An Unfortunate Communication Experience Of Mine
If there is one thing about communication, it’s that it can happen anywhere, at anytime, with anyone. Today, I wanted to share with you guys a little story of mine that happened over this past winter break. I was trying to think of something relevant to talk about in todays blog, which reminded me of a time where I personally did not communicate well in a situation where I needed to. I thought sharing this story would be a prime example of what happens when you communicate poorly.
Over the course of the last winter break, I began to start looking for internships for this upcoming summer. I was trying to get ahead start with reaching out to potential employers for internship opportunities that way I could have something setup in advanced. One of the employers that I ended up getting in contact with is a woman named Hilda. Hilda is friend and client of my mothers, and they share both a personal and professional relationship. My mother had told me that she may be able to help me find a finance internship for this summer and told me to give her a call. So I did just that. Unfortunately, she had been out of town when I first called her and her receptionist told me she would have her call me when she gets back in town. Great, right? Not quite. This past winter break was also the same time I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed. If you have ever had your wisdom teeth removed, you probably know that you feel a bit out of it for a day or two. Anyways, after I had my surgery the doctor prescribed me some pain killers to help with the pain but those pills can cause you to feel out of it. So the night after my surgery when I tried to sleep I was severely uncomfortable and in pain, so I didn’t sleep well. I only ended up only getting about 2–3 hours of sleep the entire night. So between my sleep deprivation and the painkillers I was on, I think it was fair to say I was a bit “Loopy.” So I remember it being around 8am the next morning and I had just finally been able to get a little bit of sleep when all of a sudden my phone began to ring. I remember wondering why a random number that I didn’t have saved in my phone was calling me this early in the morning. Any who, being the curious person that I am, I decided to answer and with just my luck, who did it end up being on the other side of the phone? You guessed it! Hilda. I was so out of it when I answered the phone I probably sounded like I was drunk or something. Anyways, as soon as I realized who was calling, I tried my very best to quickly snap out of it so I could communicate clearly and professionally. She began to ask me questions that I was not in the proper mindset to answer. We ended up only talking for a few minutes but I think that’s probably because I was struggling to respond coherently to everything that she had been asking me. I remember hanging up the phone and immediately falling back to sleep as if that whole conversation was just a dream. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. When I finally woke up I realized that I needed to get back in touch with her immediately to explain to her my situation. I wanted to make sure she knew that the phone call we had wasn’t an accurate representation of the kind of person I am. Long story short, I was able to get back in contact with her and apologize for acting so out of it. She laughed and totally understood the circumstances and even put me directly in contact with a woman who is hiring interns for this summer.
The moral of the story is that if I had never made the effort to call her back and explain myself, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity that I did. This is why it is always important in communication to clear up any kinds of misapprehensions or miscommunication to avoid problems. People appreciate honesty, they also appreciate it when you’re able to not only admit you made a mistake but are proactive in making sure you resolve any issue. My follow up phone call made a big difference in giving me an opportunity for an internship and definitely helped change Hilda’s initial opinion of me.
