The thing is I have worked for most of my life. A year after I moved to the United States, and got my newly minted work permit I started helping my Mom in her office, she was a financial advisor. Then I went on to work at a Smoothie King, yes I know Smoothie King. Can't beat the greatest perk, a free shake a day. MMMMMmmmgood. Then onto retail...and the story continues today to hotels. I recently went to a conference about being successful and found out some interesting facts about wildly successful people, think Bill Gates. They all have two things in common.

• First they are avid readers,

check that one: I have been reading since I can remember.

• Second they have had six or more jobs.

As I counted off the number of jobs I've had and it passed the 6 mark, a grin a mile wide stretched across my face, I could practically see the Pulitzer glinting brightly in my minds eye.

Out of the 9..yes 9 jobs I have had since I started working, I received 5 Hugh promotions within months of my start dates, partially because I developed a really strong work ethic from my family. From those positions, I made mistakes and learned from them. I had managers who were great at what they did, and allowed me to grow within my position but who weren't threatened when I told them I wanted to know every aspect of their jobs too. It wasn't just empowerment, it was the kind of real world training that takes you from being good at what you do, to being indispensable.

With my graduation looming, and my present moving forward at a rapid pace, I can't help but wonder, have I completely lost my edge because I work for an idiot?

In one sense not going out for promotions in my current field has left me time to focus on perfecting my craft in the classroom. Even so, I can't help but feel terrified that I have not grown for over a year and a half, I also feel like I have lost some of the zing that helped me score every job I have ever interviewed for.

Not to discount some of the valuable things I have learned from my interactions with him, things like you don't actually have to know how to spell correctly or write in complete coherent sentences just so long as people want to sleep with you then you'll probably get the job. People will come to your defense even when you can't do your job, just so long as you keep them guessing whether you want to sleep with them. Oh and most importantly as long as you look, and act busy while walking swiftly, then you can actually fool some people into believing you have drive and are far more productive than your peers.

Unfortunately or Fortunately in the big bad world of journalism, and human rights advocacy either you can do something or can't, there is no faking.

All that said, I have learned that I do have a bad tendency to interrupt mostly because I don't respect him, and he has a tendency to ramble on for-eve-er without making a valid point, nether the less I have learned to allow people to speak and to listen even when it feels like my ears are bleeding. It's difficult but also to allow myself to be lead by someone I don't think can offer anything of value because it teaches me humility. Not that I am prideful as in stuck up, but I am used to being and doing well, it humbles me to have to work under someone who isn't good, and reminds me to be gracious.

The thing that irks me however is that while I am being very introspective, and trying to make wine out of prunes, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he hasn't thought about his many shortcomings and will continue to fail, probably to his pink slip if the manager grapevine is to be trusted.

So while I am still terrified that I'm just not that good anymore, I know my time isn't wasted. I may not have sharpened my skills here, but I did learn who I don't want to become. I think if I looked hard enough I'd find that all those ridiculously successful people had a third thing in common, they too worked for idiots and vowed not to repeat the same mistakes themselves.