Burning the midnight oil
Ok, so it's not midnight. Not here. Not yet. But midnight passed about an hour ago where it really matters: in Colorado, the time zone for my school, the time zone to which all chats, instructor office hours, and assignments are bound. Assignments are due at 11:59:59 p.m. twice a week, which is 9:59:59 p.m. for me. I feel a bit cheated that I lose two hours of possible working time, but really I guess it all balances out in the end. Somehow. Or at least that's what the school thinks.
Anyway, here it is an hour past "midnight," and after turning in an assignment, I'm still up and plugging along with school stuff. (Ok, smarty-pants, so I'm not doing school stuff right now, because I'm blogging, but this is a break between assignments and so doesn't count, ok?) I'm attempting to get ahead in my assignments not only to be ahead and not stressed at the last minute, but also just in case something really wonderful happens.
See, I applied for a new job. A better job. In a better place. And if they call me and ask me to drive three-and-a-half hours for an interview that they'd rather not do over the phone, I will drop whatever I'm doing to bust tail to get there. Including school assignments.
The job itself isn't actually changing, per se - it's the same position I hold now, just at a much much better company (owned by the New York Times, and a pulitzer prize winner) in a much much better place. And according to the job description and requirements, they might as well have put my name on the ad. It fit me to a T. And I've got five years of experience doing what I do. And I'm damn fucking good at it. And I'm a fast learner, and an admitted perfectionist, and hate being late on anything, and thrive on deadlines and organization. And my boss and the managing editor (the incredibly intelligent editor, not the uberly, amazingly, mind-numbingly stupid one) have both promised to write me letters of recommendation. And said editor knows the editor of the newspaper I'm applying to. Not that I think I'll need or really would be ok with strings being pulled. But if she just happened to randomly call him up for a chat one day and mention that I'm applying there and how good I am at what I do, maybe he'd ask around about me, so my name would be on the minds of the right people. Maybe.
I'm ridiculously thrilled, though trying not to get my hopes up too high. Although I'm fairly certain I'm exactly what they're looking for, I can't read minds. And so I wait. And so I plan for that call, wrapping up as many school responsibilities as I can so that I won't be late with them when I have to suddenly drive like a madwoman to meet my soon-to-be new employers. And so that once I get the job, I can pack, and move, and unpack, all without missing assignment deadlines, or at least not by much.
The boy supports me 100% in this, even though it would mean moving, and possibly soon. I love that man. Mom supports me in it too - when I called to get her advice (because, yes, I feel I still need it in big life-changing decisions like this) she didn't even let me finish my sentence before exclaiming, "Apply!" And then she reassured me she was ok with me moving away. Have I mentioned my mom rocks? I'm 26, but she is still - and perhaps more so now than ever before - a huge influence on me and the decisions I make, because I know she's smart enough to give me good advice, solidly grounded in common sense and experience.
This is big. I'm too excited to be scared. There's that little voice in my head warning me not to get too excited because "it might not happen," but I keep squashing it with, "I think it will happen, but if not, it's not the end of the world, and my resume and profile will still be in their system for future openings. So, bugger off, doubter."
I read somewhere recently that to be successful in business, one should always take on jobs too big for oneself. While I'm sure there is a line to be drawn there for sheer common sense (like, if you failed chemistry in high school, maybe a job in experimental biochemicals isn't for you), I like the idea and see the merit. You'll never know just what you're capable of if you don't try.
I don't know if this is too big for me or not, but I plan to find out.
Wish me luck.
4 comments:
Oh luck luck luck luck and more luck! All will be well, and all will be well.
"Not that I think I'll need or really would be ok with strings being pulled."
You caught me in my full-on business mode this morning, CV. My take is 180-degrees from this. I say that you should take advantage of your position to the fullest degree possible. Work your network. There's nothing unethical about it at all, and you should have no reservations about using an "in" to get what you want. Whenever you don't get a job that you're perfectly qualified for, it often means that someone else leveraged their connections. That doesn't mean you should be given a job simply because you know someone. I'm really just suggesting that you use your connections to get your foot in the door. From there, it's up to you to state your case and land the job. Okay, off my soap box...
The editor at my newspaper who knows the editor there had, upon heraing of my applying there, immediately told me to use her name in connection to that editor. I may just do that, if it seems feasible. The thing is, the newspaper's entire employment process - even for current employees - is online, and I've attempted to update my profile several times there and only the most basic information is available for that. I'll have to contact their webmaster to see about updating the details, like refences and such.
"The thing is, the newspaper's entire employment process - even for current employees - is online,"
When I say "work your network," I'm talking about circumventing that whole process to get your foot in the door. What I'm suggesting is to ask/tell your editor to pick up the phone and call the other editor and say, "Hey, I've got the perfect person for this job. Gimme your email address and I'll have her personally email you her resume this morning."
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