Friends, today I'm grateful for my work and most especially for my current job at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in NYC as the Minister of Music. Whew! It's awesome-sauce. I truly believe in my heart that all of my prior work as an office mistress, in HR and in sales coupled with my side jobs as an opera singer and voice teacher and other church work groomed me for my current role. Past work that I've done, most specifically as an artist, has been at times fulfilling but it was always gig to gig. This is the honest-to-goodness first time that I have consistent work that is both artistically fulfilling and a great service to others. And, to top it all off the staff is amazing. We all get along really well, there is incredible communication and most importantly we INSPIRE each other. Blessings abound! (Full disclosure-I came up with this post after we went to the local pub after a hard days work to celebrate our office administrators one year anniversary at the church. But really? How many times have you gone with your entire office to the pub and had a good time?).
There are a lot of you who read this who are currently working at jobs that are a real slog. Friends, I GET IT! I never felt comfortable working in an office. Yes, I'm well educated, competent, a quick learner and a quick worker, perky, get along with everyone, I'm creative and well organized. But this isn't my calling. I remember one job I was so bored that I produced my own concerts on the side and ordered more yarn on the internet than I know what to do with. I know of people who are tied to their jobs for a variety of reasons but who get physically ill at the thought of having to walk out the door. One person I know says that whenever he gets in the car to drive to work he just feels like the weight of the world comes crashing down on his shoulders and he can't shake the feeling. As much as I'm a proponent of just up and quitting and doing something else it isn't always the most prudent option and may be too drastic for some. That's OK. So how do you get through the grind and slog?
1) Keep your current resume up to date and send that baby out! Nothing is more exciting that putting your resume out in the world. Think of it as a game. Send out 5 a day. Beef up your cover letter writing skills. Find a really great, new interview suit just in case. Think about applying for jobs that would stretch your skills or that you would maybe need to take a pay-cut but in the long run would be more fulfilling than where you are now.
2) Want to learn some new skills? See if your company has a tuition reimbursement program. Just make sure what the company policy is for reimbursement in terms of you committing months/years of service in return. You don't want to learn a new and fabulous graphics program, get a new awesome-sauce job and then find out you owe a bucket of money to your former company. Ooopsie. No tuition reimbursement options? A lot of libraries have free computer program classes or investigate weekend classes at local community colleges. Or, pick up a 'dummy' book and teach yourself. This is how I learned excel.
3) Co-workers driving you nuts? Have a frank conversation with them. No reason to hold it in. Just be nice about it and make you listen more than talk.
4) Bored? Clean out your cubicle and Feng-shu your space. Can you listen to music in your cubicle? See about getting some new tunes.
5) Seriously stuck at the ol' job? Are there any projects that are interesting you want to work on? Can you help the IT guy with website maintenance or any IT projects? Do they need help in the creative department with an ad campaign? Accounting? HR? If there is an area that you are genuinely interested in that isn't in your current job description ask your boss about helping out with other projects or inquiring about any room for growth. It's cheaper to pile more work on you than to hire :)
6) Totally miserable, no room for growth and work with a bunch of morons and see no way out? Dream of hiding poop in your co-workers office (that was my best idea yet-didn't follow through but it helped me get through some loooong meetings). Friends, it's time to find something on the side that excites you and use your job to fund it. This would be a good time to just sit down and make a list of all the things you'd love to learn or pursue, start researching and checking those suckers off. Who knows what will happen and develop but it will keep your cooker fresh and ready for action. Keep an open mind and see what comes. I know of people who started things on the side-while at work at their old jobs-and ended up founding magazines, buying farms, writing books and becoming sewing teachers/experts etc. Just start something to ease your burdens.
My prayer and hope is that you all have fulfilled lives and find things that enhance that fulfillment....even if you have to work 9-5.
Buon Weekend Darlings!
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