Workin' 9 - 5!

Know what I'm NOT doing today?  Searching for a job! 
Know what I've been doing many, many, many days that I've had off or just had an afternoon/evening shift?  Combing the endless job sites over and over again, hoping that this time there will be something, anything, that looks interesting and fits my skill set. 

Not anymore.  I finally found something that will be not only professionally but personally fulfilling.  It will challenge me but builds on skills I already have and would love to develop.  It's been a long year of searching, but I truly believe that it was a year of personal discovery and reflection, learning, pushing myself, tapping into reserve levels of patience and persistence, and waiting for this job to be ready for me.

If you've read any of my other posts about my to teach or not to teach debate, you know it was something I struggled with quite a bit.  The current job market for music teachers in the Bay Area sorta helped out with that decision, so I knew it was really time to branch out.  But where?  One of the first harsh lessons I learned when I began my search was that those in the education field tend to be pigeon-holed.  Apparently once a teacher, you're only qualified to be a teacher.  As a teacher I:
*Juggled a really complicated calendar system.  Day to day, rehearsals, performances, travel, etc.       
*Planned long and short-term events and major community productions.
*Worked with independent contractors
* Budgeted for my class needs
*Managed classes of 2 - 45 teenage girls and came out relatively sane at the end of it all, depending on your definition of sanity.

And there was more.  So much more that I did and can do and do well.  Heck, really well!  But apparently all of that counted for bupkis when searching for a non-teaching job.  I began to think my future was a long line of folding and refolding t-shirts and cleaning out fitting rooms where I could swear people try to be as messy as they possibly can. 

But I kept trying.  I went through some hard slumps, for sure, but I always came back to the job boards.  I cranked out an endless array of cover letters and perfectly tailored resumes.  Sometimes I'd get a first round interview, sometimes not.  Many times, not even a response.  That bugged me.  I would get so elated when I finally had a bite, finally had my toe in the door somewhere.  I kept telling Kevin, "If I can just get my foot in enough doors, eventually one will open and let me in."  Many closed, a few slammed my toes a bit and that stung.  The good thing was that I really got the cover letter, resume, and interview thing down to an art.  The job market is a shark tank right now and I had to learn to be confident, assertive, and convince people that while I may not have previous office experience, I had the right skills and attitude to come on board and be an exemplary member of their team. (Put me in, coach!)

I finally have my team.  And after one day on the job, I already know I'll love it.  I liked the company and the people immediately when I first interviewed, so when I got the offer I did a huge happy dance all around the apartment.  Plus, what they do is important and actually helps people.  It's a start up that provides patients with second opinions on serious surgeries or illnesses from a nation wide network of expert doctors.  We also help find patients excellent providers in their local area for office visits.  I know that helping people pick out the perfect outfit for an interview or building someone's cruise wardrobe for their upcoming vacation is important in its own way - I understand that fashion can inspire confidence and that is a good thing.  However, I really feel like I'm working with people to help them on a deeper level.  I am able to have a direct impact on how this person deals with a life-changing situation. 

It's going to be an adjustment, for sure.  For the past year I've only been working 15 - 25 hrs/week, which has its drawbacks, but its perks, too.  I've loved hanging out with Zeke during the day and he loves his porch time.  It's been great to take care of the vast majority of grocery shopping, meal prep, and cleaning on my time off.  I am still writing - though it's taken a bit of a backseat with the hard-core searching - and I hope to get into a schedule where I'm still setting aside time every week to continue to do so.  But I also get so restless.  Once the cleaning and shopping is done, when I have writer's block or just don't want to stare at a computer anymore, it gets monotonous.  Zeke may not have quite as much daily porch time in the future, but he will have a happier mommie.  Plus, there's a slight chance he might be able to come to work with me once we're in the new office!  Sweet!

2 more shifts at Ann Taylor left - tonight and tomorrow night.  I may just go skipping out the door and twirling down the hallway of the mall as I lock up the door for the last time, knowing that I have a regular job with good pay and I finally have my evenings and weekends back.  Don't get me wrong - I'm incredibly grateful that I've had this year of retail jobs because it was far better than no job at all.  It got me out of the house, provided some income, and, in truth, I did learn a lot about myself in the process.  This year of searching, learning, trying, pushing, persisting, occasionally crying but still moving forward has been an interesting one to be sure.  And it just makes finding this job - the right job - sweeter than ever because it's been a hard-fought and hard-sought goal.