Greater Lansing Urban League: The First Job
Twenty years ago, I quit my first professional job. And when I say I quit, I literally mean I quit, quit. Like I was walking off a shift at McDonald’s. No notice given, I left out in a fit of frustration and never came back. I was a program coordinator for the Greater Lansing Urban League. It was my first real job out of college, and in hindsight, it was actually a great foray into the nonprofit sector. I managed youth programs done in partnership with the Lansing Housing Commission, specifically focused on job readiness and combatting the digital divide. I worked on my first grant proposal — a YouthBuild grant — in that role. I was sketching out a program called ‘Today’s Readers, Tomorrow’s Leaders’ thanks to a book grant we were awarded from Scholastic. We also began laying the groundwork for two local affiliate programs: the NULites, and the Urban League Young Professionals. I also got to travel. I’ll never forget attending the National Urban League conference in DC and seeing so many dignitaries and important Black folks. Jessie Jackson, Michael Eric Dyson, Marian Wright Edelman….what a glorious experience for a young professional!!
So, if it was so good why did I quit my job? Honestly, I was more concerned about what my peers’ job experiences looked like rather than establishing my own career. My salary was low. I wanted to work for a larger organization. I felt like I should have more responsibility. I wanted to be in a larger city. I had already been at the Urban League for two years, first as a volunteer, then as a part-time staff member. But I stayed because I was afraid of applying for jobs because I doubted whether I was a competitive candidate. I chose to become frustrated with my role and identified umpteen reasons why I needed to leave.
Rather than explaining how I felt and sorting things through with my boss with whom I had a great relationship, I let my emotions get the best of me, became enraged, and just left. True, maybe I had outgrown the organization, which was essentially a three-person staff. Maybe the time had come for me to eat a bowl of courage and interview for jobs rather than playing it safe on familiar terrain. Even if the time had come for me to leave, the way that I left was just wrong. I would have to live with that poor decision for the rest of my career. As I think back twenty-plus years to that twenty-something know it all, there was so much I needed to learn.
Though unemployed, I woke up every morning, got dressed, left the house, and caught the CATA bus looking for work. Some days I would spend hours on Michigan Talent Bank in the MSU Multicultural Center. Back then, online job searches were still a fairly new phenomenon, as most jobs were still posted in the Sunday newspaper. I searched through both. I also did my fair share of work with temp agencies. It was also during that time I took board meeting minutes for a company that was in the business of cow insemination. Yes. I did that. Clearly, I needed to become humbled. I was basically eating a bowl of courage and a slice of humble pie every day. It took some time before I started at my next position with United Way for Southeastern Michigan; an organization I thought I wouldn’t work at for another three to five years.
Years later, I reached out to my former boss and apologized for my actions that day. I told her how much I learned from her, and how grateful I was for the way she supported me. I’m glad I was able to make peace with her, and the situation.
The Greater Lansing Urban League is no longer open, but that organization holds a special place in my heart as it laid the groundwork for my now 20+ year career in the nonprofit sector. Our kitchen table is named in honor of my first boss, Deanna. She was the one who taught me to always have both a job and a hustle. She was the one that helped me understand the differences between being a little fish in a big pond and a big fish in a little pond. And because of her, I make it a point to always attend a conference, no matter what.
The way I quit my first job is the reason I put so much effort and intentionality when I depart an organization. I’m talking 10-page transition memos at times. There was even that time I gave 90 days’ notice to ensure I was able to work alongside the person who would replace me. For me, departure does not have to mean disorder.
I have no regrets about any step or misstep I’ve made in my life, including within my career. I own every decision and cherish the lessons learned. They’ve all paved the way for me to share wisdom with the next generation of young professionals charting their own career journeys.
