Drive to Succeed

Happy Tuesday, Dear Readers.

I took my second course's final exam and passed, so that is one more thing off my plate, and a lovely new certificate to add to my resume. I am figuring out which courses to take next, so I am by no means done. I spent a large part of last week going through the research needed to figure out which staffing service I wanted to sign up with, along with applying to jobs on my own. I was able to narrow it down, and I signed up today. I was contacted by the staffing service and I have an appointment for an interview with them tomorrow morning.

I like jobs which are laid out logically, but have an element of unpredictability to them. The core of the job does not change, but the circumstances around the job can change depending on whom I interact with in order to do said job. To an extent, temporary assignments do this in spades, and depending on the type of temporary job you get, could be a stepping stone to a full-time, permanent position in which you fit.

This is how I found the last permanent job I had; I was a temp for the customer support department, and then the business was bought out by a different company, and at the end of my temp contract they hired me permanently, and after a couple years I was able to earn a promotion into a different department, where I stayed until I was laid off as the company went bankrupt.

I want to succeed and do a good job at whatever job I am handed. I want to be seen as somebody who, after almost 20 years in the workforce, is somebody people can depend upon both as a team player and an individual.

I hope that, whatever it is that drives you, Dear Readers, you are acknowledged for it. Now if you will excuse me, I have an interview to prepare for and clothes to pick out.

-A.M.W.

Where Did Summer Go?!

True fact: If you had asked me earlier today when was the last time I'd updated this blog, I would have sworn to you that it was only two weeks ago. Instead it's been over 5 weeks, and I have no idea how the time went by without my notice. It is true that I've been busy; between trying to find a job and working my internship, plus trying to have something that resembles a personal life, I seem to use up all my time every day doing something.

I realized today that Labor Day is just around the corner, and since that is the day I always equate with Summer being officially over (mainly due to the fact that I've lived so much of my life in academia), I feel like I've lost a lot of time somewhere between July and now.

Things of note since my last post: I received my degree in the mail, so I am now officially Alice M. Weaver, M.S., and an alumni of Colorado State University's Graduate School. I have tweaked my resume several times, for all of its incarnations (Administrative Personnel, Communications Specialist and Technical Communications), and I'm still working on the resume that I use to apply for government positions.

I've finally found some good jobs on the website of the temp agency to which I am a member, so I'm hoping that one of those that I've applied for will bear fruit. I'm also still in the running for a position within the nearest hospital in town; my fingers are fervently crossed that I get an in-person interview!

Work at my internship has changed a bit, and I still enjoy working there. It's nice to have a little shake-up of responsibilities, as it keeps the job fresh and entertaining.

I will keep my head up and my thoughts positive and hopeful as I continue to search for work.

Cheers,
AMW

Internship Acquired & Countdown to Degree

I am now an intern at Beet Street in Fort Collins, Colorado. I am primarily writing articles for newsletters and blogs for the Arts Incubator of the Rockies (AIR) initiative, but I get to help with other things in the office as well. I finished my first "week" on the job (I have a 10-15 hour work week) yesterday, and it feels fantastic to be useful again.

http://www.beetstreet.org
http://www.airartsincubator.org

In other news, this coming Thursday I am defending my thesis. I have a Prezi just about finished and I have plans to make cookies as refreshments are generally served with the presentation. So hopefully this time next week I will have attained my Master of Science in Public Communications & Technology.

Things are definitely looking up!

Cheers,
-AMW

Appearance vs. Confidence

Appearance vs. Confidence, which one matters more?

I am starting to wonder, honestly. I go in well dressed (hair tied back and up off the collar, minimal jewelry [stud earrings, no danglies, and a choker necklace, no watch, no bracelets], very light lip gloss [it's the most makeup I wear, honestly], dress shirt, black slacks, black leather shoes with dress socks, and I wear my black blazer if it is weather appropriate). I speak professionally and politely (never interrupting the person who is interviewing me). I always start and end the interview with a firm (but not hand-crippling) handshake. I smile and exude confidence in my abilities the entire time.

I am overweight, even though I've lost 35 lbs. in the past year or so (and I'm working on losing more). I wear glasses and quite frankly, I'm rather plain looking. Brown hair, hazel eyes that are far more on the brown side than the green. I'm worried that my outward appearance, despite my professional dress, is hindering my chances of getting a job.

So my question, dear readers, is when you go on an interview, what do you think is more important, exuding confidence in yourself or your overall appearance? I'm interested in your opinions; state your cases in the comments section below!

-AMW