So, I dropped off the face of the blogging earth for a while there... ok, 6 months. Wow, time goes fast. And I'm sorry for neglecting my poor blog for so long. Last time I wrote, I was searching for a permanent job and I had just moved back to Wisconsin. Here's a brief update to bring you up to speed...
I began a job in January as a writer for Kohl's Department Stores. I write product descriptions for clothing and other items on their website. It's fun to have a job that puts my English-major skills to work. Basically, I look at samples of products (or images) and then write up the basic information. I'm learning a lot--especially since I come from a non-business-major background. And I like that it's my job to be creative with words (I get to think of word puns a lot!). Two fun things about working at Kohl's... getting random free stuff (they treat their employees well) and cookie day (4 hot, fresh-baked cookies for $1 at the cafeteria every Thursday at 2:15 PM). Yum! Oh yeah, employee discount days at the stores are pretty nice too :-)
For a sample of one of the more interesting product descriptions I've written... go to kohls.com and in the search box, type "Black Red & White On Grey." That's a painting that I got to write about.
For a couple of other writing samples... you can type in the search box "Jirra" (for a stuffed animal kagaroo that I wrote about), or "Wonder Woman Pajama Separates." I write several a day... and I've gotten to write about a variety of products, which is fun.
Other things that are new in my life... my brother is getting married this summer! Yay! I'm super excited for him and for me, since I also get to have a sister-in-law. And she's great. More info forthcoming :-)
Also, I'm training for a half marathon in August--my first, so that should be fun. Basically, I just needed a reason to motivate myself to work out again. I've never run more than about 3.5 miles at a time before, so this should be interesting! I'll keep you posted.
Goodnight, everyone! I'll write again soon with more updates.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Life and Temp Work
I've been called by the temp agency a little lately, and for the past week I worked at a law firm in downtown Milwaukee. It was pretty fun, actually. For one week, I felt semi-important as I drove up to the valet parking service at a parking structure in downtown Milwaukee, strolled into the tall office building with my dress shoes delightfully clicking against the marble floor, and worked in my own large office (with a great view of the riverwalk). Granted, I was just a "temp," but it was still fun to imagine myself as some high-powered executive.
Actually, what I really did most of the day was answer phones, make copies, prepare documents to be mailed or faxed, typed up dictations, and when there wasn't any of that to do, read a book. Nothing terribly exciting, but I must say, it felt great to finally be doing some work. I enjoyed getting to know the two lawyers who owned the firm. The firm consisted of a man and a woman--both middle-aged--and both incredibly nice. They practice family law, which unfortunately, often means doing divorces. Although my experience was brief, it was interesting to watch a little of the "behind-the-scenes" work of a divorce, and I will say, it reaffirmed to me that I never want to go through one of those. I would have liked to have asked the lawyers more about their perspective of divorce, since they have been witnesses to so many of them, but I never had the chance. By the end of the week, I was almost a little sad to say goodbye to the small office--I was starting to really enjoy working there.
I also started up at my seasonal work at Kohl's Department Store this past week. My first real day of work (after the training) was a little intense--I came in for someone who was sick, and this person was in charge of the entire Junior's department for 8 hours. I hadn't yet worked in the department at all, so I was dropped into the deep end on the first day, but I managed (with some help from some very nice co-workers) to figure things out. It wasn't too stressful really, just busy, but it took a while to figure out where the clothes went when I was supposed to return them from the dressing room.
I think Kohl's will be a fun place to work. The co-workers are really friendly... several middle-aged women, so it's kind of like working with a bunch of your friends' moms :-) Seriously, they made me feel very comfortable right away. And... I get to look at clothes for several hours at a time, so I'm definitely making mental notes of things I might get. My discount will come in handy I believe, but of course, I'm pretty broke right now, so I won't be buying much. I do think I'll have to be careful though not to get too distracted looking at cute outfits to try on and just do my job :-)
Anyway, I'm glad to have some work going on to help me bring in some money and to keep me busy while I do my long-term job search. I definitely need to make a good push on that, because the work at Kohl's will end by New Year's, and I really want to have a long term job figured out by then. I got a little distracted for a while from the long-term job search as I settled into being back in Milwaukee and did the short-term job search, so now it's time to get crack-a-lackin' again. Keep me in your prayers friends that I can put something together!
Actually, what I really did most of the day was answer phones, make copies, prepare documents to be mailed or faxed, typed up dictations, and when there wasn't any of that to do, read a book. Nothing terribly exciting, but I must say, it felt great to finally be doing some work. I enjoyed getting to know the two lawyers who owned the firm. The firm consisted of a man and a woman--both middle-aged--and both incredibly nice. They practice family law, which unfortunately, often means doing divorces. Although my experience was brief, it was interesting to watch a little of the "behind-the-scenes" work of a divorce, and I will say, it reaffirmed to me that I never want to go through one of those. I would have liked to have asked the lawyers more about their perspective of divorce, since they have been witnesses to so many of them, but I never had the chance. By the end of the week, I was almost a little sad to say goodbye to the small office--I was starting to really enjoy working there.
I also started up at my seasonal work at Kohl's Department Store this past week. My first real day of work (after the training) was a little intense--I came in for someone who was sick, and this person was in charge of the entire Junior's department for 8 hours. I hadn't yet worked in the department at all, so I was dropped into the deep end on the first day, but I managed (with some help from some very nice co-workers) to figure things out. It wasn't too stressful really, just busy, but it took a while to figure out where the clothes went when I was supposed to return them from the dressing room.
I think Kohl's will be a fun place to work. The co-workers are really friendly... several middle-aged women, so it's kind of like working with a bunch of your friends' moms :-) Seriously, they made me feel very comfortable right away. And... I get to look at clothes for several hours at a time, so I'm definitely making mental notes of things I might get. My discount will come in handy I believe, but of course, I'm pretty broke right now, so I won't be buying much. I do think I'll have to be careful though not to get too distracted looking at cute outfits to try on and just do my job :-)
Anyway, I'm glad to have some work going on to help me bring in some money and to keep me busy while I do my long-term job search. I definitely need to make a good push on that, because the work at Kohl's will end by New Year's, and I really want to have a long term job figured out by then. I got a little distracted for a while from the long-term job search as I settled into being back in Milwaukee and did the short-term job search, so now it's time to get crack-a-lackin' again. Keep me in your prayers friends that I can put something together!
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Post-Election Thoughts...
I didn't blog about the election--I'm fairly politically moderate and not the most politically outspoken. But, that doesn't mean that I don't care about politics and their effect on our government and society. I do care. I'm not exactly sure why I abstain from the political fights that I see all around me. Then again, that last sentence alone might explain it--I'm not the fighting type. However, I do think expressing opinions, even on the ever-sensitive topic of politics, has an important place, and sharing a strong opinion does not necessarily constitute an attempt to bash. Which is why, in the future, I will try to get some of those opinions out in the venue of the blog.
I have many other thoughts and reflections on politics rushing through my head at this point, but they aren't formulated enough that I want to express them right now. Instead, I thought I'd post some interesting pictures I took around my neighborhood on and shortly after election day.
My mom and I were out for a walk in the neighborhood near ours and saw this. It made me sort of sad. The signs of support waiting to be picked up by the garbage truck.
McCain signs down the road from our house. The majority of the county definitely supported McCain over Obama (one of the few counties in the state to do so), but I was surprised to see several Obama signs around the neighborhood, too.
I was struck by this, because it seemed very deliberate that there was an American flag hanging near the Obama sign, as if the family wanted to say, "Obama supporters are patriotic." The neighbors next door also had an Obama sign with a small flag next to it.
My vote was for McCain, but that doesn't mean I didn't consider Obama and that I don't like the guy. I wrote my final paper for my English capstone course on his book, "Dreams from My Father." He is an excellent writer and I'm impressed with his life. It'll definitely be interesting to see how things play out in the next 4 years.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Halloween in Wisconsin!
Although I've always enjoyed Halloween, I never seem to find the time to prepare an amazing costume for it. I'm not sure why, but my preparations for this holiday are often neglected until the last minute. :-( Maybe that's what happens when you get too old to go trick-or-treating? I didn't even carve a pumpkin this year! I've realized from this experience that I may have to make my own efforts to get excited for holidays like Halloween--cause I've noticed that holidays can be pretty fun if you just put a little effort into it!
Anyway, I digress. My ward at church had a fun night, with a fright hike at Lapham Peak State Park and then a bonfire/costume party at a member of the bishopric's house. The fright hike wasn't very frightful--staffed mostly by middle and high school-aged kids, but it was still pretty fun and I did get startled a few times. Walking through the woods on Halloween is always a good time.
Here are some of the pictures from the costume party/contest!
Carmen is wearing the same costume she wore at age 2. "I got a lot of candy wearing this costume!" she said about the costume's original debut.
Jared and Megan were Happy and Snow White. I voted for them for best costumes and they tied for first in the group category!
I also LOVED Jeannette's costume. Seriously, isn't she the cutest can of Spam ever?
Nicole tied for first in the individual category. This hair is AMAZING, isn't it?
Paco was Patch Adams and I was a nerd. I like this one. Especially cause it gives you a nice view of Paco's amazing pants! He bought them in Israel.
It was a great night and I'm so glad that fall holiday season has begun! I am a little shocked though that I heard CHRISTMAS MUSIC already on Halloween on two different Milwaukee radio stations! Wow--early start this year, huh?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Gone hunting...job-hunting.
Ok--another post on job-hunting. I promise this will be the last one for a while. However, with this being my main endeavor right now, it's just on the brain a bit. As I interview, fill out application after application, take surveys, etc., I'm learning a lot about the hiring process.
First, I've learned that it's nice not to have a criminal background. That question is certainly on every application I've filled out. Being hired as a ex-convict would be a big challenge. Not to mention it would require a lot of explaining on all of these applications.
Second, most applications (especially for retail positions... I'm applying for holiday retail jobs, among others) are insufficient to really capture a job candidate's personality and history. The employers attempt, through surveys and questionnaires, to get a feel for these things, but it's pretty easy to see through the questions. I can imagine many people fall prey to what social psychologists call "social desirability bias." This means that you answer questions based on what you think is the socially-acceptable answer. I really don't think these surveys are effective in sorting out anything but grossly under-qualified candidates. In terms of job history, there is sometimes no space or little space to explain things like why you left a job, how you got paid (if it wasn't hourly), etc. These things make filling out applications frustrating!
Third, are these extensive applications really necessary for SEASONAL positions? Kohl's and Barnes and Noble did the best job of having a short-and-sweet application. Kudos to you, Kohl's and B&N, for keeping my life a little simpler.
I almost wanted to outline my suggestions and send them to the HR departments to help them design a better application. Maybe there's a future career for me? :-) I do like the idea of improving and streamlining this tiring and somewhat frustrating process.
Ok, hopefully that wasn't a downer. It's not all bad--not even close. I realize the stores need to keep out workers who would steal, not show up, or otherwise not be able to complete the job. But, can't I just walk in and say, "Look. I'm not trying to be rude or pretentious, but I'm a college grad who just needs a holiday job for a couple of months. I know I am capable for this job. Can you hire me, please?" That'd be a lot easier :-)
And, I do have two interviews tomorrow (with Kohl's and Target). The payoff is finally coming through! Once I find a seasonal job, though, I need to stay focused on the long-term job hunt. Alas, it's not over for a while. But all of this will sure make me better appreciate having a job! :-)
First, I've learned that it's nice not to have a criminal background. That question is certainly on every application I've filled out. Being hired as a ex-convict would be a big challenge. Not to mention it would require a lot of explaining on all of these applications.
Second, most applications (especially for retail positions... I'm applying for holiday retail jobs, among others) are insufficient to really capture a job candidate's personality and history. The employers attempt, through surveys and questionnaires, to get a feel for these things, but it's pretty easy to see through the questions. I can imagine many people fall prey to what social psychologists call "social desirability bias." This means that you answer questions based on what you think is the socially-acceptable answer. I really don't think these surveys are effective in sorting out anything but grossly under-qualified candidates. In terms of job history, there is sometimes no space or little space to explain things like why you left a job, how you got paid (if it wasn't hourly), etc. These things make filling out applications frustrating!
Third, are these extensive applications really necessary for SEASONAL positions? Kohl's and Barnes and Noble did the best job of having a short-and-sweet application. Kudos to you, Kohl's and B&N, for keeping my life a little simpler.
I almost wanted to outline my suggestions and send them to the HR departments to help them design a better application. Maybe there's a future career for me? :-) I do like the idea of improving and streamlining this tiring and somewhat frustrating process.
Ok, hopefully that wasn't a downer. It's not all bad--not even close. I realize the stores need to keep out workers who would steal, not show up, or otherwise not be able to complete the job. But, can't I just walk in and say, "Look. I'm not trying to be rude or pretentious, but I'm a college grad who just needs a holiday job for a couple of months. I know I am capable for this job. Can you hire me, please?" That'd be a lot easier :-)
And, I do have two interviews tomorrow (with Kohl's and Target). The payoff is finally coming through! Once I find a seasonal job, though, I need to stay focused on the long-term job hunt. Alas, it's not over for a while. But all of this will sure make me better appreciate having a job! :-)
Monday, October 20, 2008
I can't keep up, sometimes.
There are times when you feel that you are running along smoothly. You go running each morning. You get your work done. You check your email and respond quickly. You even have time to fit in side projects, like reorganizing your book collection into alphabetical order.
This is not one of those times. Ever since I decided to leave for Wisconsin, life has been quite busy, even though I'm still not working yet. Packing (yet again... sigh...only after being unpacked in my new place for a month), moving across the country, unpacking, job interview/s, church, seeing people, and such has left me exhausted and trying to get into a normal routine again.
Can I just mention that I sort of hate looking for jobs? Each time I go through this process it gets a little more annoying. Ha, I'm sorry--I'm not trying to complain. It's just that repeatedly printing off /updating my resume, filling out my address and name and job history for the fifteenth time, etc. is a little tiring. The good thing is that I just interviewed at a temp agency here in Milwaukee and chances are good that I'll be hired. I was also offered an interview at Rogers Memorial Hospital for a residential counselor position. No guarantees on anything yet, but its nice to at least see something coming of my efforts.
I've realized from all of this that I need to work on being more patient. I will find a job (at least something for a while) and my life will settle down. Decisions will be made. Life will go on. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find time to finish knitting that scarf I started 3 years ago. Or something.
This is not one of those times. Ever since I decided to leave for Wisconsin, life has been quite busy, even though I'm still not working yet. Packing (yet again... sigh...only after being unpacked in my new place for a month), moving across the country, unpacking, job interview/s, church, seeing people, and such has left me exhausted and trying to get into a normal routine again.
Can I just mention that I sort of hate looking for jobs? Each time I go through this process it gets a little more annoying. Ha, I'm sorry--I'm not trying to complain. It's just that repeatedly printing off /updating my resume, filling out my address and name and job history for the fifteenth time, etc. is a little tiring. The good thing is that I just interviewed at a temp agency here in Milwaukee and chances are good that I'll be hired. I was also offered an interview at Rogers Memorial Hospital for a residential counselor position. No guarantees on anything yet, but its nice to at least see something coming of my efforts.
I've realized from all of this that I need to work on being more patient. I will find a job (at least something for a while) and my life will settle down. Decisions will be made. Life will go on. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find time to finish knitting that scarf I started 3 years ago. Or something.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Moving to Wisconsin.
I'm sitting at Starbuck's (with a large hot chocolate next to me, yum) inside the Barnes & Noble at Gateway Mall as I type this. It's a beautiful, cloudy fall day in Utah. I met two of my old roommates for lunch in SLC and I'm meeting my brother for dinner up here... so I had some time to kill.
And so, since I do have some time, I'll fill you guys in on life. I'm moving to Wisconsin in less than a week! This decision came somewhat unexpectedly--but I'll explain.
After graduation, I spent three weeks at home in Milwaukee. After going to school year-round for three years, I was in need of some time to just rest. The three week trip was great. Then, I came back to Utah in early September and moved into my new apartment. I have three roommates from California (they all went to HS together) and they are nice girls--welcomed me right in. I liked my apartment and my new ward and I planned to use Utah as a home-base while I applied for jobs. I figured I'd get some kind of temporary job for the fall or for 6 months at the most while I figured out where to go next.
Well, the job market in Utah isn't ideal. I got offered a part-time/on-call position at an eating disorder treatment facility, which would have been great, but they wanted at least a year commitment, and I wouldn't be able to work there full-time for probably at least the first few months. As soon as they said "one-year commitment," it sunk it to me that I did not want to still be in Provo for another year. As soon as I came back from Wisconsin, I felt pretty restless. Being in a college town and not being in school (or not having a job for that matter) can do that to you, and I also just realized that I was ready to try out life in a new place. Provo has been great, but I think it has served its purpose for me, and it's time to keep moving forward.
Once I realized I didn't want to stay here too long, I decided that I could either get a temp job here in Utah and apply out of town for permanent positions or I could do that from Wisconsin (where my family is) . It seemed a bit counterintuitive to leave right after I had come back for the fall, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw the benefits of moving home for a couple of months.
Some benefits include saving my family some money (my parents are helping me out during this transition period), living one last time in my family's home before my parents sell it (they'll be retiring out in St. George for most of the year starting in the near future and so they're going to sell our house), among other reasons.
I prayed about it and it felt like a good decision, and so, I'll be off in about a week! I have some mixed feelings about leaving. I certainly feel it's probably time to move on from college life and that scene, and yet, I'll really miss this town that has become my home away from home. I'll miss the good times I've had and the good friends I've made out here. I'll especially miss it since this move is permanent. It's hard to cut off this part of my life. But, I'm excited for the road ahead, whatever it brings. Going to NYC last weekend made me realize all of the fun possibilities I have in life in terms of jobs and where I could live (more on the NYC trip soon).
If any of you Provo/SLC kids are reading this, I'd love to see you before I road trip it to Wisconsin next week (Tuesday or Wednesday). Let me know and we'll get together. The short-term plan is to spend the next couple of months in Wisconsin at a temp job, while I look and apply for more permanent work, and then to re-evaluate at the end of the year where I want to go. There's a possibility I'll stay in Wisconsin, and I'm also looking at jobs in some other bigs cities (especially DC and Boston). Whatever happens, I know God is guiding me in these decisions and I'm grateful to have some time with my family and friends in Wisconsin. If you'll be in WI, give me a call!
Provo--I bid thee farewell. You've been a kind friend and you will be missed.
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