Mary Harrison, Campus Carrier sports editor

It took me two years, but I finally got my articles in on time for a month – well almost. This one was technically a quarter-hour past the deadline. I guess old habits die hard!

As the old saying goes, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I am very thankful that at Berry, I have employers and mentors who have let me try again… and again… and over again. It feels good to be able to show them that their patience has finally paid off.

Reflecting over the four semesters I’ve spent working for the Carrier, I can see that the Mary who started writing articles as a freshman reporter is not the same one who pens this for you today. Sticking with the same LifeWorks job provides a measure of personal and professional growth and deepening relationships that too many Berry students miss out on when they change jobs after one (or even half of one) semester. 

In classwork, the professors you take and the format of their assignments varies semester to semester. In a workplace, however, there are certain tasks you must master and repeat. Even in journalism, where your story assignment changes each week, you still have to develop a system for the grind: assign the topic, do the background research, track down the interviews, compile the notes, write the article. 

This wash-rinse-repeat cycle provides a prime opportunity for tracking changes in your approach.

Comparing myself to this time last year, even, there is a night-and-day difference. Somewhere along the way, I figured out that content pre-planning made work meetings much quicker. I also developed a research and writing method that allowed me to track my progress and meet deadlines reliably, rather than staring anxiously at my computer screen for hours on end and getting nowhere.

As a journalist, there is no opt-out button for assignments. Your article must be turned in so the paper can go to press. I will never forget one day last semester that I had to set an alarm every two hours to remind myself to call upon God for help. This is still one of the most stressful days I can remember, but I got through. 

Without consistently work for the Carrier, if I just switched jobs when the trial-and-error process led to sleepless nights and anxiety-ridden days, I would not have experienced so tangibly that by God’s strength, I can overcome and things can get better.

Consistently being at a workplace also creates opportunities to deepen relationships with employers and co-workers.

Working a beat and developing relationships within the Athletic Department has been my favorite part of being Sports Editor the last three semesters. I did not know what I was getting myself into last year when accepting this role, as someone who didn’t know anything about sports.

Thankfully, since then, I’ve learned some of the jargon, but it has become apparent to me that it is more about who you know than what you know.

It is about knowing who to get into contact with, and how to get in contact with them. If I know that a star player is a senior on the baseball team this year, he will make a great source for a season preview. Or if a coach does not respond to my email in a timely manner, but I know they are usually in the office at a certain time, I can slip in for a quick interview.

At Berry, jobs have also allowed me to build relationships with my work supervisors. Our supervisors are assessed on their efforts at mentorship, but if they are good, they will not just view this as a responsibility. They will genuinely care about you. 

I know that Mr. Kleine in student publications and Mrs. Peters in Human Resources do not only view me as an employee: they know me and check in on me when things are rough.

This depth of relationship, however, takes time to build. You can hand off your office keys to the next employee, but you cannot pass along the relationship you have built with your supervisor that enables them to know your quirks and talents and the best spot for you in the office. That is something each employee must form for themselves.

So, I conclude by addressing the freshman, sophomore or even senior who is tempted to throw in the towel after sticking out 18 weeks in a job that is plain hard and no fun. 

You may be an animal science major that is tired of working 4 a.m. shifts in the diary, or a dining services employee who wishes for work short shifts instead of entire afternoons. I obviously cannot make this decision for you because each personal motivation and situation varies, but let me encourage you with this: don’t simply leave when the going gets tough. 

Instead of hastily submitting your resignation before the end of the semester, take the few weeks off to consider your motivations. Do you really dislike the job, or are you simply burnt out? If you dislike it, why? How would it benefit you to stick with the job this spring?

Truthfully, I almost opted-out of writing this op-ed. I was not technically required to write it. But choosing to put in the work has helped me to put into words my personal growth over the last two years, giving me yet another measuring stick. And where better else to share this than in the creases of the very paper that has helped me grow through the blood, sweat and tears.