Rejection Re-directed

As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.

Vintage Social Networking

Second City Consulting: The Orientee's Dilemma

Second City Consulting: The Orientee's Dilemma: There is something I don't know that I'm supposed to know. I don't know what  it is I don't know, and yet I am supposed t...

Type A Personalities

As a Type A personality myself, I found an article titled 16 Signs You're A Little (Or A Lot) Type A via The Huffington Post quite an interesting read since I saw so much of myself in those signs.

This article (found here) starts with a background of where the term "Type A" comes from which was a lesson learned for me today and then goes on to list those sixteen traits that speak so clearly to me.

But it's only...

One of my current frustrations surrounds what I refer to as the "it's only" habit that an organization I volunteer with has a habit of falling into all too often.  As in, "it'll only take an extra few minutes" that drags a meeting on for another hour.  Or, "it's only $X per person" when each individual person in the group didn't have a say in the cost in the first place and may not have budgeted for said expense.

Many of the women I volunteer with in this organization are in professions that traditionally make good salaries or otherwise are a part of a duel income household where the combined income is at a good rate.  These same women forget that some of us live on just our income.  An income in middle-management at a non-profit that is anything but "good".  An income that pays for the necessities and a few of the "luxuries" but that isn't as expendable as others.

While I'm fortunate to have some savings and am by no means destitute, at the same time, I do have to be mindful of what I spend.  Especially since I just bought a new house with the costs that come with moving and setting up a new home.  A home that went from a condo to a single family house.  And, it is afterall the Christmas season and I'm buying gifts for my family which is where my current extra money is going.

But how do you tell those who are better off that coming up with that extra time and money just isn't always possible?  How do we remind them that what may be "only" an extra hour or an extra $25 to them may mean cutting out some of the basics for us?

I guess sometimes going along with what we aren't comfortable doing is really the "only" option available to us.

Happy Exhaustion

I am fortunate to be in a job that I actually like.  A job that not only pays my bills but one that I look forward to going into every day.  One that I actually WANT to go in early to and / or stay late at because I enjoy what I do every day.

But today was one of those one-off exhausting days.  In addition to our annual audit, we have a major event coming up next week that has everyone beyond their normal busy.  In addition to my normal workload that keeps me on my toes from moment to moment it seems like I've had quite a bit coming my way from a variety of directions.  And while I love the variety and that people come to me to get things done, it ended up being ten minutes shy of an eleven hour day at the office today.  And that doesn't include my drive to and from the office.

Needless to say I've hit the point of happy exhaustion.  The point of being barely awake and ready to be done for the day which says a lot considering I'm a night owl and it's only 9:45 pm.  Despite such a long day, I still love what I do and am looking forward to going back in the morning.  It's such a great feeling to be in such a good position!

A Work Crush

The museum I work at was open yesterday for Martin Luther King, Jr Day however the staff offices were closed in honor of the holiday.  When the offices are closed, we have one or two staff members work as the "Manager On Duty" and yesterday I had volunteered to be that person.  It was a great day to get caught up on a lot of those little things that normally get pushed to the back burner as well as to connect with museum volunteers and the security department without the usual interruptions that pop up during a normal day.

At the end of the day I was chatting with one of the security officers who looped me in that another member of the security team is interested in me.  As in, seriously interested in me.  As in, has commented about said interest to his fellow members of the security team.  Yet out of respect for this co-worker of ours, the security officer I was talking to didn't mention which security officer exactly this is.

The museum I work at, like many museums, has security cameras all over the building that the security team monitors throughout the day.  Said security officer with an interest in me has noticed where I'm at throughout the day.  Apparently once, a time that I don't even remember, I had a blonde moment and tripped a bit over my own two feet.  I was totally fine yet this security officer was ready to jump up to come help me.

I am flattered.  I am intrigued.  I want to know who he is.  Yet I'm also nervous.  Who is he?  Is he someone I'm interested in?  I'll admit to having an interest in one guy in particular but I'm not confident enough that he's the one with an interest in me.

What if he's not someone I'm interested in?  What if we go out a few times and it doesn't work out?  What if everyone in the office knows about it and it becomes a big topic of discussion among the rest of the staff?

There's so much potential but also so many what-ifs!

New job!!!

What a great way to end the week and head into the Thanksgiving week...with a new job!  It's a great position with an amazing organization and people that I'll be honored to work with.  Such a weight off my shoulders and something to look forward to!

While being unemployed hasn't always been a bed of roses, this new job has proven that all things happen for a reason and I'm excited that being laid off from my last job lead me to this new job that I can't wait to start!

Feeling Morose

Today I'm feeling morose, sullen, a bit ill-tempered and really just plain grumpy.


I know I have much to be thankful for...a roof over my head, food on my table, fairly good health, friends, family and a bit of savings in the bank.  And I am thankful for all of the positives in my life.  That being said I'm in a bit of a moopy, ungrateful mood today.


The youth pastor at the church I attend has been battling an aggressive form of cancer for the past couple of years.  He's been actively battling this disease with every medical option available to him with the love and support of his wife and two middle-school aged daughters.  Despite his best efforts (and those of his medical team) as well as his devotion to wherever God will take him, I just found out that he's taken a turn for the worse and is now under hospice care.  I feel so bad as he's one of the "good guys" who will be sorely missed.  His wife and young daughters will be left with holes in their hearts where he once was.  They've all been brave fighters during this whole ordeal yet they'll all suffer physically, mentally, and emotionally.  To quote any little kid, it's just "not fair".


Then there's my continued job search.  I'm getting leads, applying for jobs, going on interviews, writing handwritten thank you letters, and doing anything and everything possible to find a new job.  Yet despite being open to any job that might come my way and only needing one actual job offer, a new position remains elusive.  I completely and totally dislike not working.  I'm getting sick of the sympathetic looks and questions from friends and family.  They mean well but it's frustrating and embarrassing to have to continue to say that, yes I'm trying everything I can but no I don't have a new job yet.  And really, hello, once I do get a new job, I'll be the first to let everyone and anyone know so it's not like I'm withholding any information from anyone on a new job.


Then there's my dating life or lack thereof.  This past weekend, a well meaning friend set me up with a friend of hers for her wedding.  He and I went, sat together at the reception, and had a great time yet zero, zip, zilch.  He didn't make a move, didn't ask for a phone number and or otherwise make it seem like he was going to make a move or ask for my phone number in the future.  I know I'm not the perfect match for every guy however this seems to be the story of my life.


Guys seem to think that I'm funny, easy to get along with, fun to hang out with, and someone they enjoying spending time with.  But that's the extent that they're willing to take things.  I'm no more than just "one of the guys" for all intensive purposes.  And it just plain stinks.  I want to be seen as more than just one of the guys.  It really only will take one guy who sees me as important, special, pretty, etc.  I'm not asking any guy to meet me today and then walk me down the aisle tomorrow, dating at this point is fine.  I just would like to be considered as girlfriend material by just one guy who thinks I'm worth it.


So yes, I am officially moopy and miserable today but I'm not going to apologize as sometimes you just need to be in a bit of a funk before you can move forward.

Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash sign of the times

A friend of mine just posted the following picture on Facebook and another friend had also mentioned it in a recent conversation we had.  It really is a literal and figurative sign of the times.

Returning to the scene of the layoff

This morning I had the first step in the interview process for a job at a major university located in Chicago.  To be more exact, I had just over four hours of computer skills testing this morning which has lead to an interview this coming Monday morning at 10 am.  It went well, really well in fact.  A few questions threw me a bit of a curve ball but overall I'm confident that what they threw my way was information I know.

The kicker was that my most recent job, the one that laid me off a couple months ago that resulted in me experiencing this oh so wondrous job search, rents office space from the aforementioned university.  In fact, the Human Resources department of this amazing university is located in the graduate school building exactly one floor above where I used to work.  Yes, you read that correctly, I got to go for this stage of the interview process and sit literally one floor above where I used to work.  Can we say awkward?!?!

I debated all morning...do I make a point to stop by and say hello or do I just cross my fingers and hope that I don't run into anyone I know in the elevator?  In the end I decided to be the better person and I did stop by after my computer testing was done.  And, ultimately, I'm glad I did.  I got to say hi to those I wanted to see and showed that I can wish them well despite being laid off from my employment there through no fault of my own.

Of course it did help that my hair and outfit were cooperating and that I was looking rather amazing if I do say so myself.  :)

Job Search Frustration

At the end of this week I'll have been unemployed for two full months.  Two full months of not working.  Two full months of not collecting a paycheck.  Two full months of having to pay for COBRA medical benefits.  Two full months.

I know that in the grand scheme of things, two months isn't that much.  Compared to other people's job searches, two months isn't that much.  But really, two months is way too much in my personal opinion.

As a woman in her mid-30s who has worked since she was a freshman in high school, I don't like the thought of not working.  As a woman who has a mortgage to pay, I don't like the reality of not working.  As I single woman looking to find a guy, I dread the inevitable question of "what do you do for a living" and having to answer that at this point in time I'm not working.

And, no matter how well intentioned they are, having your friends and family always asking how the job search is coming along you every time you see them is very frustrating.  I know they mean well and are just showing an interest in what's going on in my life but, believe you me, the moment I find a new job everyone I know will be alerted via text, phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I promise I'll be the first to alert everyone of the impending exciting news but until then it's not only frustrating but also discouraging to have to continue to say that despite a number of great interviews I still haven't received an offer of employment.  Despite doing everything I can think of from applying to a number of jobs each day to writing handwritten thank you notes after each interview to dressing professionally to keeping my nails manicured and looking nice the reality is that I just haven't gotten an offer yet.

Two full months.  Not really that long but also an eternity!

Job Fairs

In my quest for a new job I've been pursuing every possible opportunity including the job fair I attended today at the Community Center in the town I grew up in which is a near suburb of Chicago.

In case you haven't been to one before, job fairs can be a great place to people watch.  It's amazing the variety of people who come out to these events and I really wonder sometimes if some of these people have any idea of the first impression they're making both on others of us there as well as on those companies there to possibly hire attendees.

Today's job fair was a bit frustrating though.  As a college graduate with 13+ years of professional experience who was dressed in a suit so as to make a good impression on those companies hiring, I was a bit dismayed at the impression that those companies were making on me.  Many companies decided to not even show up which left for almost a third of the tables in the job fair empty.  In addition, many of those who were there simply referred people back to their websites to apply online.

Grant it, I understand the importance of applying online, on the other hand, I didn't come out dressed in a suit and high heel shoes just to be told to do what I could have done at home on my couch in comfy clothes!

Revisiting college life continued....

I'm starting to debate my sanity at agreeing to take on this interim house director role!  Since I arrived here just a few short days ago, I've gotten to deal with the following:

• An internet system that flat out didn't work when I got here and the house corporation board president telling me there was no internet connection provided.  Not so good for a sorority house full of girls raised in the technology age who legitimately depend on having internet access at their finger tips.  Given that they start classes on Monday and may need to pull up class schedules and information, this access is key!  Given that I have my own things to be doing, selfishly I also want access as well!
• Phone system issues causing complete rewiring of certain areas and uncertainty on the availability of voicemail / possible continued static on the line.
• Deck repair just outside the main door that everyone uses requiring members to use alternative doorways that are normally alarm activated after a certain time.
• The alarm system going off twice in the last 48 hours.  Wednesday night's visit prompted a visit by two of the town's finest police officers whereas tonight I got to greet four of these wonderful men in blue.  While I appreciate that they're just doing their job and I'd want them here this quickly if this was a real emergency, I wasn't planning on getting to visit with six police officers in such a short amount of time!
• Multiple bee hives discovered on the aforementioned deck.  Not such a good thing when the interim house director (i.e. me) is severely allergic to bee stings (to the tune that I carry an Epi-Pen in case I ever get stung).
• Assorted plumbing issues due to reopening a sorority house after a summer of it being closed.
• Reminding the girls that I'm not their mother and that it's not my job to do their dishes after their late night snacks.

Here I thought I'd just house-sit while the full-time house director was out of town for the week.  I didn't anticipate this being so hands on at all hours of he day and night!  Why did I agree to do this?!?!

The Waiting Game Professional Style

As I'm searching for a new job it seems like I play the waiting game a lot.  I know that patience is a virtue but when you're recently unemployed, patience isn't necessarily the skill you want to get practice developing!

Once I apply for positions online I then get to wait and hope that my application isn't in some cyber "black hole".  Yes, may corporations will send an auto-response from an unmonitored e-mail address stating something to the effect of "Thank you for your interest in our company.  Your application has been received and is being reviewed.  We'll be in touch."  Great....a generic e-mail address knows that I'm interested but will a real, live person actually review this and be in touch?

My favorite companies are those who actually respond with some sort of indication either way from an actual person.  Even if it is a canned response thanking me for my interest but letting me know that they've "decided to proceed with someone who better aligns with their criteria", at least I know where I stand in the process.  I'd rather know I'm no longer in the running in a timely fashion than think I actually stand a chance!

I know that something will eventually come my way and that, in the long run, my patience will be worth it but in the meantime, I'd rather not have to wait and wait and wait!

Life as a Bad Country Song

Today especially my life feels like one bad country song.  If I were to write said song it would start off something like this....

Lost my job...cell phone died...car died...computer died.

Do I really want to know what's next?



We've all heard that things happen in threes so after my job was downsized and my cell phone died and then my car died I was hopefully optimistic that that was the last of my major "events" for a while.  I must have jinxed myself because I no sooner said that then my computer fully died out mid-job search.

My hope is that I'm hitting my figurative "rock bottom" and that I can only go upwards from here.  My hope is that this will serve as a reminder that we aren't always in control and that oftentimes we need to accept what comes our way and overcome the challenges put in our path.  My hope is that I'm not starting a second set of "threes" with two more events to still have happen!

The layoff....

...occurred today.

While I've known for the better part of the last year that, in the event that my company needed to downsize, my position would likely be the first to go admittingly I was starting to gather hope that things were looking up and that this possibility wouldn't become a reality.  Sadly I was wrong.

My (now former) company is being relatively generous.  They've offered to pay me along with providing benefits through this month.  My accrued vacation time will be paid out in addition to this time.  I'll be eligible for unemployment starting August 1st after my last "official day" with the company.  My boss thanked me prior to leaving today for being so gracious about being laid off.  All in all, I am lucky that, despite being laid off, I was able to leave on a positive note with my head held high and a reference in both my boss as well as the executive chairman of the board.

That being said I would prefer to have a job.  I know that this is a sign of the times and that many people are in the same situation for similar reasons.  I also know that, with my experience and given time, I'll find a new job.  I'm fortunate to have a safety net both in my savings account and among my family and friends to catch me.

But still...I would prefer to have a job.  As a single woman with a mortgage to pay, the concept of being unemployed is a less than stellar prospect.  As a single woman who doesn't have the income and medical benefits of a spouse or boyfriend to rely on I know that it's all on me to find something new, preferably sooner rather than later.  As a single woman trying to date, I know that being unemployed isn't exactly the most attractive feature.

I need to remember that I'm a strong woman who will overcome this layoff and will be better off in the long run.  I need to remember that everything happens for a reason and that, while uncertain now, I'll look back and realize that this may be the best thing that could have happened.