Autobiography Series Episode 12 | Insights Gained in Administrative Work and Signs of Recovery

Transfer to Administrative Role
Insights Gained in Administrative Work and Signs of Recovery
- Transitioning from Sales -

Having had my spirit broken as a salesperson, I was considering resigning while on leave.

At that time, the branch manager back then went out of his way to visit my home.

"Why don't you try continuing in a role other than sales?"

To that proposal,

I accepted after much hesitation.

There were two reasons.

One was,

"There are still people who need me"

"They see potential in me"

—a tiny sense of self-affirmation.

The other was,

"In this state... I probably can't change jobs."

That was the calm feeling I had.

And, even if I were to quit,

"What do I want to do?"

I still hadn't found a positive answer to that question.

The desire to run away and the anxiety of standing still.

I think I made my next choice while carrying both of those feelings.

A time to pause: taking a leave of absence

First, I ended up taking a three-month leave of absence.

A time to rest my mind and body.

At the same time, it was a grace period to think about my future.

That said, I didn't have any clear answers at this point.

"What do I want to do next?"

"What kind of life do I want to live?"

None of those things could be put into words yet, even when my mind started to function a little better.

The only thing I can say is,

that I needed to stop,

having pushed myself too hard in sales.

As time drifted by vaguely, all I felt was that 'something inside me had broken.'

A running start through support work at the sales office

After returning from leave, I went back to my original sales office and was assigned to support duties.

The period was about three months.

I was not on the front lines,

but in a position to support the sales staff from behind the scenes.

It was not a role of chasing numbers and dealing with customers while wearing down my emotions,

but a role of looking over the entire site from a step back.

I think this period,

was a running start to get my heart accustomed and shift my perspective.

But to be honest, during this time, meeting people was still scary.

Every time the office phone rang, I felt my heart stir and noise run through my head.

The way I laughed when I needed to laugh was probably very awkward.

In that sense,

I don't think I was in a state where I could say I had

recovered.

However, I wasn't completely at a standstill like before, either.

At the very least, I was able to go to the office.

That was the accurate state of myself at that time.

Branch Transfer and Official Administrative Role

After that, I was transferred to a branch office,

where I began working officially in an administrative role.

Administrative work was completely different from sales.

I was no longer on the front lines of customer service,

and my main duties were general administrative tasks like managing deliveries and overseeing company housing and vehicles.

From a public-facing role to being completely behind the scenes.

I was anxious at first, but once I actually started, it surprisingly suited me.

The daily tasks were modest and certainly not flashy.

However, they were also essential roles for ensuring the company ran smoothly.

Unlike the hectic sales floor where I wore down my emotions,

there was time to calmly organize things, look ahead, and make arrangements.

In that environment, I gradually began to regain my own pace.

The moment when my high school learning came to life

Some time after I started working in administration, I realized something.

What I learned at the industrial high school during my high school years was definitely being put to use here.

The basic knowledge of Excel and Word

proved effective in situations like delivery management, creating internal documents, and organizing data.

Organizing information and arranging it in a way that anyone can understand.

That accumulation of effort led to words like "You're a lifesaver" and "This is easy to understand."

Also, the sense I cultivated in design and creative classes

was useful when making notices and simple documents.

Rather than just listing information,

"How can I make this understood?"

The habit of thinking about that was certainly alive here.

Through these experiences, I felt strongly.

The knowledge I gained in high school was by no means a useless 'dot'.

The customer perspective I cultivated in sales.

The logical thinking I acquired in university.

These connected in the administrative workplace,

and I had the feeling that the dots were becoming lines, and eventually, a surface.

Amidst improvements, ingenuity, and being caught in the middle,

I think it was around the time I was entering my second year after returning to administrative work.

While working, I was constantly thinking.

'How can I make the workplace run more smoothly?'

Reviewing management methods and devising better procedures.

By accumulating small improvements,

the stress in the workplace was definitely decreasing.

On the other hand, if I aimed for the best for the workplace,

I would end up asking too much of the delivery companies, placing a burden on them.

Delivery management work involved a lot of such adjustments while caught in the middle.

Even so, strangely enough,

I felt less stress than I did during my time in sales.

That is surely because,

the feeling of "working for the people I can see and who are close to me"

was significant.

I think that was the reason.

The feeling that "this is not the final destination"

However, at the same time, there was an indelible feeling deep in my heart.

"Perhaps this is not my final destination."

My work was appreciated and I was thanked for it.

But that was strictly

a "role of organizing for someone else"

after all.

The creation and expression I had loved since high school.

The creativity that wells up from within me,

If asked whether I was fully utilizing my potential here, the answer would be no.

What I gained from administrative work

Even so, I do not think this administrative experience was a waste at all.

・Realizing that what I learned in high school was useful in society

・Discovering that the ability to organize, structure, and improve things is my strength

・Understanding that "efficiency" and "creating systems" are well-suited to me

These would later become

a solid foundation for when I started making camping gear and managing my brand.

Summary of the administrative work chapter

Three months of leave.

Three months of sales support.

And the days spent in administrative work.

Though it seemed like a detour,

it was time to slowly rebuild the version of myself that had broken down.

Through this period, I finally realized,

"My journey was not in vain."

I began to be able to think that way.

At the same time,

"This is just a passing point."

That intuition was also certainly beginning to sprout.

The perspective and sense that grew during this time

would eventually lead to the world of camping and craftsmanship.