Office cards

A card was passed around the office.  In the middle of finalizing a project, I rushed and wrote my standard, "Happy Birthday Donna! Hope it is a great one!"  Quickly I passed it onto the next person.  
Hours later into the work day, co-worker chatter starts.  
"Who started buying the birthday cards at work?  I think it is a nice idea." I said. 
"Birthday card? Donna's Dad died.  It was a sympathy card," said my co-worker.  

Oops.  Attention to detail is not my strongest asset.  

Never say never

How do I keep ending up exactly where I said I wouldn't be?  I said I would NEVER compromise my career for a man, yet I quit my dream job and moved cross country for love (all worth it mind you).  I said I would never move back to Texas.  Here I am living in Texas again with no thoughts of ever leaving.  I said I would never have a job that wasn't something that I loved.  I find myself stuck in a job unfulfilled. I said I would never enter the corrupt, money hungry, sleazy world of pharmaceutical sales and yet here I find myself preparing for a pharmaceutical sales job interview.  I mocked the movie and the characters in Love and Other Drugs (a movie about the life of a pharmaceutical sales rep).

I expressed sorrow for those in jobs solely for the pay and not living out their passion. Yet, the drastic increase in pay is my sole motivation for even considering the pharmaceutical field.  Once again a lesson in never say never. All the earlier things I found myself reneging on lead me to a better, happier place in life.  Nobody has offered me a job so I am jumping the gun, but even considering such a field is out of character for me.  Maybe I just need to trust where my path in life might leave me and officially stop thinking I will never do anything. 

Interview black out

A job opportunity opened up at a local nonprofit whose mission is to empower young girls to be bold, independent and dream. I jumped at the opportunity and was beyond thrilled when I got a call for an interview. I breezed through the phone interview and advanced to the second round, in person interview with the Chief Development Officer. I methodically planned out my outfit, gathered my thoughts on my accomplishments, and formatted a list of questions to ask her to show my genuine interest. She wore a lose long colorful skirt with a conservative cardigan. Her short white hair brought out her blue eyes. Immediately I was impressed with her confidence and passion for the mission of the organization. This woman was on her game and I was ready to play....so I thought. She started out doing the talking explaining the challenges of the position, where she saw the organization going, and goals for the vacant position. Then it was time for her to start with the questions geared towards me. She opened with the most standard, basic interview question out there.

"Tell me about yourself."

I froze. Not only was I not prepared for such a general question, my mind started going off into a million different aspects of my life, none mind you deemed appropriate for an interview.

"I was adopted as a young girl," I answered timidly. 

My palms filled with sweat and my mind blacked out. After that it was all down hill. What had just come out of my mouth? Panic set in.
"Uhhh, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that.  I mean , I do know why I said it because it is true, but I don't know why I said it during an interview. I like yoga, laughing and spending time with friends and family."
I didn't know how to stop it.  It was like I lost control.  I don't remember much from this point on.  It was as though my mind blacked out allowing me to erase this painful experience from memory.  I followed most answers with an apology. I represented the opposite of what the organization thrives to promote. I was timid, anxious and appeared to lack self-confidence. 

I left hoping she found me endearing.

Alas no third interview was requested.

Lesson learned.  Prepare  professional answer for the tell me about yourself question.  

Falling into the trap of the 8-5pm desk job

Sitting in rush hour traffic, I became aware of the miserable people surrounding me on the road.  Sure these people looked pissed to be sitting slow moving traffic in sweltering heat, but I couldn't help but wonder what else made them unhappy.  Their faces showed frustration and boredom. Suburb commuters often lose an hour of their life sitting in traffic to and from work.  Many of my fellow traffic dwellers probably sat at a desk job that gives them little to no self worth.  I don't love my current job, but I am also not miserable.  It gives me the flexibility to come and go as I please.  The flexibility is the number one reason I have a hard time moving on. Here are some characteristics of a job I think contribute to job satisfaction. 
Flexibility- Finding a job that allows you to come and go as you please, or making your own hours is a huge plus.  Finding managers who trust employees to get the job done is a rare find.   Often I am more productive out of the office, away from distracting co-workers.
 Generous vacation time- Work hard and play hard.  I think taking a break from the daily routine helps employees become more productive in the long run. 
Liking your Boss-  I've found liking my boss can make or break a job. It contributes to overall morale.
Location- Living as close to work as possible and eliminating rush hour drive time.
Opportunity for Advancement-  Whether it is title changes or salary increases, advancing within your company influences positive self-esteem and increases employee productivity.  If you aren't being rewarded and acknowledged for your work, why would you want to see the company move forward?  

I loved and feared the movie Office Space which does a great job demonstrating the miserable aspects of an 8-5pm desk job.  How do we allow ourselves to fall into the trap even though we are warned ahead of time? 

I think self-employment is our best option.  Now if only I could apply self-employment to my own life.