Just like old times...

Greetings from Upstate NY!
I am currently spending a few days in my old hometown, seeing friends and family with my boyfriend. Christmas was wonderful and now we are hanging here until Thursday. I love to visit this place, but the thought of moving back here makes me rather depressed. I look at all the old hangouts that still look the same and are in need of a makeover. Now more than ever, there are many buildings that look as if they are on their last legs. This town is quite nice in many ways, but I suppose in comparison to Boston, there is much left to be desired. Especially the job situation. I told you all in an an earlier post about how my boyfriend wants to ultimately move back here and teach at his old high school. The last few days have given me a realistic glimpse as to what a life would look like here. I can't even give you a description because it would be to sad for me. I'd be very lucky to have a job, or any job for that matter that actually made me feel worthwhile. I would probably have to work at restaurant to make ends meet. There is a good chance that I'd be one of those women who hated her job but was stuck there until who knows when...I don't want that kind of life! No!! I say no! Ahhh...that felt good. Anyways, this vacation is nice, but I'm thinking that I'll need a vacation when I get home because we are so busy! Anyways, I hope everyone had a great holiday and has a wonderful new years!!!!

Waiting to recover in more ways than one

I just realized that the next few weeks will be necessary for a recovery in more ways than one. First off, I'm having a minor eye surgery tomorrow. Yesterday, I was getting really nervous, but today I am more anxious to just get it over with! Also, I am officially out of money for christmas presents. Yup, I'm done. Hopefullly the next few weeks will also provide recovery to my bank account as well. Oh, and did I mention that my boyfriend, who makes far less money than me, somehow has much more money for christmas presents? I don't get it. How does he do it? Grrr. Not to mention that our city needs to recover from 2 consecutive snowstorms that have left things less than fun outside. On Wednesday I'm headed out of town for about a week so I will post when I get back! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a good recovery for everyone's bank accounts!!!

2 weeks vacation

Hi All,

So I am about one day away from a full 2 weeks of Holiday vacation. Since I work at a Catholic University, its a bonified Christmas VK. But for me, its just a VK with a dash o' holiday. However, this Monday, the first official day of my VK, I will be undergoing a minor eye surgery. YIKES! I recently found out that I have a condition called strabismus which basically means that both my eyes don't work together because one of my eyes has a muscle that is weak or paralyzed. (sounds worse than it is) When I look in certain angles, some objects become double and it's hard to focus. Contrary to popular belief, its different than a lazy eye, although if you catch me at the right time, it can look like one. I've heard and read that it's a minor procedure and the recovery time is just a day or two. So hopefully by Wednesday, when we leave for my boyfriends parent's house, I will back to my old self. Other than my wisdom teeth, I've never undergone surgery, but I am trying to stay positive! If anyone has ever undergone this surgery, let me know what it was like! I try and update after wards to let you all know how it went. For now, Happy Holidays and enjoy some well deserved time off from work!

Up in the air

Do you hate when pieces of your life are up in the air? My lovely boyfriend will be graduating from a master’s program this May which means he’ll start looking for big boy jobs as he calls them. We’ve been talking about this on and off for several months. Where will he get this big boy job? Good question. We live in Boston and there are plenty of opportunities here for him, but that doesn’t mean we will ultimately end up staying here. It all depends. So here is his big dream: He wants to move back to our home town and teach at his old high school. If that sounds great to him, it sounds awful to me. Our home town is a fairly economically depressed place which is lovely to visit, but there are very few jobs. I highly doubt I would find a decent job there and as far as a career, I can basically forget about it. Plus, I have no friends there anymore. So, sounds like someone will have to make a sacrifice. I trust that we’ll work it out together but I’d rather not have to go through a battle in the process. The irritating part is, its all hypothetical right now, there isn’t a point in getting worked up about a possibility that hasn’t even come to fruition. So, for now we’ll just wait and hope that things work out for both of us.

Secrets at work

If you’ve always thought of your office as a fairly professional place, but lately you feel there may be a secret or two going around, what are you to think of it? I am certainly not one to engage in secrets (unless it’s a really good one) Just kidding…

I especially don’t feel that I have too many comrades with whom I would indulge in such scandalous behavior, so I think that my best place in this potential mess is to be a fly on the wall. It’s sort of fun that way. You don’t have to be involved. You just sit at your desk and pretend to be deep in work and not at all listening to the whispers around you, but you can go home and giggle about how silly other people are acting when they’re suppose to be professional. It’s always surprising when you find someone who has been in the working world for so long, closing there door and whispering. I mean, really?

When people begin to whisper and then close their doors right in front of me, I always wonder what it is they are thinking. Clearly, I know something strange is going on…oh well!

If Santa Claus is coming to town this year, he’s not coming to my office!

The Holiday season is on its way...which usually means that you can expect a myriad of Holiday parties in the office. I work at a University, so not only does my specific building usually do a Holiday party, but the President of the University has one, in addition to my specific program’s annual party. That’s 3 parties right there, in addition to other dept’s parties, which if you want, you can crash. Well, bad news came via email this morning. It went something like this.

“As a result of the current financial turmoil, the University is cancelling all Holiday Parties that involve University Funds.”

Buuuummer. Last year, I went to the President’s annual Holiday Luncheon which included foods such as Chicken Cordon Bleu, Filet Mignon and everything else that spells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Oh well, I’ll have to make my own this year and pretend that I got it for free, along with a half-day. Maybe they’ll still give us the half-day? I’m not trying to be a complainer; I understand the reasoning behind this. Not to mention, that while I can’t enjoy the phenomenal display of food fare, I realize there are many families who are struggling to figure out how they’ll be able to celebrate anything this year. This is definitely the year for people to give anything they can to the needy. Hope all those who will enjoy office parties this year, have a good time!

A dream office...

Photo courtesy of potterybarn.com


Pamela, from Pamela's Pink Pencil (http://pamelaspinkpencil.blogspot.com/) gave me the idea of writing about and displaying my dream office.

I want an office where I love to stay from 8 a.m. until late afternoons when the sun goes down. I would love to watch the sun go down through my big windows, beaming off my white office furniture. Ahhh..doesn't it sound so relaxing? I couldn't find a picture of exactly what I would dream of, but I found something fairly close. Don't blame me for liking Pottery Barn, it's good stuff! What do other dream offices look like?

Pacing yourself on the job hunt

Everyone approaches the job hunt differently. I tend to get really excited at the thought of a new and exciting career so my energy level is at its highest when I first start out. I spend hours doing Internet searches, writing cover letters and signing up for networking events all over. Pretty soon, I realize I don’t have time to take a shower. I thought I was having fun! Well, it is usually fun, but if I don’t pace myself, I get burnt out rather quickly.

Even when I’m not actively looking for a job, I try to spend as much time networking as I can. You never know who you could meet and where. It’s important to never close any doors, even when you’re not actively searching. I live in Boston and there are opportunities for networking events practically every night of the week. While it sounds fun and exciting, having to be “on” all the time can get very tiring. Realize that you can’t do it all and pick and choose which events will best suit your career pursuits and your personal schedule. Some events are free, while other can cost upwards of $100 or anywhere in between. Make sure you’re spending your money for the right reasons.

When actively on the quest for a new job, it’s important to create a strategic plan before you begin. Perhaps even a schedule of when you’ll spend a few hours applying, so you don’t get distracted. If you happen to come across an open position, but don’t have time to start applying, send the link to your email and deal with it later. It’s important to prioritize! An organized and conscientious candidate always comes across more appealing than one who is scattered and can’t remember which company to address the cover letter to.

Leave it up to the Obamas...

Above courtesy of Reuters.com, showing the puppy that Peru has so graciously offered to the Obamas...

Hi all roaring twenty something fans,

I know my blog is focused on careers, so my apologies for digressing to the election jargon for the last few posts. I will come back with better than ever info on all your career needs and desires!

For today, I thought I would just touch on something I think the media and society is spending to much time thinking about. Who cares what kind of dog the Obama's choose as the first dog? It shouldn't be up to anyone except for his family. The Obama family will have plenty of decisions to make in the next 4 years that need to involve the good citizens of the United States. So, please let them have one thing they can choose on their own! Let them choose a puppy they will love and remind them that they are also a happy American family, just like the rest of us.

P.S. The above picture is sickening. I think the girls will pass on this one...Thanks Peru.

A historic day for America...

As I sat in the comfort of my own home last evening, I was grateful to be a part of history in the making. I knew that staying up just a little bit later would be worth it, for it wouldn't have been the same to simply watch the re-play the next morning. I will always remember the evening when I watched the first African-American man become elected President of the United States. His victorious speech on America and the change to come was inspiring to all, red or blue. As Barack Obama has said himself, "We are not red states, we are not blue states, but the United States of America."

God Bless America!!!!

Free Starbucks today!!!

Image courtesy of Starbucks, inc.

Starbucks is giving out free cups of coffee today to anyone who voted. Awesome! But how do they know if you voted? I didn't get a sticker...did you?

We can’t always do it all

A huge piece of information I have learned about myself in the past few years, is that I really do want to do it all sometimes and I can’t. I want to work full time, be a part of every organization, take classes, and take on a part time job to supplement my income and resume…and have a life without going insane. Believe me, I’ve actually tried it. It doesn’t work.

Perhaps this is my twenty-something, vigorous mind talking, perhaps I don’t feel satisfied, and want to find my way into a new situation. Whatever the reason, it’s a blessing and a curse! Funny thing is I wasn’t always like this. I wasn’t overly involved in high school or college. It wasn’t until I entered the work force that I realized, I’m on my own and don’t have anything to fall back on except myself.

Right now I work full time; I am doing my best to network as much as I can, so I get my name out there and hopefully land my dream job sometime soon. Oh, I’m also taking a class. Did I mention that? I know, I’ve learned my lesson so I am trying to take it easy. I’m not super woman, but I want to feel like it.

Roaring Twenties Writer

Big News: I'm a published writer!

Image courtesy of Simon and Schuster

As an aspiring writer, (of some kind or another) I can officially say my first piece of work has been published! Yes, I wrote a non-fiction story (although it’s been fairly fictionalized) for the Chicken Soup Books, submitted the story and they actually accepted it! I have been overjoyed that I will see my name in print, but have been so busy the last few months that I have actually forgotten for a while. I didn’t have a clue what the big box from Simon and Schuster was when I got home yesterday, but upon opening I saw the 10 free copies of the book they said I’d receive. Happy early birthday to me! It was exciting and now I’m giving out my free copies to friends and family. If you would like to read my lovely story about the times and trials of adolescents purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teen’s Talk Middle School edition now! (see pic)This is a big accomplishment for me and I hope it opens new doors in the world of writing.

Job rejection blues

Sometimes you’ll wait just a few days after an interview to find out if you got the job. Sometimes you’ll have to wait weeks. Either way, that period of anxiety where you just want an answer can be a grueling one. I have several friends on the job hunt right now, and I hear many stories about their wonderful or not so wonderful interviews. I know how these interviews can leave you feeling excited or totally bummed. However, if you get turned down your day can go from bad to worse, fast. It’s easy for your confidence to plummet and you to agonize over what you did wrong. Truth is, much of the time it has nothing to do with you. I realized this as I talked through a rejection with a friend of mine. Office politics or bad timing can turn into a rejection. I think it’s important to remember this and not put yourself down. After all, you should be judging them just as much as they’re judging you. A new position should be a good match for both parties involved. A rejection can even be a blessing in disguise, and I think that everything always happens for a reason!

The lure of Graduate School

While dining with friends the other night, the topic of the current state of the economy came up. (Whoa big surprise) We rambled how it’s a tough time for anyone looking for a job right at the moment or in the near future. One of the women at the table interjected

"Well, this is probably a good time to go back to school then".

This does have some merit. But is it always the best idea to use Graduate School as an easy out? What if we don’t know what we want to go to graduate school for? Would spending between $50,000 and $100,000 make sense unless we knew for certain what we would do with the extra degree? Many careers don’t even need an extra degree. It’s important to do your research. Winding up with a whole bunch of debt you can’t pay off, because no company cares if you have this degree, will be a sad situation.
The idea of Graduate School has been pretty appealing to me at times. The thoughts of leaving my work responsibilities and office politics behind for a while to bask in intellectual stimulation sound great. Who doesn’t love being a student? It can be a lot more fun than working.
It also seems like it could be an easy out for many people who don’t know what their next step is. I’m surprised to meet so many people these days who are in graduate school that don’t actually know what they want to do afterward. My initial inclination is

“Um, why did you start a program if you still don’t know what you want to do?”

When I ask that question a lot more diplomatically, their answer is usually something along the lines of

“I’m just avoiding the real world for now.”

Well, good luck with that.

Am I a good mentee candidate?

My local vocational services organization has a great mentoring program. You speak with the Mentor Coordinator about your interests and she matches you up with a mentor who works in your field of interest. The point is to meet with your mentor monthly, to discuss career goals and how to obtain those goals. When I heard about the program, I immediately signed up with enthusiasm.

I was matched with a woman who has worked in the marketing industry for over 30 years. We had a very nice dinner and talked about many different things related to my current and hopeful career. She gave me some good advice and pointers. When dinner was over, I didn’t feel like she had anything more to tell me, and didn’t see a point in meeting again. I thought to myself, “What more could she tell me that she hasn’t already?” Maybe it wasn’t the greatest match. So I got re matched and met with a woman who is the Public Relations Director for a local non-profit organization. She was great. She had many interesting things to tell me about the industry. I told her about my interests, my goals and what I’m doing to obtain them. She seemed to think I had everything planned out well. Perhaps so well that she couldn’t tell me anything else that I didn’t know already?

Am I a bad mentee candidate? Or am I just not meeting the correct mentor? Perhaps I simply don’t know what I want out of a mentor, and therefore not finding a good match. I’m hesitant to ask for a 3rd match for fear the match maker will confirm my thoughts that I’m not a good mentee candidate. Or maybe she’ll just think I’m extremely picky.

I don't wear my political heart on my sleeve, especially at work.

We all know the hot topics at the water cooler these days: Politics this, politics that, John “Maverick” McCain, Obama, Palin Schmalin. I’ve found the continual conversation at work and home very stimulating the last few months, but at work I don’t show my cards very often. I’m a twenty something living in Massachusetts, so it would be extremely fitting for me to jump on the liberal bandwagon with my Obama flag in hand. On the job, I don’t feel it’s appropriate or professional. Sure, it’s fun to take a break and gather round to watch Tina Fey’s latest installment of the Sarah Palin chronicles, but keep it professional. You never know who you could be offending and then you may be writing your judgment ticket. What if it’s your boss that you offend? It’s a sensitive topic that I feel should be left at home. If you do decide to run the risk, be prepared to back yourself up. I see far too many people who are more than willing to stick a political sticker on themselves, without actually knowing why they believe in their candidate. This is another reason I don’t always voice my opinion. If I’m going to voice it, I better know what I’m talking about. In the end, I think everyone will value your even-keeled, professional manner.

I survived my first networking event

On Thursday evening I nervously wandered my way into M.J. O’Connor’s Bar for my first networking event. I couldn’t find a friend to accompany me, so I went solo. I’d say this was for the better in the end, as I didn’t have anyone to hide behind.


I wouldn’t say that my jitters and I were off to a fantastic start when I arrived. Now to some, my whimpering may sound silly and juvenile, but I was nervous! The first gathering of people I saw included 4 or 5 tall men who would probably have nothing to do with me, except perhaps mistake me for their intern. Yet here I was. There was no turning back now and I took a deep breath and smiled.


After I shook hands with the men, I stood there feeling like I was shrinking and hoped I would make it 5 minutes before fading into the background. They spoke of mergers and CEO’s and I thought to myself “oh boy”. Yet after a few minutes and some women joined the group, I was at ease. These older business suits were actually interested in hearing what I do and were able to give me valuable feedback on my questions regarding careers. We talked about the difference between marketing departments in companies and agencies, the era of the blog and the rise of social media. By the end of the evening, I had met interesting people, exchanged business cards and set up a possible informational interview. Sweet! My work here is done. Until the next event…which I am rather excited about now.

xoxo
Roaring Twenties

Just believe in yourself: More than a saying?

We all know that attitude is everything. If we have a bad attitude and believe we won’t get the job we want or the raise we asked for, we certainly won’t. Our sour mindset will somehow seethe out, onto the object of our affection. It always does, right?

I’ve been doing some reading the last few days, on the power of our subconscious minds. (Powerful stuff!)According to my research our subconscious minds, better known as our ships of which our conscious minds are the captains, stores all of our behaviors and experiences. These behaviors, experiences and emotions are apparently directly responsible for every course we take in life and the outcome. Our subconscious is under direct orders from our conscious minds. Even though we do not realize it, our conscious attitudes truly do matter in what the outcomes of our hopes and dreams are. If we think that we won’t make the next round of interviews, our subconscious minds listen and we do not make it. So, with this knowledge of the power of our subconscious, evidently we can become masters of our own universe.

Now this makes a lot of sense. A book by Dr. Joseph Murphy, entitled The power of your subconscious mind says “When your mind thinks correctly, when you understand the truth, when the thoughts deposited in your subconscious mind are constructive, harmonious and peaceful, the magic working of your subconscious will respond and bring about harmonious conditions, agreeable surroundings and the best of everything.” This author and others I’ve researched have continually suggested that we all consciously convince ourselves of what we want, and poof there it will be. Now I don’t know if it will really be that simple, but I’m sure going to try. Maybe we can all try consciously convincing ourselves of one little thing this week that we want to change in our lives and careers and see what happens. It will be a great experiment!

A follow up

My last post posed the following question: For all of you generation Y working folk, how many of you would say you are in a job or career that you see yourself in long term? How many think your current gig is just a means to an end?


I find this question interesting because I am a twenty something, now 3 years out of school and feel that all the jobs that I have had since graduation have only been jobs, not careers. I’ve been on a path of a means to an end and haven’t yet found that comfortable place where I can see myself for several years or more.


I’m sure this path is not atypical for a twenty something, but I must admit I find it frustrating! Not to mention, some of my loved ones get frustrated with me as well sometimes. I am just now beginning to see the light of exactly what field I want to be in, but haven’t arrived yet. I love writing and being creative. I would be a journalist but I don’t want that intense lifestyle. I want to work in Marketing, but not sure how I feel about corporate lifestyle. Also, within marketing / advertising / public relations, there are so many options! I think I’ve been thinking to much about it all!


My solution? I am taking the next several months to network like crazy and conduct informational interviews with people in my field of interest. Since I don’t want my next move to be another means to an end, I’m planning accordingly. Or so I hope!

My own curiosity....

Hello all twenty and thirty something readers!

For this post, since my blog is meant to be about the life of working twenty and thirty somethings, I decided to post a question and see what kind of turn out I get. So here it goes:

For all of you generation Y working folk, how many of you would say you are in a job or career you see yourself staying in long term? How many think your current gig is just a means to an end?

Depending on responses, I may follow up on this question next post. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and relaxing from their normal weeks of crazy work!

Does your blog mean business?

Having a blog is harder and more fun than I thought it might be. People blog for a wealth of different reasons these days. Some people blog to have a place to share their random thoughts on the day and many blog on more of a professional platform.

It seems to me, a brand new blogger, that if you’re interested in attracting an audience of readers, a personal business is exactly what your blog can become. If you want readers, you’ll have to figure out exactly what you want your blog identity to be, promote it and brand yourself and your blog. I’m still struggling with all these issues, although I have a general idea of how I’ll go about them. I want to attract the generation Y’s who are interested in reading advice and stories centered on the work place and careers. My blog is currently called “The Roaring Twenties” which I think is a cute name. However, I’m a bit concerned that I’ll rule out the thirty somethings who many of my posts will apply to as well. Should I change the name to something more attractive to both the 20 and 30 somethings crowd? I have been grappling with that question the last few days. Also, how important is the name of my URL in relation to the name of my blog? I couldn’t find an available URL related enough so my URL is fairly different from my blog name. How will this effect who I attract as readers?

There is also the issue of networking. I’m currently investigating all the networking blogs out there to try and get my name on the table, so people can find my blog. Networking for your blog can be a job in itself, but it’s been a lot of fun meeting all these new people on the same adventures as me. I’ve recently joined or already belonged to “Twenty Something Bloggers”, “Linked In”, “Facebook” and now “Tweeter” (this one I only joined with hopes of promoting my blog and meeting other bloggers)

My final piece of advice to both myself and others is this: Go with it! See where it takes you and depending on how popular or not popular your blog becomes, you can alter things at that time. If anyone has suggestions for my blog, throw them at me!

-Twenty Something

A dear friend lost her job today...

You never can be to sure of your own job security. I realize the bleak outlook of this post and my goal certainly isn’t to be a Debbie downer. I don’t view myself as a pessimist, especially regarding careers. Yet sometimes, when the market takes a turn, and it’s you or a loved one in the way, it’s natural to want to throw on your cynical hat and go hide.

She had no idea it was coming. It was a sunny, Monday afternoon and a team of supervisors gently brought her into their office to break the news they were letting her go. She had been working there for about a year and a half. She started as a temp and was welcomed as a full time employee just a few months later. She loved her job, her colleagues and felt a good deal of pride regarding her work. To make the situation worse, she has a husband who just recently started working again after being laid off 8 months ago. They were just starting to catch up on bills again and look toward the bright financial future.

Back to my earlier point, it’s so easy to bury yourself in sorrow when something like this happens, but as I was thinking last night, we don’t have a choice but to take things as they come and do what we can. On the brighter side, unemployment is available and the governor of this great commonwealth of MA has recently extended unemployment for an additional 13 weeks. Her two children have finally entered school full time so there is no longer the worry of what to do with them during they day, and how to pay for it, should a job opportunity suddenly pop up.

So things will be ok. They have to be, right? During times like these, we can only take things day by day, use the free time to network and find our true passions in life. Perhaps we can hope for a blessing in disguise. Things do usually happen for a reason, even if you don’t find that reason until a great deal of time has passed. Best of luck to everyone out there and never take your job for granted!

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

There are plenty of people in the world, myself included, who want everything when it comes to a great job and career. They want to have their cake and eat it too, grumbling when they can’t. In the world of work, especially when starting out in your twenties, few have the luxury of having it all. I took the stance for my first year being happy to have a job at all and not expecting to like much of it. Trust me, I didn’t. So today, I’m in a comfortable job that allows me a nice flexible schedule, a great boss who doesn’t micro manage and a laid back culture. Yet there are many things left to be desired. I work in the non-profit world at a University so there are several perks of which I prefer to never leave behind. These include week long breaks at Christmas (that don’t count against my vacation days), shorter summer hours and no corporate hoo-ha. But ultimately, I find myself under achieving and almost envying the corporate minds who use their brains all day and deep in the work I wish I were doing.

So I say to myself, I’m not interested in working for corporate America where my schedule includes 60 hour weeks filled with stressful days and nights. I love working at a University where the culture is laid back and continually thirsty for knowledge. Yet I’m not doing what I might love and certainly know I can be doing more with the mind I spent 4 years working on developing in College. I might be having a little bit of cake, but I certainly can’t eat it.

What’s a twenty something to do? Let’s first realize that you’ll never be able to have it all. Yet if you feel mostly content about your career, that could be enough. Take some time to think about the pieces that are missing and fill them elsewhere. If you’re not allowed to be as creative as you’d hope, propose a new idea to your boss that would fit into your job description and help fill the gap. Or, if that clearly isn’t an option, take a look at your local Adult Education centers and sign up for a night class that will fill your void. You may even meet someone with similar interests and who’s there for the exact reason you are.

How many blogs are out there?

Cover of Life, 2/18/1926 illustration by John Held.

Welcome to viente vous! Since this is my very first blog ever, I couldn't help but wonder exactly how many blogs are there? How can I make mine different from everyone else blogging about life in their 20's? The short answer is, I don't know. But we'll certainly find out!

So, as I mentioned, these blogs will be about life and specifically work in your "roaring twenties" as my good friend Miriam suggested I call it when I was trying to think of a good name for my baby blog. Of course, that URL was taken, so Viente Vous it is! Why, you ask? Well, the word viente means "twenty" is Spanish, and vous is "you" in French. Why not put them together? Obviously! Seriously though, if anyone feels this is the worst name ever and thinks it will have no appeal to twenty somethings wanting to read, please tell me.

I've wanted to start this blog for a while now, so I am happy to make today the day of my first post, followed my many more. I know at this point, my dear friends and family are the only people reading this, but my hope is to someday soon, spread it towards a wider audience. I'm always taking suggestions and constructive criticism, so go nuts. Thanks for reading my first blog ever and see you again REAL soon. (maybe even this afternoon) Wow, I guess I am a poet now too.

xoxo
Amy