Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Your Job Hates You

Sometimes I think my job is trying to make me hate it just so I'll move on to a new one.

I think I keep making this sound worse than it is. It's just that lately all the crappy things about my job have been getting to me more than usual. And I hate that, because I'm usually the kind of person who can let all of that stuff roll off my back. I mean, I can put up with a LOT of crap. A lot of it.

It's days like this when I'm so glad to have a silly-looking dog that at this moment is doing somersaults in the kitchen. God bless that little fuzz butt.

Anyway, my mom sent me an email last night and there's this job posting at our sister station in Indy. The job sounds awesome; it's for a host of a local daily lifestyle program and it calls for someone who knows thier way around blogs, social media, etc. It sounds just about perfect...except that it's in Indiana.

And I'd really like to get out if I can.

So...can someone else have a job like that in a different state where I'd like to live? Please?

K, thanks!

I will say that besides my dog, this put me in a better mood today. In honor of Sesame Street's 40th birthday:



C-ya later!
Lis :)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Jobs, Relationships, and You

Since I'm looking for a Cool New Job, I recently added "DailyCareerTips" to my Twitter feed. Yesterday one of the daily tips was:

"Job searching is like dating. You may know in the first five minutes or it may take a few dates to decide if it’s worth pursuing."

Good point there. After all, I can't help but feel like I'm sort of pimping myself out to these employers. Well, that got me thinking...if job searching is like dating, is having a job like a relationship?

I think so. And if me job were a boyfriend, here's how I think I would describe it:

I've had this job for two years. Actually, my two-year anniversary was just a few weeks ago, but I completely forgot.

When I started out with this job, it was all I could talk about. I felt super-cool, and even important. When people asked me about my job, my eyes lit up and I couldn't wait to start explaining what exactly my job was all about.

Over the first year, things were a little stressful at times because I was still figuring out how everything worked. But that was ok because each day was a new adventure, and even the bad days made for good stories later.

Then, right around my first-year anniversary, something weird happened. I started to worry about just how permanent this job was. But my job made me happy, and I knew I could see at least another year with this job, so I decided not to freak out and just to take things one day at a time.

Now, two years later, I would describe my job as "comfortable." I've found a few new things to do and to get excited about, but the truth is that I just don't see myself sticking with this job forever. It's just not the kind of job that makes me think about buying a house and settling down. In fact, I'd always pictured myself ending up with a nicer job, a cooler job, and (to be perfectly honest) a job that made a bigger paycheck.

Plus, sometimes my job isn't that nice. It keeps me up all night. Sometimes it limits my creativity and doesn't let me accomplish some of the things I'd like to do with my life. My job can be very discouraging and it can make me really mad. At times it turns me into a drama queen, sending me into fits of rage and making me say overdramatic things like, "YOU'RE SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF ME!!!!" or, "YOU'RE DEFLATING MY SOUL!!!!" I don't like acting that way, and it only comes out when I get frustrated about my job.

The problem is that I actually still have a lot of fun with my job. Sometimes I have little moments that just prove to me why I was meant for this job. There are things about my job that no one else really gets except for me, and I kind of like that. And I like all the people I've met through this job. I actually really hate to think about what it would mean to leave my job and not get to hang out with all of these great people anymore. And hey, it's pretty sweet when my job gets me free food or scores me tickets to a cool downtown event. And truthfully, sometimes I'm scared to leave this job just because I'm afraid there won't be another one out there for me.

Every job is hard work at some point, right? Is the novelty just wearing off, or is it really time to look for something new?

In my case, I know that there's an expiration date on this job and that there's nothing wrong with that. The scary part is leaving behind the things that I know, the things that are comfortable and familiar. The scary part is putting myself out there, worrying about making a good impression, and being willing to face rejection in pursuit of the Dream Job.

So I guess I better buy a new outfit, put on some make-up, and get ready to leave my phone number with a lot of strangers, because I'm back on the market and that's just the way things work!