Who Packed Your Parachute?

 Originally Written Between 2013-2015      

“And, what do you want to be when you grow up little girl?”  I remember being asked that question at different stages in my life.  As a really little girl, I wanted to be a princess, a dancer (or ballerina – even though I never took ballet lessons), or a bride.  When I entered grade school, of course I wanted to be a teacher.  Or a cowgirl, or a girl detective, (remember Nancy Drew?) or a nun.  Being a teacher was still a choice a couple of years later, when I had added nurse or a secretary to that list.

After I had figured out that I couldn’t be a bride and a nun at the same time, my idea for a good life was to travel – so becoming a stewardess made the top of my list.  Even though I had never been in an airplane.  These were a female’s “choices” back in the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s… no one ever considered typical male occupations – that of being a doctor – or a manager or executive who gave direction to a secretary.  My career path was geared to typical “service-type” roles that only women would do.  That’s just how it was.

In high school, I concentrated on English, history, Spanish, speech, communication and, of course, typing and shorthand.  You see, I chose to be a secretary.  And I was good at it.  Top of my class in typing at 110 words per minute on an electric typewriter.  Shorthand was like speaking another language – I loved it.  And, still do.

I got a job as a secretary at 3M for the summer between high school graduation and the start of college.  I was enrolled in the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth to major in Library Science – a major that my mother had picked out for me because it was the only major that even resembled a business course.  I didn’t want to go there.  I didn’t really want to go anywhere because I was working at 3M doing exactly what I wanted to do.  I was promoted from working with a manager to working with a Director six weeks after I started.  In my mind, I had already achieved my goal – that of becoming a secretary and quickly climbing up that career ladder.  Much to my parents’ dismay, I quit college before I even stepped foot on the campus.

Fast forward 18 years.  During those 18 years, I was forced to leave 3M because they had some dumb rule that “a woman had to quit work at 4 months of pregnancy.”  I was then a stay-at-home mom raising four children for the next 13 years.  When my last child, Rebecca, was in kindergarten, I took a part-time job as a float secretary at Medtronic.  Within three weeks, I was offered a full-time job and therefore, my business career was again “off and running.”

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the assistant to the President of my Division became my mentor.  Theresa and I were best friends and had lots in common.  One Friday in May, however, Theresa was not at work.  I found out the following Monday that she had taken the day off to take a CPS exam.  Being a CPS – Certified Professional Secretary – is the equivalent of being a CPA (Certified Professional Accountant).  The exam consists of six categories such as Office Technology, Accounting, Behavioral Sciences, and Communication.  Two full days of testing and in the days before computers spitting out instant results, one had to wait a full month before getting the results in the mail.  No… not email….. snail mail.  The exam is so rigorous and thorough, it usually takes three tries before passing!

When Theresa returned to work, I bombarded her with questions about becoming a CPS.  Theresa encouraged me to take some classes – such as Accounting and Interpersonal Communications – at Anoka Ramsey.  So, I did.  I applied to take the next CPS exam in November and passed three of the categories!  Unfortunately, Accounting was not one of them.  And, so, I took another Accounting class.  And many other workshops and classes.  I passed two more of the categories the following May.  Of course, I had to take another Accounting class to finally pass the third time.  

It suddenly dawned on me that I had well over 60 credits at Anoka Ramsey.  I decided to continue taking classes to get my two-year degree in Marketing.  What then?  Up and onward to completing my BA in Communications from Metro State University.  I have to thank Theresa for encouraging and supporting me from the very beginning.  By her example, she packed my parachute.  She showed me that even with a husband, kids, friends, hobbies, and other activities, one could pick up where they left off many years before and complete one’s goal. 

Ironically, after I graduated from college one-week shy of turning 50, Theresa decided to take her credits to Metro State and she graduated a couple of years’ later – with a degree in Accounting.  You see, that was the first CPS category she passed!

Oh, by the way, the CPS designation is now called CAP which stands for Certified Administrative Professional.  The word “secretary” is rarely used these days.  Administrative or Executive Assistant is used extensively now.