On Being Employed!

Exciting news! I negotiated my way into a full-time position at my temp job. This means the following:

• I can stop trolling craiglist (NOT the adult section, thankyouverymuch)
• I will have real health benefits!
• I will get paid more!
• And the best part: I know what I will be doing for the next year or so, and can make other plans accordingly.

When I was looking for jobs, it was hard to turn that part off and do anything else. I had no central basis for coordinating other things I wanted to do, and was constantly thinking about applications, resumes, and references. Even at my temp job, I had a difficult time wanting to make more solid relationships with my coworkers, because I didn't know how long I was going to be there, and I felt insecure suggesting changes or speaking up. My new job extends me new responsibilities, opportunities for professional development, the comfort to strengthen relationships with coworkers, and the security to flex my muscles in my everyday duties, as well as the ability to enjoy the rest of my other time and ambitions in the near future outside of the 9-5 window.

Now that I can take a mental deep breath, I'm signing up for a real gym membership, applying to be a Big Sister (they ask that you have a secure lifestyle for the foreseeable year to even apply!), plotting more networking and community involvement, and spending weekday afternoons reading and going to the movies instead of writing cover letters. The chunk of actual and subconscious time taken up with the job search and stress is out the window for the time being, and truth be told, I won't miss it a tiny bit. Now I can just giggle at the Missed Connections part of craigslist, instead of the marketing/PR and nonprofit sections of the job posts.

Since I'm working in development (read: bringing in the $$ bills, y'all) at Mass General, I'm hoping to learn enough useful things to contribute skills (and my free time) to nonprofits that need an extra hand--a big perk of learning and working at a large and stable organization. Listservs like Young Non-profit Professionals Network (YNPN) disseminate work, volunteer, and networking opportunities in the Boston area--check it out if you're in the field. There are some great programs going on at Mass General too, like the Home Base Program, which provides crucial psychological services to veterans returning from deployment with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and I'm excited to volunteer at more events.

I plan to use any comp time I get on the job to travel on the weekends. Places on the itinerary are DC and NYC for starters, but I'm always looking for new places/people to visit, and saving up time to make it out to California to see my brother, my cousin, and maybe Leif and Stivers if they're lucky!

On a slight tangent, a friend on Twitter mentioned a great program that doesn't seem to have a general group in Boston: Dining For Women. Once a month, women (don't see why men couldn't be included too) meet for a potluck dinner, donating the funds they would have spent going out to dinner to women in need. I'd seriously love to set up a chapter, any takers? Check out the site and the mission statement below!

Mission Statement:
Changing the world one dinner at a time
DFW empowers women living in extreme poverty by funding programs fostering good health, education, and economic self-sufficiency, and cultivates educational dinner circles inspiring individuals to make a difference through the power of collective giving.

Seriously? Seriously.

Dating A Banker Anonymous

In one word....
Horrifying.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'd love to live a mildly extravagant life. I like nice clothes, good food, luxurious settings. But I also like to think I like people for who they are, not what they're worth. I'm also obnoxiously independent--the thought of relying on someone else's net worth for my enjoyment out of life is petrifying. If I'm going to live in a fancy world, I'd better be able to handle it on my own dime: reliance on other people is not my thing.

As the daughter of a luxury goods retailer, I know how this economy works people's emotions and stress levels. Nobody in any business likes coming home in a bad mood because they can't pay the office bills, or because they lost a huge account or millions of dollars for a client. Last thing someone in bad work straits wants? A person they thought loved them, not their wallet, freaking out over fewer vacations in Maui or no Fendi bag for their birthday.

I know to some, this economy feels like a bad joke that will eventually play out and go away. I personally haven't felt it like others have, but I've witnessed some of the problems second-hand. DABA girls: go back to sleep, and wake up on a different side of the bed (an empty bed, most likely, since your financier boyfriends should leave you in the dust for your poor behavior). Go out and work hard at your own job, buy your own drinks for once, and text your ex something encouraging to get him through the next bad day. You better hope he forgives you. You should hope he'll buy you a pity drink when you lose your job in fashion PR or spa services, and have gone through a few more finance guys on hard times willing to put up with your crap.