Wednesday, December 21, 2011

First month of working

After a little over a month at my new job, things are finally starting to feel a little bit more familiar. The learning curve is still pretty steep, but little by little I can feel the progress. Some of the main differences I've noticed between working and studying: In a reverse of the usual, I'll start with CONS and then move to PROS:  

CONS
  1. It's not okay to "miss class" i.e. just not show up to work one day
  2. "Passing" is not enough, your mistakes have more serious consequences than you not getting a good grade
  3. It can be a little monotonous 

PROS
  1. GETTING PAID (I'm sorry if this sounds a little mercenary, but after 24 years as a student/intern/volunteer getting a real salary feels kind of good) (Aside: I promise to invest in community and worthwhile causes!) 
  2. Being able to leave work at work (yes, there are exceptions to this particularly around deadlines, but it's nice to be able to go home and veg without the ever-looming homework assignment) 
  3. Getting out of theory and into practice Yes, I have stacked the odds so that they are even, and I'm sure everyone has a different experience. Overall, despite any challenges or occasional bouts of boredom, after all the months of job-searching, I'm grateful to have found something that both pays the bills and is intellectually stimulating and rewarding. I wish everyone the best on their job search and career development, and happy holidays!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Digging through the closet

I don't know if anyone else has ever experienced this, but digging through my closet felt a bit like going through a time capsule. Previous versions of myself emerged. I almost forgot that I used to adore Sanrio, the book Chester's Way, and princess crowns. It was both cathartic and a little sad to part with some of these remnants of childhood, but I think it's important to periodically de-clutter your closet. Some bonus items that I found:
  • a $20 from my high school graduation (SCORE)
  • two goofy pictures featuring JAG and me making the "wow" "mom" faces
  • a self-portrait from 9th grade art class
So I encourage you to go digging through your own closet to see what buried treasures you may find.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

What a difference a year makes...

In re-reading some of my old posts I realize what a different place I was in not only physically but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I can hear the lyrics of "525,600 minutes" from Rent. It really is true that it's hard to know how you measure a year. Time can feel really fluid at times flowing so quickly that you hardly have time to register what's already happened let alone keep track of what's going on, and other times when it slides along slower than molasses.

As corny as it sounds, I've reached one of those crossroads about to make the transition from an unemployed student to joining the workforce or the "real world", although I never liked that term. Sometimes when I ask friends and family who have been working for many years what their day was like, it seems to always be "same as the day before" day in and day out, work is work. I accept that to a degree that each day takes on more structure and a similar pattern when you have an established routine, but I hope not to fall into the trap of monotony. That's one of my greatest fears of taking what seems like the tried and tested road to worldly success.

I'm writing this to remind myself not to forget what I should be working towards, which is not just my own personal gain but beneficial to the world at large, meaningful, and serving a Godly purpose. I really have no idea what I'll feel or be like in a year from now, but I look forward to this next phase of life, and hope the same for anyone else going through a major life transition.

Saturday, August 06, 2011

A new blog

I'll still be writing in this blog occasionally, but I'm starting a more thematic blog on job-searching at this address: http://blackberrylemonade.tumblr.com/.