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So I finally got the offer... I have officially been asked to work for the Church magazines next semester. I was pretty sure I would get the position but you never can tell and it took them forever to tell me. So instead of being able to move forward with plans, I had to keep holding back until I heard something official.
The Monday before Thanksgiving break, Church human resources called me twice to verify things about my application and said they usually try to tell us about the positions before Thanksgiving...Well, that came and went and nothing came. I called Human Resources again to see if there was anything else I could do, and she mentioned offhand that I was set for the magazine news. But I had no idea what that meant and was like, um, is someone going to tell me about this? I just had to keep waiting and there really wasn't anyone else I could try to talk to. I decided that I'd give it to the end of this week before I REALLY started freaking out.
6:16 p.m. Friday night: I got the call. I don't remember his name but he called to offer me the position and knew that Kathy (if that was her name) in HR had told me that I had a position. I was like, oh yea a little (but I still have no idea what was going on). So he told me that they wanted me to work in the magazine news department where I would write news stories related to the church anywhere in the world. (These are usually in the last few pages of the Ensign and Liahona). That's all the info I got because he wasn't actually at work but wanted to tell us if we got the positions before the weekend. He's gonna call back Monday with more information...
So I got off the phone and didn't really know what I thought. I kinda got teary but I don't really know why. I'm not sure if it's because I FINALLY know for sure that I have a job next semester...or if I'm not sure if I want that position. I'm just not sure...I guess we will see how everything turns out.
As I'm writing this, it's all of the sudden hitting me that I AM moving in December....in a few weeks. I'm gonna be done with school...done with this chapter in my life. (Yes, that was cheesy I know)....it's just starting to hit me...
November 30, 2007
November 29, 2007
Never ever please
Another interview. Yep, at 5:30 this evening I traveled to the Daily Herald off of Freedom Boulevard for an interview for a copy editor position. (They edit the final text and complete the newspaper layouts.) After the guy called me to set up the interview, I hung up and thought...dang, I really don't want to go. Not a good sign huh? But, since I hadn't heard from the Church yet, I had to keep some options open for my life next year.
So I went...and hated it. I walked into the newsroom and instantly hated the atmosphere. The guy met me at the door and was really awkward and didn't talk much. We went into the conference room where he "interviewed" me. I added the quotation marks because if there were an award for the world's worst interviewer, it may just go to this guy. Again, he was just awkward, which made me awkward. On top of this, I have been working to get my magazine to press by Monday and have gotten an average of 4 hours of sleep a night. So I was pretty out of it and really just babbling in this weird, awkward situation.
He asked like four times how I liked BYU and my experience there. Then he asked how I liked Provo...and then asked if I could see myself living there for a while. Initially, and what I told him, I thought, "Yea, I could stick around Provo a little longer." But in my head I started thinking "Um, no not really...not long term...actually staying in Provo really does not look good right now." After my response he explains how sometimes they hire people who later realize that they can't stay in Provo and have to leave...I was upfront and told him that I didn't plan on being in Provo very long...that I had some things I want to do this summer which is why I wasn't initially looking for a long term thing around here. (I had applied for an internship in a different department but they didn't see why, with my qualifications, I'd want a low-paying internships when I didn't need it and referred me to this position.)
By this time I'm really thinking...you know what...I really really don't want this job. And then I was kicking myself for taking an hour out of my dang busy day with a million things to do to interview for this lame position in Provo. I had to take a copyediting test and was kinda just speeding through it because I really didn't care and wanted to leave. So that guy probably thinks I'm really dumb...oopps.
But I left with the realization that I never EVER want to do copyediting at a newspaper. That's just not me and I think I would shoot myself first....OK maybe not that, but I did tell Grace that I think I would move home and be a loser without a future before I took that job. The pay probably isn't that great, the hours suck (3-12 p.m. 5 days a week), and I really just don't think it could be very fulfilling for me. So, while I did feel that the interview was kinda a waste of time that has been so precious to me lately, it did help me narrow down my personal prospects for the future. I'm still not sure what I think about writing for a daily newspaper (it's probably in the middle of the favorability scale) but I now know that a newspaper copyeditor is one position I hope I never have to fill.
So I went...and hated it. I walked into the newsroom and instantly hated the atmosphere. The guy met me at the door and was really awkward and didn't talk much. We went into the conference room where he "interviewed" me. I added the quotation marks because if there were an award for the world's worst interviewer, it may just go to this guy. Again, he was just awkward, which made me awkward. On top of this, I have been working to get my magazine to press by Monday and have gotten an average of 4 hours of sleep a night. So I was pretty out of it and really just babbling in this weird, awkward situation.
He asked like four times how I liked BYU and my experience there. Then he asked how I liked Provo...and then asked if I could see myself living there for a while. Initially, and what I told him, I thought, "Yea, I could stick around Provo a little longer." But in my head I started thinking "Um, no not really...not long term...actually staying in Provo really does not look good right now." After my response he explains how sometimes they hire people who later realize that they can't stay in Provo and have to leave...I was upfront and told him that I didn't plan on being in Provo very long...that I had some things I want to do this summer which is why I wasn't initially looking for a long term thing around here. (I had applied for an internship in a different department but they didn't see why, with my qualifications, I'd want a low-paying internships when I didn't need it and referred me to this position.)
By this time I'm really thinking...you know what...I really really don't want this job. And then I was kicking myself for taking an hour out of my dang busy day with a million things to do to interview for this lame position in Provo. I had to take a copyediting test and was kinda just speeding through it because I really didn't care and wanted to leave. So that guy probably thinks I'm really dumb...oopps.
But I left with the realization that I never EVER want to do copyediting at a newspaper. That's just not me and I think I would shoot myself first....OK maybe not that, but I did tell Grace that I think I would move home and be a loser without a future before I took that job. The pay probably isn't that great, the hours suck (3-12 p.m. 5 days a week), and I really just don't think it could be very fulfilling for me. So, while I did feel that the interview was kinda a waste of time that has been so precious to me lately, it did help me narrow down my personal prospects for the future. I'm still not sure what I think about writing for a daily newspaper (it's probably in the middle of the favorability scale) but I now know that a newspaper copyeditor is one position I hope I never have to fill.
November 27, 2007
Going Above and Beyond
OK, my last post kinda reminded me of an experience from a couple weeks ago. One guy really is the guy that offers an amazing service to the rest of our class. The other...well, I'm assuming he is simply a funny guy who recognizes that maybe we should simply be thankful for what people willingly do and not always demanding more, more, more.
In my church history class there is a guy who records all the lectures and posts them online so we can download them. He is WAY nice to do this and sends emails to us all answering requests for more postings or past lectures, etc. Also, as a test was quickly approaching, a lot of people were emailing to see if someone can send them typed notes for a class they missed. This was happening quite a bit. I think I got like 4 emails in one day from this. One of them was someone asking if someone could create a zipped file of their notes and post them like the guy does with the recordings. A little later I got an email that said this:
I appreciate the audio files and word documents of the notes, but i don't use my computer that much, so i was wondering if someone could text me the notes for last week's lectures. Thanks.
In my church history class there is a guy who records all the lectures and posts them online so we can download them. He is WAY nice to do this and sends emails to us all answering requests for more postings or past lectures, etc. Also, as a test was quickly approaching, a lot of people were emailing to see if someone can send them typed notes for a class they missed. This was happening quite a bit. I think I got like 4 emails in one day from this. One of them was someone asking if someone could create a zipped file of their notes and post them like the guy does with the recordings. A little later I got an email that said this:
I appreciate the audio files and word documents of the notes, but i don't use my computer that much, so i was wondering if someone could text me the notes for last week's lectures. Thanks.
Who needs sleep?
Alright, alright. So it's about 1:30 in the morning and for some reason, I'm avoiding going to sleep. I've also avoided doing homework, working, or finishing a long standing list of things needed to be completed. But ya know, that's OK. Really, the I know that I will get done the things I need to get done. It might not happen in the time frame that it ideally should happen in, but I think I have a strong history of pulling through.....
Tonight I skipped FHE, couldn't work because I left my jump drive at my other work, and opted to instead help Susie on this project she's working on. Instead of just writing a paper on David for her Bible as Literature class, she's being a little more creative with the content and fashioning the project as a magazine issue focused on David: The Man of the Year. I really think it's creative and interesting and its been fun helping her with the layout.
However, we ran into a few little problems. As we were about finishing up, and the lab we were in started to close, we realized that the program we were using wouldn't let us save. We have no idea why and it was really frustrating because we asked the lab assistant why it wouldn't let us and he was like ..hmm that is strange, I don't know. But time is up and you have to go.... WHAT? I kinda started streaming silent madness in his direction...and this wasn't even my own project!! She'd be working on it for EVER, and here it was not saving and this guy wouldn't do anything about it. It was a little frustrating but then I started to think....hmm I wonder if anyone has ever thought this about me at the Testing Center when I ruthlessly show no mercy as I, in an ever so slightly rude way, inform them that time is up and they must turn in their test. Nope, I don't care if you aren't done-you should have planned ahead. Eeee....sooo yea. I can't say I regret those times because hey-it was my job. And while it seems like I have every right to even be a little frustrated with this lab assistant (who I didn't really like before this incidence anyways) who couldn't do his job because the minute hand was starting to barely creep past the closing time, I suppose that he really had no obligation to help us. Yea, it would have been nice if he had made some sort of effort...it's not like we were purposely stalling to try to be the last ones out of the library.... But you can't really expect those kinds of things out of people. Can you really be upset because people don't go over and beyond? I guess we really just can't take for granted the times when people do those things and go out of their way and we really just need to be thankful when those things happen.
Tonight I skipped FHE, couldn't work because I left my jump drive at my other work, and opted to instead help Susie on this project she's working on. Instead of just writing a paper on David for her Bible as Literature class, she's being a little more creative with the content and fashioning the project as a magazine issue focused on David: The Man of the Year. I really think it's creative and interesting and its been fun helping her with the layout.
However, we ran into a few little problems. As we were about finishing up, and the lab we were in started to close, we realized that the program we were using wouldn't let us save. We have no idea why and it was really frustrating because we asked the lab assistant why it wouldn't let us and he was like ..hmm that is strange, I don't know. But time is up and you have to go.... WHAT? I kinda started streaming silent madness in his direction...and this wasn't even my own project!! She'd be working on it for EVER, and here it was not saving and this guy wouldn't do anything about it. It was a little frustrating but then I started to think....hmm I wonder if anyone has ever thought this about me at the Testing Center when I ruthlessly show no mercy as I, in an ever so slightly rude way, inform them that time is up and they must turn in their test. Nope, I don't care if you aren't done-you should have planned ahead. Eeee....sooo yea. I can't say I regret those times because hey-it was my job. And while it seems like I have every right to even be a little frustrated with this lab assistant (who I didn't really like before this incidence anyways) who couldn't do his job because the minute hand was starting to barely creep past the closing time, I suppose that he really had no obligation to help us. Yea, it would have been nice if he had made some sort of effort...it's not like we were purposely stalling to try to be the last ones out of the library.... But you can't really expect those kinds of things out of people. Can you really be upset because people don't go over and beyond? I guess we really just can't take for granted the times when people do those things and go out of their way and we really just need to be thankful when those things happen.
November 15, 2007
My return...maybe
It's been a while since I've posted, but a little influence from some good friends has kinda sparked my interest again.
It's mid-November and I only have about a month left of classes--ever. That's crazy...It just doesn't seem like I'm old enough. I was talking with Grace the other day about some potential housing options in Salt Lake where most of the residents are young, working professionals. So basically a really good environment for where I am in my life. But, all of the sudden I starting feeling really young. I'm like, hey if anything, I'm just going to be doing an internship out there. That's not a real job. What if I'm the youngest person out there, what if the entire ward is made up of creepy, weird, OLD people!?!?
The last couple weeks have really made me appreciate so many things in my life. I think I take a lot of things for granted and often don't recognize the many ways that I am blessed. In one Sacrament meeting a while back, I remember a lot of a lot of people discussing how they wanted one thing and Heavenly Father sent them a completely different thing and, in the end, that thing really did turn out to be what was best. These examples reinforced the idea over and over again, that Heavenly Father is in each of our lives, knows us personally, and knows what will be best for us in the long run. I thought about this for a while and couldn't recognize any significant points in my life where things REALLY didn't turn out how I wanted or expected them. I realize that examples probably do exist, but nothing really trying sticks with me. My thoughts led me to the idea that, well, maybe I'm different. I'm a big planner...I like planning things out in advance and kinda knowing what I expect to be doing six months in the future and stuff. I always have several options that I sort through and think about before I feel particularly good about one and go with it. I think, for me, that this is the place where Heavenly Father guides me to make a right decision or at least prepares me to come to a certain conclusion on my own. He probably knows that I might not be able to deal with random drastic changes in my life.
Right now my life is more up in the air than I normally prefer. Honestly, I have no idea where I will be come January. I could be in Salt Lake, Provo, D.C., or some other random place. But as of this moment, there is not one stronger option than another. I developing a stronger sense of patience, I suppose. But, even with the unknown looming over my life, I feel extremely grateful for the amazing opportunities I have been able to take advantage of. It's my last semester and months ago, when I was planning my schedule, I thought, wow, this is gonna be the best semester yet--I'm gonna have so much free time!.... um, NOT. While not a whole lot of my time is being devoted to school, I have some amazing career opportunities that really just keep falling in my lap. It's simply amazing and every time something works out I have to ask, "What could I possibly have done to deserve this?" I honestly don't think I do deserve it. I'm lacking in so many ways and don't understand how blessing after blessing comes my way when there are soo, so many things I should and could be doing better. Again, I just marvel at the love I feel in my life from my Heavenly Father--He loves me even when I'm not perfect, He sees the things that make me feel worthwhile, He knows what I need to make things seems OK.
It's mid-November and I only have about a month left of classes--ever. That's crazy...It just doesn't seem like I'm old enough. I was talking with Grace the other day about some potential housing options in Salt Lake where most of the residents are young, working professionals. So basically a really good environment for where I am in my life. But, all of the sudden I starting feeling really young. I'm like, hey if anything, I'm just going to be doing an internship out there. That's not a real job. What if I'm the youngest person out there, what if the entire ward is made up of creepy, weird, OLD people!?!?
The last couple weeks have really made me appreciate so many things in my life. I think I take a lot of things for granted and often don't recognize the many ways that I am blessed. In one Sacrament meeting a while back, I remember a lot of a lot of people discussing how they wanted one thing and Heavenly Father sent them a completely different thing and, in the end, that thing really did turn out to be what was best. These examples reinforced the idea over and over again, that Heavenly Father is in each of our lives, knows us personally, and knows what will be best for us in the long run. I thought about this for a while and couldn't recognize any significant points in my life where things REALLY didn't turn out how I wanted or expected them. I realize that examples probably do exist, but nothing really trying sticks with me. My thoughts led me to the idea that, well, maybe I'm different. I'm a big planner...I like planning things out in advance and kinda knowing what I expect to be doing six months in the future and stuff. I always have several options that I sort through and think about before I feel particularly good about one and go with it. I think, for me, that this is the place where Heavenly Father guides me to make a right decision or at least prepares me to come to a certain conclusion on my own. He probably knows that I might not be able to deal with random drastic changes in my life.
Right now my life is more up in the air than I normally prefer. Honestly, I have no idea where I will be come January. I could be in Salt Lake, Provo, D.C., or some other random place. But as of this moment, there is not one stronger option than another. I developing a stronger sense of patience, I suppose. But, even with the unknown looming over my life, I feel extremely grateful for the amazing opportunities I have been able to take advantage of. It's my last semester and months ago, when I was planning my schedule, I thought, wow, this is gonna be the best semester yet--I'm gonna have so much free time!.... um, NOT. While not a whole lot of my time is being devoted to school, I have some amazing career opportunities that really just keep falling in my lap. It's simply amazing and every time something works out I have to ask, "What could I possibly have done to deserve this?" I honestly don't think I do deserve it. I'm lacking in so many ways and don't understand how blessing after blessing comes my way when there are soo, so many things I should and could be doing better. Again, I just marvel at the love I feel in my life from my Heavenly Father--He loves me even when I'm not perfect, He sees the things that make me feel worthwhile, He knows what I need to make things seems OK.
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