Posts Tagged "job"
Love what you’re doing
It’s only been five days but I LOVE MY JOB. Is it weird to be so bold after such a short period of time? It feels weird but not really, if you know what I mean. While I just barely clocked in a full workweek, I am very happy presently. I am excited to wake up and get to work, I’m excited at work, when I’m heading out (not because it’s over, but because I had a great day – yes, it’s sickening), and I’m excited to be able to do it all over again the next day.
I’m so excited that I pick out my clothes the night before.
The first day was a little overwhelming but not in a scary “What am I doing here?” way, but more in an energizing “I can so do this!” way. Every day I learn a new aspect of my job responsibilities, which is almost like unwrapping a present every day, and I’m looking forward to the moment when I’m aware of what I’m supposed to be doing and can just get it done without direction. Sometimes, when I listen to my coworkers talk, I’m amazed at how knowledgeable they are about what we do and I’m kind of jealous that they can so easily explain things, but that’s silly because I know that with enough time, I’ll be able to speak just as soundly as they do.
And you know what? I cannot wait for that moment.
After being out of work for the past two years, I’m very grateful for this opportunity. I was just thinking on Friday how amazing God is. He provided me with the perfect job where I feel satisfied and challenged and one that I can grow into. I definitely risked it by being so picky but I have to say this was definitely worth it (even my Mom had to admit that she was glad I didn’t settle for just anything even though she was pressing me to). I work with a group of amazing people and I know that I can and will make a meaningful contribution. I’m not bored during the day (I’m actually too busy most of the time to even check my Gmail account for most of the day which is so radically different than my last job) and the time just flies by. Seriously, I get in, start my computer up, go through some emails and suddenly it’s an hour later.
What I really like is that I have a defined set of responsibilities and reports to create (I get to create my first one on my own next week. Yes, I am unapologetically excited by this) and none of it feels like “busy work.” I really like coming in every day and knowing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I don’t have to worry about hovering around my boss’ desk sniffing out something, anything, to do. Right now I’m still in the training phase, learning a new piece to my job everyday, but in a short time, most likely starting next week, I’ll be released on my own to assist with client work (which includes billable hours. I’ve never had billable hours before!) creating those lovely reports and doing some data analysis, campaign management, search engine optimization and managing social media profiles.
Yes, I do kind of get paid to tweet and Facebook, granted, not my personal accounts (ironically, I don’t have much time to check my own accounts), but the company’s account. I have an uncanny knack of landing in some pretty cool jobs.
Now if I could only figure out what to say for my company bio.
Read MoreThe first step is always the hardest
I feel like I need to nickname my career search. You know how much I love naming things. I’ll have to think about that some. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Anywho, I met with my career consultant last week to get a better idea of what I can expect as I transition from my current career track to my next newer, better track and I’m pretty excited about what’s in store.Yes I really liked my job and loved the company I worked for [especially since it was in my desired industry] but I have to be honest with myself [and agree with the bf] that I can do a lot better career-wise if I moved on to a different industry and then returned at a later time. It’s not like it’s the ONLY company I can ever work for. I would be doing myself a disservice by hanging around there. As it was now, I was clearly on an administrative assistant track and that’s exactly the opposite of what I want to be doing.
Obviously this is a blessing in disguise. Sure I already had a generic plan to start looking for a job that was better suited to my needs and career aspirations once I logged my fifth year of employment but now I get the opportunity to utilize some professional help in focusing and strengthening my resume to make it more applicable to landing marketing positions and something that would be a much better use of both my Bachelors and MBA degrees. I can work anywhere!
I am going to miss being at the office and all the generous perks [especially the week off between Christmas and New Years!] but I need to do what is best for myself. And you know, the guaranteed pay increase isn’t so bad! I’ll FINALLY be able to afford my own place!
After talking with my career consultant, I’m a little overwhelmed with the amount of work I’m going to have to put in. People, I have homework. Okay, not really homework but it feels like it. I have to complete a self-assessment, some webinars and update my resume among other things. This is no joke. This is actual work!
I think I really don’t like doing work. Hmm. I’m going to have to rehab my “energy-efficient” ways. Wow, I’m really lazy. Or I really do expect things to just work out with little to no intervention from me. Did I really go through life with things dropping into my lap? You see what losing my job has forced me to do? LOOK INSIDE MYSELF! I did not sign up for this!
But seriously, I’ll do the work. Its on my weekly to do list. Plus, I have a fun little assignment: look for all the marketing jobs that sound interesting regardless of qualifications. I won’t be applying to them but I will be using them to help craft my resume to turn it from being administrative focused to something that’ll give me a shot at gaining a marketing job. I’m at the beginning of a career Renaissance here! Get on board, it’s going to be an interesting ride.
Read MoreFall: where more than just the leaves change
Ahh, what to say. What.To.Say.
Well, there have been a few changes around these parts. Most of which were unwelcome and startling but that’s life, you know?
I guess I should start with the most interesting of stories. I do still have my L.A. trip to update you on [including a story how I sort of kinda got lost with a GPS unit. The moral of that story: CHECK YOUR ADDRESS!] and I will get to that because the pictures are so yummy looking that it would be a crime NOT to share. And in case you can’t wait, they’re posted on my Flickr account. Also my 10 year high school reunion happened after almost NOT happening, which is a painful story in and of itself that I will share. School is going well even with all the mad amounts of homework I have to do weekly and I have a trip planned for next month to visit the bf! Yay!
But I guess the biggest change is that I was laid off.
Yeah, that change sucked. But honestly, I’m okay. It’s not ideal but it happens [and unfortunately it happened to me]. The actual lay-off process sucked though. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I felt like I was hit by a bus when I heard the news. Its quite the shock to the system learning that you no longer have a job and despite my best efforts, I cried in that conference room. I tried so hard not to, especially not in front of my boss but I couldn’t help it. Then I sobbed to my mom when I called her as I left the office and then intermittently on that long BART ride home. To say I was devastated was an understatement of mass proportions.
What else can you do when you worked so hard to achieve your dream only to see it stopped short? Not to say that I’m done working in the industry. Far from it. I’ll be back and I’ll be going right to the top. I’m more determined than ever to figure out how to make that happen. Oh yeah. Because in the back of my mind, I want to be able to one day say, “Kids, don’t give up. Once upon a time I was laid off from this company. And now? I run it!”
But to be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to be so calm and at peace without God. Seriously. This is simply my own personal testimony but I’m at peace knowing that everything that happens will work for my good in the end. I’m trusting that He’s already planned for me and i just need to let it go and trust Him. We’ll see what my next path is. It’s really the only way I’d be able to talk about this without crying. In fact, I’m already at the point where I’m joking about it!
I do have a few options I’m working on and will be forging ahead with the full court press on the job search. Don’t cry for me, I’m not crying for myself.
All is well.
Read MoreDon’t call it a comeback…
Hi again! Yes, I’m still here with all my fingers and the ability to type still perfectly in tact, so there really isn’t a good reason for my rather spotty attendance as of late. Remember back in the day how I would write every day? Those were the days. But to be honest, I wouldn’t go back. Sure my blog gets neglected every now and again but just stop to think about how much time I would have on my hands to crank out posts like that everyday?
Exactly.
So I’d much prefer this set up. Sure I don’t get to blog as often but honestly, my job satisfaction is what’s more important here. That said, along with being busy at work, I’ve had a pretty busy quarter at school, with research projects and take home exams and all. It’s been a little nutty around these parts and while I’d love to apologize and say that postings will become more regular, I won’t because I can’t promise that. Life is what it is but I will try to post somewhat regularly.
Anywho, I never got to tell you about the main thing that’s been going on at the office: moving days! With some promotions and what not earlier this year [mine included – more of a lateral move but it was a promotion over what I was doing before. So yay!] there were some need to shuffle a few desks. I spent the first half of the year halfway across the office from my boss, which made it nearly difficult to keep track of him. I have no idea how I was expected to know where he was if I could barely see his office from my desk!
My boss was able to move first, probably about a month or so before my area was set up, so I went from at least being able to see the window of his office to not being able to see him at all! There was plenty of walking back and forth clear across the office because I was too hardheaded to use the phone but a little exercise never hurts. But I was able to move into my new spot the second week of August and it’s nice. It is a little smaller than my previous spot but it’s in the corner of a different section of the office that is much quieter and has less foot traffic so I can actually focus on what I’m working on instead of looking over my shoulder to see who just walked by.
What I liked most was the chance to finally build a cube up, decoration wise, to what I want. Yes I had that chance at the first spot but there was just so much stuff that I had to keep that I wasn’t able to do what I really wanted, especially since space was at a premium. But now all the space is mine to do as I wish and I definitely put my stamp on my cozy little nook; it actually feels like my cube. Though the best part is I’m only a few feet from my boss. Under normal circumstances that would not be ideal, but in this case it is since we get along and it makes it easier to keep track of his whereabouts. Trust me, makes life much easier.
I have a few things I need to update you on, like my new haircut [yeah, I know: FINALLY] and the merits of virtual hairstyle programs, my thoughts on this latest quarter of grad school and maybe even some baseball goodness? We’ll see how that goes.
Read MoreThe blogger’s new clothes
I have decided to do a bit of a career makeover.
No, I’m not planning on changing careers. I like what I do and where I work. What I am looking to change is my wardrobe.
Seems simple enough, yes, but as someone who needs convincing to spend money [when I’m not already in the mood to spend, spend, spend] but this is something that I need to do. I notice that I’ve been walking differently since buying my wedges, and not because I’m now technically walking on heels, but there’s a certain clip that I have now that wasn’t present when I was shuffling along in my flats. I know I can get cute flats too but let me establish myself in my wedges first.
But my main point is I need to invest in some new clothes. I really do. It would make getting ready in the morning a lot easier and I am getting tired of the shirts I do have. And maybe another pair of pants. I don’t wear skirts or dresses to work…I could, I just choose not to.
That said, I need shirts. Lots and lots of shirts, blouses, tops, sweaters; whatever you want to call them; I need them. That’s where most of my issues stem from in the mornings. Half the shirts I own I don’t really want to wear anymore and the other half I wear all the time. And there are some shirts in the latter category that are slowing making their way to the former and I cannot wear my large collection of t-shirts to work. And because I can’t wear my t-shirts and I already wore that nice shirt the day before and it’s too warm for a sweater, I stand there in front of my closet just as confused as ever.
That is why I hate weekday mornings. Plus, who wants to make such a heavy and pivotal decision mere moments after wiping the sleep from your eyes? And this is the decision that you’ll live with for the next 12 hours or so! That’s too much pressure too early in the morning.
What? Pick out what I want to wear the night before? Sure, if I wasn’t positive that I’d change my mind upon waking up [happens 8 times out of 10]. I usually decide what to wear according to the weather report [yup, because in the Bay Area there are 4 different climate zones. I kid you not] and I live and work in two different ones. So checking the weather is a must. And I’ve noticed a change in most of the reports overnight. Which is yet another reason why I wait until the morning.
You see the conundrum I’m facing. So obviously the solution is stocking my closet and dresser with new clothes.
Obviously.
Read More