others how to do that thing I was so very good at doing.
I didn't really know how to train people, though. The new store opening process was a chaotic and stressful one. The training team would work 18 hours days for ten days straight, so we all had a tendency to just do all of the set-up ourselves. "Trainer" might have been in our job titles, but what we really did was tell people to stay out of way as we tried to get as much done as possible.
It was at a store opening in Wisconsin that I figured out I was doing it wrong. I was behind a jewelry counter untangling a bunch of necklaces when I overheard two of the local store managers talking. They were frustrated that they hadn't learned how to do anything. They went on and on complaining about us trainers and our cavalier attitudes.
It stung a bit. No doubt.
But, from that overheard conversation, an obsession was born.
The next semester I made it a point to take more communication and business writing classes at school. I paid more attention in my technical writing classes. I sought out information on adult learning theory. I applied what I knew about translating Spanish into English to translation "complicated" English into English that anyone could understand. I stopped being a trainer and became a Trainer.
I remember the exact moment that all of the work paid off for the first time. I walked around a corner to check on my trainee and found that she had nailed the project she was working on. Absolutely NAILED IT. Every detail was perfect and I told the trainee as much. She grinned from ear-to-ear before continuing on to the next thing.
That store opening, the first one where I really trained someone how to do their job, we were ready a full two days early. I hadn't shoved someone out of my way and done everything myself but instead had really partnered with them. The payoff was HUGE. We didn't just get two extra days to use how we pleased, I also loved the feeling of knowing that I was leaving the store with a new manager who really understood how to do her job.
I've spent most of the ten years since that store opening working in corporate training. I have helped accounting professionals learn how to do their jobs using new software. I've helped customer service representatives understand how to navigate systems so they could answer questions quickly and accurately. I've trained everyone from company presidents to entry-level clerks.
There is always That Moment. That Moment when I see their eyes light up with "I get it!" There are few things in life better than knowing you have played a part in helping someone really understand their job.
Capella University can help you have That Moment. Whether it's the skills needed to help be good at something or the knowledge to help others reach their potential, your degree will change more lives than just your own. You can learn more about Capella and what graduates are saying on Facebook, YouTube, or on their website.
Photo by aeboi80
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