Job Hunting Tips

My professor kicks ass.

He's this charicature of an old-school investigative reporter - I mean, he literally digs through financial disclosure forms from Members of Congress to see where there being sketchy. He called out the Ethics Committee for circumventing the law (by accident) on an instruction form. He actually makes things happen with his articles.

Every time I talk to him, I feel like getting a job is POSSIBLE. His perspective on the hunt is like something out of those movies where the main character knows she'll get a job where she wants... and (after hard work) she gets one. Then ends up running the place.

I want to be that main character.

Here are some tips I gathered from him:

- You are looking for the answer to one question: WHO HAS MY JOB?
- Be persistent. (but not stalkerish)

Cover Letters
- Don't give a BS I'm-selling-myself shpeal. They can tell.
- Put heart into cover letters, think of it as a LETTER to someone
- STRONG WRITING.
- Tell a story; your story. This is who I am, these have been my strengths, this is why I'm interested in you, this is why we might be friends...
- Write something they'll remember, not "I am a team player" BS.
- DO NOT use a form letter you send to everyone; write each letter from scratch
- Ask questions in the letter; you're inquiring; you want to learn more
- Tell them you'll follow up with a phone call in a week... then DO IT.

i drove all niiiiiight to get to you, is that alriiiiiight?

i know i'm gonna pay for it, but it sure feels good to get to the end of a project and kinda like the result. all i need to complete now is a conclusion & bring up all the things my paper failed to cover. "what would jesus internationalize?" pshaw. i'm so gimmicky. it's how i bring my teenage girl spunk into academia, though. there's no avoiding it.

k, after writing for 15 hrs straight, im gonna take a nap before work. this day is gonna pull my hair out.

Crazy Stitch Por Vida

I slammed down four glass bottles of Starbucks frappucino this morning so that I'd get something accomplished. It worked - it scared off the sluggish tired foggy brain and stepped in there and handled shit. HANDLED IT. I wonder if that's how kids with ADD feel when they start taking Ritalin? Like, Wow, I can actually use my brain now! I wonder if I have ADD but probably more likely I have some kind of deficiency or allergy that I don't know about that's causing the symptoms of brain fog, difficulty focusing, sluggishness, etc. It's been like this for years and years and years and years and I've blamed it on Mono, Depression, Relationship Failure, Moral Failure...

That's one of the reasons I started this blog with gusto then abandoned it. For a little while after I escaped Relationship Failure I felt light and free and like I could fly all around like a little bird. But. I am back to feeling like an old smelly dog who's on his last leg. Which is how I've felt for... I don't even know how long now. Ug.

But anyway. My resume now looks snazzy and professional and like the person using it is a youngin who knows how to use a computer and has a sense of modern design. It's maybe a bit paragraphey but so am I. Also, are not text boxes the complete shizznit in Microsoft Word? There is absolutely no other way to communicate to that program how I want my documents to look without using them.

So. There's all that. I have been falling down a lot lately, metaphorically. I have fallen off the wagon of not procrastinating. I have yet to find the fortitude to go forth and pursue Life and Goals and not waste time. Or I have found it, but only in caffeine. I am disappointed in myself but not hopeless. So. I went back home to live in Procrasti (it's where all my stuff is!) but I am putting together the necessary paperwork to get my visa in order to get the hell out of here soon. I mean that on so many levels. It's lately become apparent to me that I need to live on my own to make my life what I want it to be, so I have been purely focused on that goal, which is... overwhelming, to say the least.

Actually though there were all these plastic bags from my work. Thick, glossy plastic that feels expensive, that you just know will linger around landfills for longer than you'll be alive and in your coffin put together. Any, any, any other employee would have thrown them the fuck away without thinking twice. But I saved them all in a box and secretly put them in the trunk of my car. I am planning on cutting them all open so they're flat, then sewing them together into a giant plastic quilt-thing with white thread, then getting red and black thread and sewing on a message about the environment. Either a famous poignant environment quote (Whitman?) or a statistic about how long it takes plastic to biodegrade, or both, or something I word myself... and then probably I will sew in a picture of a tree in brown and green thread and a bird in blue and orange thread. To be clear, I don't know how to sew except that you put the needle in and out of the fabric. I mean, I have sewed things, but they were crazy-stiched, illegally, without Proper Home Ec Knowledge. But that will just make my giant plastic environment quilt look EVEN COOLER.

So I've got that project in my mind. In my mind, in my mind. Now if I can just get it out through my hands...

when to be at the whim

i need a violently structured and detailed outline to feel safe beginning an essay. but i can't for the life of my respect its authority. it can be perfect & brilliant, but i every time i deviate entirely and write in free-flow. i rush in like a city planner- then do a quickchange and am flannery o'conner, clueless of her story's end as she begins it!

i WANT to obey the roman numerals and 1's, 2's 3's but am so stream of consciousness. this is just another manifestation of the Great Big Dichotomy i am. dual nature, yin yang, wah wah wah wah. i'm gonna keep writing now, but figured this reflection belonged on the blog about creative process.

procrasti no more, but i want to be a better citizen in this new land... build strong creative muscles and be less at the whim of my instincts! or at least choose WHEN to be at the whim.

Question of the DAY

;)

I couldn't resist. I like you guys. And it's so nice to escape to a safe space after churning out 8 pgs of research paper, dissolving into tears over it in the arms of a totally supportive boyfriend, and returning to it skeptical that is has anything of value to offer anyone.

So the Q is...

How do you get up in the morning? Is it difficult to face the day or thrilling? Do you have any tricks or routines?

I anticipate a struggle tomorrow morning, the goal of 8 more hours of input looming. Generally, during the snooze butt routine, I cycle through conversations with myself until I find one that compels me to climb out of bed and into the shower. It could be as simple as promising a homemade cheese waffle, or getting to wear a new scarf, or remembering a new episode of 30Rock would be available.

Other times (like this morning) I can't stay under the covers another minute - the muse is calling. I have to hurry to jot down what she is offering me, before is vanishes. And HOTDAMN how fast her shadow passes. Sometimes, once I finally get a pen in my hand, I sit and sit and sit and KNOW I had it just a second ago, but can't for the life of me find it now! The sudden answer, sentence, name of a source. I'm getting quicker though. It's the only way.

The silliest trick I've ever used to make morning productive was to hide a Hershey's kiss under my pillow & eat it when my alarm went off. That is literally the only way I could face 430am with my tennis shoes for a pre-work power walk. Who does that?

Question of the Week!

What sort of indiosyncratic demands does your muse make, before it will open up your creative floodgates?

My hair must be pulled up tight in a bun atop my head (what WOULD I do if I cut it short??). A robust caffeinated drink must be flowing through my passageways. All my materials must be nearby. I must have at least a 5hr block of time. Earplugs might be resorted to, even in a silent room. I MUST work in a vacuum. A humble prayerful sigh must be sent to the muse, as I am entirely at her mercy, it seems. (Elizabeth Gilbert might disagree.) And I must be wearing verrry tight spandex clothes from decollete to ankles. A blanket is nice. Time. The plate glass time window is most important. And absolutely no interruptions can threaten to peek in on my intellectual nakedness. Partial nudity means partial brilliance.

Hmmm... I like to think of this as a conversation with Anais. I feel like it's a conversation she must have shared with many a neurotic artiste.

I miss this blog :(

Boo.

Plastic Surgery Smile

Each paragraph header on my outline is like a huge bucket of brightly colored paint I get to jump into and swim around in until I'm an unrecognizable mess!

This is about to get fun!

i hate a paper as i'm putting clay onto its frame. i want to smooth and shape features into the clay, bake it and paint it. 


pressing soft flesh into the bony skeleton is so tedious. like clipping nails. or mopping floors. or watching commercials.


yawn.

Pre-Writing

Day 2 of hibernation w/ research paper.

1. I took that 10 min walk Mallie reminded me would energize.
2. Pickedup a large coffee @ Jacob's on the way home.
3. Ate a tuna pita melt to give me loads of brainpower.
4. I'm setting my alarm for 1am, so I know when to call it a day.

Let the games begin.

When A Blog Proposal Turns into A Quantitative Research Project, per your professor's suggestion...

I'm hoping to get a renewed visa today. I'm looking at 10pgs of Excel Spreadsheeted Data, finding gaps in my collection methodology that might prevent me from answering my research Q's, oh yeah - deciding what ARE my research Q's, selecting descriptive statistics analyses to perform on the data this Monday, writing an intro/lit review section & the data collection methodology section, and getting started on Works Cited mayyybe.

Wow, this is scintillating, no? Can I redeem myself from all that mumbo jumbo? I feel like it helps me to track my efforts on here. But wow it's sure beige.

On a side note, when I looked at my alarm clock this morning, I crowed, "Let the War of 812 BEGINNN!" I thought THAT was funny.

:)

I hope you dears are finding a little time to juice your creative fruits this lovely weekend! (In a way that's more sexy than data analysis...)

Namaste.

Prayers = answered

This morning as I woke up, I prayed for 2 things:

1. The seller for the condo we want would agree to our counter offer to THEIR counter offer and we'd be on track to be homeowners
2. Two promising interviews

Around 11am, I got an email from our realtor saying CONGRATULATIONS!! They agreed to our counter.

My fellow NBC News Channel intern and I did our standups (i.e. we stood in a studio and read the part of our news scripts that calls for the reporter in front of the camera) for the news packages we're putting together.

When we were done, I returned to my desk to see an email saying I GOT the video internship I interviewed for... and a voicemail asking for an interview for the public affairs internship I'd applied for. (possible to do both part time)

Wow.

God answers prayer - did you know?

State-Dependent Writers

So I'm like in the zone. Been doing quantitative research every waking moment for the last 3 days. The question of What Will I do with the Data Once it's All Collected haunts me, but I will face that challenge once I've finished assessing the internationalization of all 100 CCCU Christian Colleges in the U.S. Think I'll be sitting at the feet of the SPSS guy at the School of Education. Trying to make sense of numbers.

My stomach is pissed so I can't even drink coffee to keep me going. So I've turned to sugar. Which sucks cuz I crash right quick. Maybe I'll turn to Green Tea like Erin & hope my tummy shows hospitality to the smaller dose of caffeine.

The event that kicked me into high gear was this: On Saturday I presented my former research paper at another academic conference & the director of the International Education Center @ George Mason University asked if they could publish my paper as a chapter in a book she is currently compiling. Her insistence that they have been looking for something exactly like what I had presented was one of Those Moments. I felt like I was dreaming. Trying not to get my hopes up, but the positive feedback fueled me to take this semester's research up a notch. I want it to be as good or better. Oh stomach, why won't you let me drink lattes? I would be so much smarter in my state-dependent writing mode...

Fitting for Easter: Death of a dream before it comes true

You must experience the death of a dream before it comes true. Tasha told me this when we were in college together – she was right.

I decided I wasn’t a good writer my senior year of college… just before I got a piece published in Newsweek’s Budget Travel.

Joe and I nearly broke up after a series of miscommunications… just two months before he traveled home with me for Christmas and had the talk with my dad.

I gave up on buying a home two weeks ago… last night we made an offer on a condo.

This pattern repeats and repeats in my life. In a small way, it repeats yearly with the seasons. I nearly lose all hope in frozen February and part of March, then the sun comes out. Then the buds blossom. Everything seems hopeful.

I was beginning to wonder – no, scratch that. I believed I might not ever get a job in journalism or filmmaking. I love writing. I love filming and editing film. But both fields seem so bleak – opportunities are slim.

Then a cinematographer came to class. I asked how a young filmmaker could get started, and he spent a good three minutes maintaining direct eye contact with me and saying what a great opportunity exists for a female filmmaker – there are so few, and there is demand. The intensity of his gaze shook me: it’s possible!

A week later, applying for every interesting job I could find, I had another vote of confidence. I emailed a professor in my Master’s program who teaches “Zen of Religion Writing” about my application to Religion & Ethics Newsweekly, a public television weekly news show. The professor just so happened to have several of connections on the show – he used to be a correspondent, and he was willing to put in a good word. The catch: he didn’t know me. The compromise: he asked for the emails of professors in the program who did know me.

The next day, I answered my cell phone at NBC to hear the professor’s voice. “I’m mad at you,” he said.

“You’re mad at me?”

“Not really,” he said. “But I heard back from your professors, and I’m wondering why I haven’t seen you in any of my classes?”

I’m sure I blushed. After feeling so down, after questioning my ability to write, after feeling like a failure at the real world (I’m great at being a student), it turns out my professors said great things about me, and they were willing to step out to put in a good word. So much better than a report card.

Tonight I watched Julie & Julia. I related so much to both characters, especially at the beginning of the journey – both restlessly waiting for the inspiration that would express their passion to achieve and create. Supportive husbands prodding along ideas that seem unachievable at times. Julie wondering if anyone would ever read her blog; Julia begging to take her culinary exam. And each dream died – Julia had to leave Paris, and her cookbook got rejected twice. Julie lost her chance to woo a food writer/publisher, had multiple breakdowns and pushed her husband away (temporarily!).

But the end was hopeful. Julia Child is a household name even now, and Julie turned her blog into a book that was made into a movie.

I have an incredibly supportive husband; I have that restless desire to create, to achieve. Here’s hoping my happily-ever-after is as satisfying.

Recap on Nicole & Mallie in March

I had a dream someone posted on this blog. Haha.

So I will post for Nicole & Mallie...

Mallie's professors said THIS about her as she applies for an associate producer position:

   * "Mallie is great.  Organized, engaged, enthusiastic, thoughtful, motivated. Top student. Highly recommend."

   * ".... One of my best students. Her work is consistently professional and on time... Done good reporting legwork for her stories... Good writer... Dedicated, hard worker, collegial... Contributes insightful comments to class discussions... Responds well to feedback from me and classmates.... A thoughtful person, who probes beyond the obvious."

    * "... Delightful...always pleasant, very hard working, success driven and a team player who also takes initiative on her own.  As a video producer, she is naturally skilled and has shown tremendous growth and a real innate understanding of the crafts involved in preproduction, production and post production. She sent me a YouTube link to her recent video work that was really terrific... I thought enough of Mallie to help her get a recent internship at NBC News, where I worked for the past 27 years until retiring in December."

All her hard work & writing finesse are paying off!

Nicole seems to be pursuing lots of photography workshops and group shoots with rockin models. Loving the new skills you are practicing!

I will be presenting my research @ the GWU Int'l Ed Conference this weekend, and am making much progress on my proposed Blog research for class. Not enough, but much. =) The assignment gives me butterflies, so I am putting off all other projects & may pay the consequences. But creative energy trumps A's.

Erin is the mystery child. I have no clue what you are up to! Do tell! AND share your thoughts on Sutro Baths with me!