Friday, February 25, 2011

Doors and Windows Opening and Closing

Hello World!

It seems I have been neglecting this blog. The way it seems is the way it is! I have been busy with so many other projects in life- real and virtual that I have not had time to log work on this blog.

However, today I have something to share.

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about life and careers and school and etc. I started to wonder if social services was the right path for me. I began to explore other options. Since I have been working mainly shift work for over 10 years now I decided that I wanted to get a regular ol' full time day job. A 9 to 5'er or an 8-4'er if you so please.

Shift work has taken a toll on my social life over the years. When you work shifts, you work odd hours. A lot of the time those times clash with your friend's or significant other's work hours. Your relationships suffer as a result. This is what has happened to me anyway because I have always put working as my priority. Not more important than my relationships, but being financially comfortable was important to me.

Anyway, I applied for some office work. Easy, brain-less, crisis-free work just to see what it was all about. I put my name into a staffing agency who called me this week to set up an interview.

I felt weird going into this interview because I had no idea what a normal job's interview would be like. I'm used to the detailed questions that are involved in social services like "tell me about a time where you diffused a crisis involving a client" or "how have you dealt with a client who was suicidal?" I wasn't nervous about this interview because I knew there wouldn't be questions like those, but I was still unsure what to expect.

My interviewer was very nice and pleasant. We went over my computer test results and she was impressed with my PowerPoint, Word, and typing skills. Yeah! That's a plus. I always thought I was a slow typer.

We talked about my current job in the Drug Treatment Facility. Then told me she may be hiring for a research assistant for the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada and told me she would rather get me to interview for that job which she thinks would be a better fit and I would be more satisfied there than just doing office tasks. I was floored! She also told me that by looking at my resume she can tell I am over-qualified to do the office job. I thought that was very nice of her to say. I appreciated the fact that she noticed the work I have been doing.

In summary, when one door closes another opens. If I hadn't quit my job, I wouldn't be looking for something else. If I hadn't gone out on a limb and applied for a menial office job, then I would never have met my great interviewer who wants to fit people into their perfect jobs!

In other news, I am in the running for a full time position at the Drug Treatment Facility. However, I won't know until the middle of March at the earliest. My contract there is up in April. Things are all up in the air right now!

Happy Reading Week to ALL the students!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Daily Meditation

"It's incredibly easy to get caught up in an activity trap, in the busy-ness of life, to work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it's leaning against the wrong wall"

-Stephen Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

I think this is very poignant for a lot of people who are soul-searching or career-digging right now. It's poignant in my situation of being unsure of the next path to take in my road. It really made me think, hope it does the same for you!

Happy Wednesday!