New Job, New Attitude

Dear Ladies of The Steps,

There were several moments in the last four months when I felt sure that things would never turn around for the better. Finally, the universe has pleasantly surprised me. I am headed back to the grind, back to work, back to reality.

Ironically, my new job has more to do with the ideals I founded myself on in college than any of the other jobs I've had. And I've had a few. I spent the last 2 years after school searching for the job that would jump start my career, only to settle for the jobs that offered instant gratification, instead of a lasting sense of accomplishment. I realized that was the case more often with my friends and colleagues than any of us would like to admit. A bittersweet truth that reiterates this year's theme: money trumps all.

The entire reason I veered from jobs related to my college major (journalism) after graduation was because I quickly learned that the pay scale was less than desirable. I felt I could use what I'd learned and what I was willing to learn to break out into marketing and advertising. As it turns out, I was able to, but only at the small price of completely losing sight of my goals. I forgot about the girl I was in college, the girl who actually loved school because I learned to be passionate about something. All this time I've known that the passion was still there, just buried under layers of disappointment over where I'd led myself.

While my new job is all thanks to a friend (as it turns out it IS all about WHO you know), I brought a part of myself to those interviews I hadn't seem come out of me in a long time. I see now that it was because this opportunity embodies everything I've been looking for. I will be able to use the skills I've developed in the last 2 years of working as well as feel personally invested in the job on a daily basis. And let's be honest, we're not always connected to our work the way we wish we were. What's funny is I was always trying to convince myself before that I loved my job, that it was exactly what I wanted even though I always woke up dreading the day ahead.

Now, I am almost relieved that I lost my job, and spent the last 4 months confused, concerned, and lost. If for nothing else, because I can't wait to go to my first day of work and start over with a new attitude.

xoxo,

Blake, "The Steps" Contributor

To Be or To be Anonymous

Check out this Link.

It’s been over a decade since the Internet exploded onto everyone’s PC’s and it hasn’t really slowed down since. With the efforts of MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter the Internet, and I’m stating the obvious here, has become the marketing tool of the millennium. With the simplest click of a mouse and a few taps on the keyboard, a social media marketing world is opened up to you, and it’s your playground to enjoy. So why are some of us afraid to come clean? Why do we hesitate to take off our disguises and take credit where credit should be due?

I too was anonymous on the Internet with one moniker for both my blog posts and Tweets, which only a few people close to me knew. Granted I’m not a super sleuth private investigator, nor were my blogs and tweets of great controversy, I just felt more comfortable behind a disguise.

However that did nothing for my social media presence - unable to market or brand myself. In truth, there was no future without “me.”

By having an alias, or even just being anonymous, is actually doing a disservice to your potential leads and authenticity. It closes the door on opportunities you could act on as yourself and shuts out possible future employers. Being yourself on the Internet allows your work and your connections to prove your viability as a social media guru and create a name for yourself AS yourself.

Granted, all posts shouldn’t be one-sided. There are arguments for opting to use an alias or being anonymous. A safety concern is high up there, as well as your personal content. Depending on what you write about, tweet or share on your Facebook wall may or may not be what a potential employer wants to read. There has been many a firing because of an employees leaked Facebook profile and also for posting offending material on a social media outlet.

The possible solution, create a professional and personal account for the social media networks – giving you the ability to be yourself on both counts—your professional self and your behind-closed-doors self. The proverbial doors can still open and you don’t have to worry about not putting “yourself” out there.

If the Job Fits, Wear it!

Continued from a previous post...

There isn’t a job out there that isn’t worth interviewing for, there isn’t any opportunity that isn’t worth investigating. Maybe I’ll wind up with a job in a completely new industry. Maybe I’ll wind up in the same industry, in a position I never thought I’d be interested in. The point is, if someone posted it on job search engine then someone is going to get hired for it. You don’t know that it can’t be you until you apply and interview to the best of your ability.

Tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. Know the company your interviewing for. Anything can be googled or wiki-ed. Know SOMETHING before you agree to a phone or in-person interview.

2. Practice answers to commonly asked questions. You should always have answers prepared for the following:

a. 5/10 year career goals
b. best and worst personal attributes (in the workplace NOT your personal life)
c. best and worst work experience (sometimes leads to question about the ideal boss, work environment, schedule)
d. always prepare examples of problems you solved in the work place, obstacles you’ve overcome, or poor experiences you’ve learned from
i. if you’re interviewing within an industry you’ve previously worked in, make these examples specific to that industry—be relatable to the interviewer
e. what can you bring to the company your interviewing with—special personal qualities such as work ethic, ability to multi-task, detail orientation, and make sure ONE quality you mention is specific to you. Generic answers are exactly that—employers have heard them all hundreds of times

3. Dress the part. Researching the company should give insight on how to dress for your interview. Although business and professional dress is ALWAYS a must, changing it up to suit the type of business your interviewing with can make an impression (adding personal style, skirt vs. pants, keeping it very conservative—all varies with the company).

4. FOLLOW UP. Make sure you have the contact info of at least one person interviewing you per company. You should ALWAYS follow-up an interview with a thank-you email, and relate back to the employer something you discussed in the interview that makes you perfect for the job.

It may be ironic for now how much I’ve learned about interviewing, researching, and applying for jobs since I still haven’t actually been offered one. But, when I am; it will all be worth the wait. That’s the second life lesson I’ve endured. When the time is right it will come. When it is meant to happen it will happen. Just the same way life goes on, whether you’re ready for it to or not; YOUR life will pick back up. Somehow.

-Blake
"The Steps" Contributor

Fake It Like You Mean It

I started my new job a few weeks ago and I am loathing the adjustment period. It's easy to forget your first few weeks/months at a new job previous to the current one, simply because they are completely different. I'm a perfectionist and I strive on a routine. Throw a wrench in the mix and I'm discombobulated for days. So far, it's been several. I have been "emotionally" eating and constantly saying "yes" to the Bossman when he asks to take me to lunch or buy me lunch. I haven't found my balance with this job yet and it's starting to take its toll.

During my work day I contemplate many scenarios of my life and how they could turn out and which one will make me the happiest. And I got nothin'. I can think of a few possibilities but neither make me jump for joy. The realist in me sees the flaws in my potential plans, not letting the dreamer in me have any fun. Also during my work day, actual work is interspersed, I wonder if I am really cut out for my job...and if I actually like my job.

I hope once the dust settles and the smoke clears I will be able to make an informed decision on what to do next. Hopefully I will be granted with that choice. Until then I'm pretending I know what I'm doing. And I think I'm doing a damn good job.

Short on rent? Obama will help!

There is no shame in unemployment. The government set this up for emergencies, and believe me, there is no greater emergency than being short on your over-priced rent.

In March alone over 66,000 residents of NY filed claims for unemployment.

There is up to $11,000 in one calendar year that someone in my tax bracket; who’s been previously employed for at least 18 months can claim. While unemployment is only a percent of your earnings in the best quarter-year of your employment history, it’s enough to pay rent and it’s enough to ease some of the aching in the pit of your stomach when you’re down and out of a job.


-Blake
"The Steps" Contributor

Bigger Fish to Fry

Last week, I put in my two weeks notice. I had it. And, as usual, I stumbled upon an opportunity by accident. I find when that happens they will be the greatest adventures. Radio was by accident, my current job was by accident and now I found my new venture by accident. Right place at the right time, I guess.

So, why am I sad? I'm sad to leave the people who I have grown close to here. My P.I.C, my "mom" at work and the other knuckleheads that aren't Bitchglob. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have been looking, or even applied.

I always like to think that I stand up for myself when it's necessary, but with her it was immpossible because she was so secretive and sneaky. Although, I say I didn't learn as much on the job as I had hoped, I did learn a lot of life lessons. I've had to deal with Bitchglob, an a$$hole co-host, ridiculous demands from producers at a television station and even a perverted car wash attendant, but they all made me who I am today and I know what I want...or atleast what I DON'T want.

I'm hoping this opportunity will give me what my current job has not, which is...opportunity. The ability and support to spread my wings and climb the steps.

Only time will tell, I guess...

Nothing A New Job Won't Fix

Dear Ladies of the Steps,

On March 3, 2009 I lost my job.

I lost more than my job that day. That day…I lost my job, my security, my financial comfort and slowly my mind. The proverbial rug was pulled out from under me; and no amount of sympathy or positive reinforcement from friends and family could have changed that.

In hindsight, maybe I could have prevented this. Maybe I shouldn’t have left a secure job for a company I knew nothing about just because the “career opportunity” was better. Maybe I shouldn’t have moved out of my parents’ house just 6 months after starting my first city job.

But that’s the kicker. There is no such thing as hindsight. Just because we can point out the mistakes we made after we’ve made them does not mean we will ever be able to change what has already happened.

Hindsight is, as far as my 8 weeks of unemployment can tell, just another mental tool for kicking yourself in the ass; being angry with yourself for something you never had control of anyway.

All is not lost. These 8 weeks have taught me a lot. Most of the lessons I wasn’t ready to learn. But the higher powers never seem to care if you’re ready, or mature, or emotionally stable enough when the time comes.

First, and the most painful of all, life goes on. The world isn’t going to stop because your shit hit the fan. I spent 3 days in bed unwilling to open the blinds, eat something with nutritional value, or face the music and tell my family and friends. But once I was able to come to terms with my reality, I knew facing the music was my first test, planning how I would handle the next few months of my life was the second.

To be continued...

xoxo,

Blake

The Little Things

Thank goodness it's Hump Day. I'm not sure how much more I can take of this week.

I had it somewhat easy last week when Bitchglob was on vacation (nice, right?). This week is in a whole other realm. I have nothing to do. I repeat: NOTHING. For the past few months I have created my own work to do. Some would think that's an accomplishment and admirable. It's actually, more like, REVENGE.

Referring to a previous post, apparently my job gets fought for EVERYDAY. Really? How so? If you don't give me work to do, how are you exactly fighting for my job, sweetie? I've been proving myself time and time again that I deserve a job here without her help and frankly I'm tired of being treated unfairly and with no respect. If I'm really not that valuable why not lay me off? At least then I can collect unemployment and search for a better job. Albeit the pickin's are slim.

It's the little things that have turned into big things that has led me to the end of my rope. The moving of my office space, the condescending remarks, the non-existent workload, the pettiness and the fact that someone can get away with murder (of a PR campaign).

Only a matter of time.

Just One More

I'm not sure if I can do it. Take that one big step. I tend to cloud my mind and my life with things that don't allow me to focus on what's really important.

Avoiding reality? Possibly.

I find myself at a crossroads of sorts, both personally and professionally. I'm on a step where I can take one more and I can move on and work and focus on me, finally. I could also take one step back to revisit and perfect what was once familiar. I'm not sure which step, forward or backward, will make me happy. Perhaps neither. I guess that's the gamble I am going to have to take.

Life has a weird way of timing things. Right when you pick up your foot to take the step, the wind blows and throws you off balance, catching yourself you plant your foot back down on the same step to steady the world again.

My world is still a little wobbly. And I'm afraid to pick up my foot again.

Time, You Ain't No Friend of Mine

Dear Time,

Hey! What's up? I really wish we could sit down and chat real soon, because it seems like I am lacking you. I have been for quite some time, Time. You are very hard to manage and frankly...our relationship is starting to take a toll on my life. In essence, I wish I had more of you. Or maybe more of me to pass around. Between work, work # 2, yoga and my social life I don't have much of you left. But you know what I really think the problem is, Time, is that I have mismanaged you. I tend to be a people pleaser, and Time, well, you don't let me relish in my glory. Every minute of my days are controlled by you. Every action I take, I calculate you. Time, I think it's about time that we took a break. I think it's time for you to be a little more cooperative and help a woman out once in awhile. Maybe make the days longer, or help me say "no" to others when asked to do something or go somewhere. Time, I really need you to work with me here. Because, frankly, Time, you ain't no friend of mine.

Say "Hi" to your father for me.

Sincerely,

Mac

How NOT to Interview

This site called "How to Nail an Interview" has some ridiculous footage of interviewees saying some of the silliest things during an interview with a potential employer.

This video is my favorite. Who admits to stealing office chairs?!

In addition to these humorous videos, there are some great tips for interviewees!

279 Days to Overnight Success

Click here Chris Guillebeau's guide to leading an unconventional life.

In this free PDF, Chris outlines how to become your own SUCCESSFUL boss. His site, The Art of Nonconformity, also has some kick ass tips on living, traveling and working. I'd suggest giving it a read.

Budget? What budget?!

Check out this article from the New York Post for great tips on saving cash.

Three things I'm going to try:

• Twitter, Twitter, Twitter. Meghan Udell of shoestringmag.com, suggests following feeds that alert you to great sales. Two faves: @cheapcheapcheap and @bearabledeals. P.S.: Their Twitter is @shoestring.
• BYO! Booze is always half the bill, says Post food writer Carla Spartos, so go to restaurants that let you bring your own, and remember how yummy $4 Boone's Farm is -- very yummy.
• Call and complain to a cellphone supervisor. If anything on your bill riles you up, call to bitch, but here's the key: Ask to talk to a supervisor, or even better a "customer retention specialist." They want to keep you, and most companies are willing to play ball. Spartos did this with T-Mobile on increased text messages, and the higher cost was reduced immediately.

(*NOTE - this works on credit card providers too - if you're looking to lower your interest rate, call and emphasize that you love the company and have been with them for years but a 15% interest rate is way too high . Emphasize that you're a faithful customer who'd hate to leave, but you're just going to HAVE TO if nothing can be done about the interest. You may need to talk to a supervisor but remember, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so play nice!)

Another thing that I've found helpful is to look at everything you might buy in terms of hours worked. If you make $10, how many hours will you need to work to afford those $80 shoes? 8 hours?!? That's a whole day of work! Do you really need them? Or, if you can't NOT have those shoes...try the Ramen diet!

Job Hunting. With a Stick.

That is how I feel. Like I'm on some prehistoric quest for sustenance, alongside about a million other people with similar sticks, a bunch with knifes, a couple with arrows, and maybe one or two with guns. All I can do is hope that my little sharpened stick will get lucky and pierce some sort of life line.I need an edge. I came across a few sites catering to the stick wielding, and found them pretty helpful.

1. Brazen Careerist has really helpful features.



2. Coachology is my fave



3. Collegegrad.com has a gigantic job database, and markets itself on being the "#1 entry level job site." They have career resources also, the basics -> resume, cover letter, interview, etc.



4. Vault is a great resource, and it's free through certain schools (goto career resources and click "vault" in the right hand column. )
   They have company profiles, interview and resume help, and the Vault Online Career Library. The library is a database of Vault career and field guides can download for free. I bought one for 20$ a few days before I saw this. Sooo obnoxious.

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I was completely unaware of the immense work and concentration that goes into each resume, cover letter, follow-up, interview, and thank you note. I envisioned mass emails, wielding my perfect resume, going out to periodicals across the country. The next day, an inbox bursting. I hope these sites offer a little help.
happy hunting,

Lynnifer

p.s. Job hunting is stressful and can be depressing - I have a bag of Dove chocolates (the ones with little inspirations written inside the foil) I reward myself with after each resume I send out. Love yourself a little. <3

This is My Office Space

As I grow older with age (mind you, I'm 25) I find that High School Drama doesn't end in High School. It carries on through all walks of life, including adulthood and occurs your place of employment.

We have a "Boys Club," it's super exclusive which means you have to have a penis, huge muscles, a huge ego and no brain (or common sense) to be a member. They make all the decisions that go on here. So far, they've been lucky. But soon, I see that luck running out. Because with too much power, and the thought of relinquishing control (which was suggested by an expensive outsider) I see failure, and it's big.

I love my cubicle. It's in the front so I get to see everyone walking by and people stop and chat. It's nice. I've been sitting here for a year. I have my trusty sidekick who sits behind me and I would probably be bored to death with out her there.

Last Friday afternoon rolls around, I was called into Bitchglob's office and she tells me to sit down. Mind you, her baby was crawling around the building all day and she sat cooing at her in her office for 8 hours not doing a lick of work.

"I fight for your job EVERYDAY...everyday, everyday."

I had to stifle my laughter at her exclamation. She went on to explain that no one is safe yet from getting laid off, and that they want to move my cubicle to be closer to her office. She also added that it was brought to her attention that my sidekick and I "socialize" too much. And that upper management (The Boys Club) wants to separate us because they feel in upsets our work day. A B.S. excuse if you ask me, but I have no other choice right now.

Bringing me back to my earlier point, they are separating us like two chatty Kathy's in a classroom. But I'm about to graduate and move on to bigger and better.

Siyonara suckers.

A Lucky Break

I'm really needing a lucky break right now. I'm at that crossroads in my life where I can go in a few directions, none of which I am positive I will be happy travelling on. For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I want. I also don't have a plan. It also doesn't help that the job market is in the pooper either.

Like Chandler Bing once told Rachel on Friends, "You need the fear!" The quote refers to Rachel wanting to find a new job after she realizes she's a terrible waitress, Chandler convinces her to quit her job before finding a new one to instill fear that she will go after what she really wants.

Although I would love to have "the fear" I am also responsible in the fact that I can't quit my job when I have bills to pay. I noticed I fell into this slump when I moved back into my mother's house after my 6-year relationship ended. I lost my focus, my drive, my ability to do for myself.

I've always been an ambitious person, but lately I can't focus on what I really want. (Hence why I repeated myself...)

By weeks end (or beginning, depends on how you view your weekends) I will come up with a plan.

Monica: "Who am I kidding, I don't have a plan!"
Pheobe: "I don't even have a 'pla...'"

Free(lance) fallin'

I've always been a worker. Since I was old enough to understand that money makes the world go round (as does love, but love cannot buy you round trip tickets to Bora Bora), Ive tried my hardest to make as much as possible. As such, even with a 9-5er, I like to work on the side. Ideally, I'd like to bar tend a night or two a week but I don't want to throw my sleep schedule that out of whack.

So, I write freelance. This is kills two birds with one stone 1.) I make extra cash - not exactly a goldmine but it's something I'm good at and can do with minimal effort 2.)It gives me something to fill up my portfolio with besides aged clippings from my college newspaper. Keeps it fresh as it were.

One of the best tips I've ever received, from numerous sources, is to work for free. This may not make sense coming right after a paragraph where I profess my love of money. But when you're green under the gills, it can be difficult to get clients to pay you for work. They don't know what you can do. So, this post titled the "upside of working for free" has several good tips and justifications for working pro bono.

Once you've worked for free for a bit, you'll have more experience and samples and will be able to snag the freelance jobs that you want (and need!) and Bora Bora will be only a hop-skip and a few 1000-word articles away!

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Who me? Nope.

And the subject that is M.I.A is coffee, not cookies. I'm not a huge coffee drinker, I prefer green tea, or chai's...maybe a latte if I'm desperate.

It all started on my trip to Florida, when my BFF made me the most delicious coffee I had ever tasted in my life everyday that I was vacationing there. I could never reproduce said deliciousness so I gave up trying.

A few months later, now in present day, my co-worker noticed I was having a supremely bad day and made me a cup of coffee. The greatest taste was recreated! Heavens to Betsey! Since that day I had had at least one cup of sweet goodness a day. To the shagrin of my body, I kept it up. Until today.

My trusty sidekick and I walked into the break room for an afternoon jolt. We opened the drawer and *gasp!*

"WHERE'S THE COFFEE?" We both ran out and asked our Receptionist, she said she didn't know, but we weren't the first to report the missing coffee. We had ample coffee left that morning when I checked but opted for my green tea instead.

A few months back, there was a rumor circulating that our company was making budget cuts and the expensive coffee machine was gonna go. Thinking it was a silly rumor, and that there were other ways to trim the fat, so to speak, I wrote it off (and prayed for my job in the meantime). Now, I'm starting to think the rumors were true.

We're supposed to get another shipment in of coffee tomorrow. If we don't, heads will roll.

Dating a Work-a-holic, ie. Me

Me: Was my life this busy when I was [in a long-term relationship] with Bob?
B: Yes and no.
B: You didn't have the added business of dating. Which is a full time job.

I'm fresh out of a long ass relationship. Which, in many aspects, I considered work. And as far back as I can remember, I've always had 2+ jobs. I like to work, I like my work and I like to make money. I also have a shopping problem, but I'll save that for my therapist.

My ex never supported my work decisions, I thrive off of working/writing. I freelance for a bunch of places and I also work in promotions in my spare time where I can make my own schedule. The past four months, however, I feel like I haven't let myself stop. I always say, I should take some time off or I should sleep in. I feel like it's a waste of a day.

As Liv Tyler's character says in Empire Records,

"There are 24 usable hours in every day."

Besides being confused about my emotions, I also have no time to really think about them. I have let a few relationship prospects go to poo because of my work schedule. It could also be a sign that I'm not ready, and I'm OK with not being ready. For a man to really capture me during this time they have to make me stop. Not stop me reaching for my goals and dreams, but stop the merry-go-round that I've put myself on. I need someone who's just as ambitious as I am, and extremely understanding.

He's out there. Hopefully I can fit him into my schedule.

It's Spring! Time for a new purse!

New season, new accessories. I'm in search of the perfect Spring/Summer '09 purse that is versatile enough to be used for all daytime activities including work, lunches with friends and can be used dressed up or down. Not too pastel, not too much white and not too much shimmer...but a color that can go with practically anything. If it can also be transformed into a "night" purse then I'm sold.



I am partial to to the following brands: Coach, LV, Cole Haan, Juicy, Marc Jacobs...you get the idea. Although I am open to any and all suggestions. Price matters but I'm looking at this as an investment. Especially if it's designer.



It needs to hold all my crap. Crap, equalling my planner, my notebook for "things," my wallet (hopefully it will match by new bag), my phone, my mase, my keys, my digital camera, chap stick, eye drops and lip gloss. Possibly a hair brush/comb but I haven't had one in my purse since H.S.



The kicker? I can't buy it until Easter.

"Welcome to the real world...

Yesterday, my HR Manager left on her 5 year anniversary trip. Where are these lovebirds going? Ohh...a little jaunt through London and Paris, nothing major. Hah.

I have the lust. The wanderlust. I've got it real bad.

My favorite trip was to Spain in Jan. 2007. I went on my own for 3 weeks. I stayed with a friend for a little while (only she and her sister spoke English). Then I flew to Barcelona by myself. Whenever someone asks me what my most memorable moment is I always say "Flying into Barcelona." Hands down.

I left for BCN when it was still dark so when I was arriving, the sun was in that early morning, hazy phase. We circled out over the ocean and I was on the perfect side of the plane. The Gaudi-inspired buildings were lit up with a rose light that took my breath away. I was so distracted and awestruck, it didn't occur to me to take a picture!

*sigh*

Being out of my element is always so inspiring. I write so well when I'm traveling. I love exploring new streets and wandering around aimlessly. I'm not a sightseer or a tourist - I'm a traveler. I like to assimilate with the culture and eat in the shady hole-in-the wall places and try fried crickets and where the crazy clothes that locals wear.

I need to find a job that pays be a ton of money and allows me to work only half the year so I can travel the other half. OR better yet, a job that sends me all over the world.

So...as my colleague said to me when I complained about this "Welcome to the real world"

I replied "...it sucks...you're gonna love it." (Thnx Ms. Mac and Friends)

Cheapskate city

In this article on CNN.com, Jeff Yeager, author of "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches," gives tips on how to save $20k to $30k a year. Nothing he suggests is terribly groundbreaking, but his interview is interesting. The most interesting suggestion? Don't have a cell phone. Apparently the author is a mad man too.

Love of my life!

Let them eat cake!

I always jokingly say that I'm going to give my two weeks notice by burning down my office building. This guy has an alternative that doesn't include arson or possible jail time:

The sheet cake reads:

"Dear Mr. Bowers,

During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim.

However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors. Please accept this cake as notification that I
am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.

Sincerely,

W. Neil berrett"


**

See original photo here.

Bravo! Classic.

Love it

Today, I'm wearing a chunky wooden ring with faux mother of pearl and a large wooden bangle. I think it lends funky, unexpected twist the the same old outfit. On my wish list:

From sparklinglotusdesign on etsy.com

AND It's not too pricey! At only $25, this bangle is a great way to dress up last year's spring work outfits or for casual weekends. Frugality is the new black, remember that!

Procrastinate Me

It's Friday. Friday the 13th no less. And my day has already started off shitty. My boss aka bitch glob, likes to leave me emails to read in the morning when I get in at 8:30am that berade me for a job-not-so-well-done. HER superior told me to do something yesterday, I didn't ask questions and did it. She, however, had something to say about it. Something, not so nice.

I regress back to my "Miss Mac" post yesterday. Bitch glob likes to take a backseat to her job. Which in turn makes mine miserable. For the past few months I have been creating my own work because all she gives me to do is bitch work that never gets explained properly. I do ask her to explain and somehow I still end up doing it wrong.

I just wish the "higher ups" were smart enough to see what she's really like.

Can I go home now?

Miss Mac

I've come to find out, that working for someone else, ie. being an assistant, you have to possess the unearthly powers of mind reading. Miss Cleo, I am not.

At my former position, my CEO even had the balls to tell me that "I have to learn to read his mind." Creepy, yes. Doable, no.

While I do have great intutition, I certainly cannot read minds. Thus, you can imagine my confusion when a new email pops up and it's written like a password to get into something private or a Candadian zip code. Throughout the whole day, I've had to decipher blackberry messages with limited information and try my best to figure out what the hell they mean.

This occurence isn't just today. No, no...since almost a year ago, I've had to read someone's mind all too often. It also doesn't help that she doesn't clue me into what she's working on and then expects me to jump in at the last minute and help her figure out something. Or do the bitch work when she's too busy playing with her baby to do.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a career and having a kid, but there's a balancing act, and a time when more things should be loaded on to your assistant so she's not in her cubicle twiddling her thumbs and making up more than 1/2 of her Top 10 List.

But reading minds, if I could...I sure as hell wouldn't be HERE.

Quote of the day

Via IM Conversation:

Mac: ok side note...
Mac: NYC has 55 billionaires
Mac: we need to find their offspring.

So does that mean we wouldn't need to worry about our resumes anymore :} ?

Let me stand next to your fire

What drives you? Have you forgotton? I know I have. That little voice inside my head is all too often ignored in the face of necessity, buried under a to-do list with a millions things on it.

My goal for this year is to rediscover my passion. I want to feel again and create. I miss the feeling of clay between my fingers, the click of a 35 mm camera and the grittiness of charcoal under my nails.

"What keeps you going isn't some fine destination but just the road you're on, and the fact that you know how to drive." - Barbara Kingsolver

All signs point to...

I've had a few signs tell me it's time to move on from my current position as a Publicist in Upstate, NY. First, the internal offer from one of my colleagues to pass my resume around to his bevy of contacts (one of whom include the NY Mets!!!). The other is my trusty sidekick, B, who sent me a few job postings, which in turn led me to a website with an almost perfect job...if a million others weren't applying for it as well.

I also had a dream I was pregnant a few nights ago, which, according to B, means something new is developing (not necessarily an actual child within).

Albeit, I've felt I have short-changed myself with my current position. I did get a great deal of experience dealing with a tiger who changes its spots VERY frequently, but I also gained experience working in an actual office environment and doing office duties which are great things to know. However, I wasn't challenged enough creatively and I feel like I lost my focus of what I really want to do...or I'm still paying my dues at 25.

Either way, it's time for me to move on to greater pastures. And all the signs say, the timing is right.

Shoppers Remorse

A few weeks ago I lost my self-control and shopped. Like REALLY shopped. I bought 2 pairs of designer jeans that I cannot afford...they weren't even on sale. I also bought the perfect LBD by Nicole Miller. The jeans, however, didn't meet my satisfaction...well, my bank accounts satisfaction. 7 for All Mankind Flynt jeans for $155 and Citizens of Humanity for $158...it seemed like a good idea at the time. The Citizens were, thankfully, on back order so I called Nordstrom and cancelled them. The 7's however, came in with my dress. I had to hold myself back from taking them out of the plastic, because I knew if i tried them on, I wouldn't return them. I couldn't afford to keep them, when I have a closet full of jeans that are perfectly good and wearable. I even have them organized in my closet in two piles: Designer and Regular.

It has been my mission, as of late, to own designer duds. Jeans, specifically, because I wear them all the time, they fit better and are extremely well made. I do, though, have to figure out a way to afford all of the designer threads I desire.

This is why, I need a majorly successful career.

I also believe, or it's just wishful thinking, that if I owned more designer clothing, I would be less apt to shop because I would want to get my money's worth out of the expensive things that I bought...

Does this make any sense???

Shoes!

Cue the one of the best YouTube videos ever.

I've given up shopping for Lent. I've given up shopping before. A few months before Christmas last year I didn't buy anything until I went Christmas shopping for others, and I didn't even go all out this year. I also didn't have a boyfriend to buy for so that made things a tad less expensive.

However, it is my own fault that I read fashion blogs and continue to read fashion magazines, basically dangling the carrot in front of the horse. I have yet to take the bait, but there are a few things I am jonsing for.

A killer pair of heels. My co-worker...damn her, has turned me on to Dolce Vita. Sigh. I also will need to replace my pair of Jessica Simpson heels that I have worn to death because they are so friggin comfortable. Shopbop.com also has lots of 7 for all Mankind jeans on sale.

I can't figure out exactly when I became a designer whore, but I just love how well made their stuff is...

I have also come to realize that I own about 3 of the same black "going out shirts."

My mission for spring cleaning is to organize my closet and actually get rid of clothing that I won't wear or haven't worn in a year. I recently just bought a shoe organizer for the back of my door. That came in handy, as now, I can actually see the floor of my closet. But to organize my closet I have to invest in one of those organizer things...

I can buy a tool box right? Do you think they come in pink?

Cheap is the new chic?

This article on CNN.com is about frugality. In fact, the author states ""...frugality is the new black."

We're so obsessed with a culture of luxury - and false luxury at that. Luxury bought with credit we didn't deserve and shown off with this false sense of pride as if to say "look what I've got, it makes me whole."

Guess what. It doesn't. A nice watch, fancy shoes and a $3,000 purse does not make you a good person. It does not make you a smart person. It doesn't even necessarily signal that you're a wealthy person (hell-oooo Canal Street).

I know that this may be masochistic to say, but I'm sort of grateful for the recession. Maybe now people will read and spend time with their kids and value each other based on what's in their head on on it.

Top five favorites

My five favorite pieces of clothing:

• Even with a tight budget, I always splurge on bags, shoes and jeans. They're the canvas of an outfit and if they're cheap and dowdy then your whole outfit will look cheap and dowdy. My favorite jeans are AG (Adriano Goldschmeid). This past Black Friday, my best friend/shopping partner-in-crime braved the outlets at Woodbury Commons. I found a pair of PERFECT jeans with faux knee patches and fading. They made my tush look fabulous - the most important part of jeans! And the best part? They were 60% off!!

• This past Christmas my boyfriend gave me a beautiful black leather Michael Kors bag. When it comes to purses and shoes, I like to keep things high-quality, simple and classic. My bag is black with white stitching and a tan linen lining. It's large enough to be used as a carry-on while traveling but has a structured look to it.

• One of my favorite accessories is a Thai silk pasmini that one of my close friends bought for me at a market in Thailand. It's thick enough to wear as a skirt in the summer and a scarf in the winter.
  

• Another favorite is a pair of rounded toe, wedge-heeled boots made out of real leather that I purchased 2 years ago in Barcelona. I wore them all over Barcelona with tights and wool shorts (that was the look in Spain at the time).
  

• My all time favorite article of clothing is my vintage, one of a kind Hugo Boss knee length jacket that I bought at a Saratoga thrift store. Apparently a model who used to live in Saratoga divorced her husband to move to LA and donated $20k worth of one-of-a-kind designer clothing to this consignment shop - that's where 90% of their stock came from!.
  

I like to wear clothes that are high-quality and have just a little something different about them. I think that that's the difference between being overly trendy and classically fashionable.

Hate it...

High waisted jeans. Why why why?!

Great white lie

On my favorite sitcom Arrested Development, one character Maebe lies for fun. At the tender age of 14 she takes a tour of a studio lot and through a hilarious series of events, convinces everyone that she's a studio head. Sometimes she quips "Okay, now I'm just lying for no reason...."

I have never been much of a liar. I was always told that it's easier to tell the truth because it always comes out in the end. I guess my qualm with all that has always been defining the difference between lying and twisting the truth. What's a white lie here and there if the truth doesn't matter anyway? Ignorance is bliss?

BF: "When did you stay at the Clarion?!?!?"

B.: "Uh...isn't that an eye drop?!!"

I'm such a bad liar.

I've never lied on a resume. It really only hurts yourself if you lie on a resume because then you're unable to complete a task you said you capable of. I have worded things in a way that makes me sound more special than I am. But is that lying?

"The truth needs so little rehearsal." -Barbara Kingsolver

Dipping your pen...

There are a few old adages that may suggest you shouldn't mix business with pleasure. The whole "poopin' where you nosh," or my favorite "don't dip your pen in the company ink" would prove to be disasterous scenarios no matter how you slice it. *Except in your case B.


Office relationships, or in my case, office crushes can be harmless....until one turns psycho. Never before did I talk to this person, I'd seen him around, but was never formally introduced, nor did I care. I wasn't interested. At all. I made small talk, he made big talk. Lots of big talk. He mentioned that he could get me into the hottest clubs in NYC...I knew he was full of poo.


Long story short, he asked me out, I said no, he got mad...and made up stories. He now refuses to work with me on projects and he got the big guys involved. I stated my side of the story, which, conveniently did NOT match his. I always remained the professional, he, however, did not: *Muttering "b*tch" under your breath when you walk past my cubicle is seriously the most immature, unprofessional and unattrative thing you can do. Yeah, now I really want to date him...HA!


Anywho, we have to work together on Friday. We'll see what happens.


P.S. I'm never giving out my phone number again, and if anyone asks...I'm a lesbian.

Good & great

In this blog about self centered blogging:



"Truly great leaders (level 5) share a number of mostly-common traits. One of them is crediting others (looking out the window) for success and taking responsibility (looking in the mirror) for failures."

When blogging for pleasure self-centered blogging is to be expected. When blogging for professional reasons, write what others want to read.

Rant

Why get into a pissing contest with some no-name has been academia-ite who wants to stick her stubby nose into anything and everything she thinks she may have known something about at some time. The fact of the matter is that she wants to make everyone into a cookie cutter carbon copy of some overly book smart, street stupid imbecile who's only contact with the outside world is the walk to and from the library where they write heaps of papers on things that don't matter to anyone but themselves.

Where are my typos in that, b*tch?!



Work is fun, no?

When Life hands you lemons...

...you make fucking lemonade. What if I want to make an awesome life, minus the lemonade? I've been doing a lot of complaining lately, mainly because nothing is coming very easily. I'm at a job that I feel is a dead end and I've had so many jobs in different fields that I have yet to find my niche. I should star in a reality show called "Finding my Niche..." I can try a bunch of different things and stick with the things I'm good at. Think of it like the Simple Life meets The Apprentice.

Or...I could have the life I always dreamed of (well, technically, not always...just recently is more accurate).

-I want a cute apartment (nice size, great location, near a park).

-A full time job planning events where I can make my own schedule

-The ability to freelance for a number of fashion, beauty and lifestyle mags (or just this blog becoming hella successful...whichever comes first) to which I would be inundated with free samples to try and report on.

-I want a dog. A boy. And he better be big.

-I want to hang out with my dog at home and work, I want to be able to take him to the park every day and he'll just chill at my feet when I'm on the computer or on the phone making the big bucks.

-I want to cook. Like REALLY cook. Make dinner every night for my significant other.

-I also want a fabulous wardrobe.

CariDee English, Cycle 7 winner of America's Next Top Model may have summed up life the best way I've heard in a long time.

"There's no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs."

*Sigh*

I'll settle for a 3rd floor walk up.

Passion.

Being new to marketing makes understanding what exactly marketing is difficult. I know that I was born to meet people. I always thought, with my passion for writing, that it would be to write about them. Now as a marketing professional, I realize it's to know and network with them.