Job Update

I promised earlier this week that I would tell you all about my new job.

Obviously, out of respect and privacy of my employer, I'm going to keep the in-depth discussion to a minimum, but I will give you an update.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job.

 I've already been to court, drafted legal documents, and helped clients through their questions. I've learned so much in two short weeks and I'm constantly feeling stimulated and challenged.  

I really like the people I work with. The attorneys are fun and more than willing to teach me the job. The owner and his wife (our office manager) have been nothing short of pure  encouragement and brutal honesty. I am still trying to build a relationship with the paralegals, but so far things are good there too.

The hours are long. I'm usually in by 7:30-8a.m. and out the door around 6p.m. I still coach the late class two night per week, so I'm pulling 55-hour weeks. This week was harder as far as getting enough sleep without totally neglecting my husband, the dog, and stuff around the house. I think another week or so and I'll find that balance.

Ultimately, I'm tired, happy, and incredibly fulfilled.

I know the "honeymoon phase" will die out eventually, but hopefully, when it does, I'm left with a great job, people I enjoy working with, and a solid career base to start from!

About that time I interview in sweats...and got the job!

I have been sitting on some wonderful news for a couple of days now because I couldn't share it publicly until I had a firm offer and had resigned from my previous job. Now that all the formalities are taken care of, I can share with you: 

I got a new job! 

I was hired as an attorney at a law firm here in Colorado. It is such an amazing opportunity and right in line with where I see my career going, so I'm sure you can imagine how thrilled I am. 

Before I give too many details, I want to back up and tell you the story. 

For a couple months, I had sent out resumes to jobs that appeared to fit with my goals. There weren't too many, but I wanted to throw my hat in just in case an amazing opportunity arose. So, when an advertisement for a Paralegal appeared in Craigslist, I sent off my resume. I figured that even though I didn't want to be a paralegal for too long, I could show them what a kick-ass attorney I could be for their firm.
Still, it was a long shot that they'd call. 

They did. The next day. And I threw on my best suit, printed out my references list, and interviewed with their newest attorney would desperately needed a paralegal. We quickly determined that even though I was over-qualified for that position, there might be another fit for me. As I left, I overheard him ask the receptionist to "put this resume on Nate's desk for immediate review." 

The next afternoon, they called again. This time, the owner of the firm wanted to meet with me: "Can you come over here right now? You don't need to be dressed up or prepare, just come over so we can meet you." I was already sitting in the parking lot of the gym where I coach, wearing sweats and flip flops, so I told her I couldn't.  After comparing calendars for a few minutes, she replied "look, he wants to meet with you right away, so I don't even want to look past tomorrow for times."

I told her I was about to coach a gymnastics class, but I could come to the office afterwards. I informed her that not only was I dressed casually, I was wearing sweats. She assured me that was perfectly fine, so after my class I headed over the the law firm and met with the head attorney. 

We talked for almost 2 hours, both about professional things and just getting to know each other. I quickly forgot how I was dressed and instead found myself very comfortable. His wife, the office manager, joined us for the meeting and I left feeling welcomed and confident I would receive a job offer. But I had the weekend to wait.

Monday rolled around and I received a text late in the evening offering me the job and by Wednesday I was sitting in the office (more appropriately dressed this time) working out the details of my employment. 

It's crazy to think that I applied for a paralegal job, on a whim that they might need an attorney, attended my second interview in sweats from the gym, and was still offered the job. It goes against everything you're taught in law school - about attire and professionalism - but I can't begin to tell you how right it all was. 

And ultimately, if you really want to get to know someone and learn if they are a right fit for your company, all the suit and formality does is get in the way. This week, I was offered a dream job and a new crop of friends all in one fell swoop. And I did it in sweat pants!

Saturday Share: Great Business and Networking Resources

A couple weeks ago, I had coffee with a military spouse who also happens to be a licensed Psychologist. Smart, driven, and completely lost on how to build a business in a brand new state. She asked if she could pick my brain about networking and building contacts when you're starting from scratch. 

I didn't know going into our coffee date, what I would tell her. I honestly wasn't sure if I was a great networker or just got lucky when I moved to Colorado. A few minutes in, I started spouting off the resources I used to find groups, certain personality skills I developed to help with the face-to-face interactions, and how I track my networking contacts. She looked at me, wide-eyed, and said: "so you're basically a networking genius." 

I smiled and responded that it was mostly luck and high-level organization that made my method a success. I also reminded her that it might not work for everyone in every field. But it had worked for me and, yes, I was pretty good at it.

So, today, I put together some resources to help build networking skills. Whether you're a budding photog trying to get your portfolio out there or a licensed psychologist trying to build a practice, there will be something here to help you with that endeavor. As always, email me if you have any questions!

In General

How to Make a Good First Impression - via Money Crashers

In-Person Networking, Like a Boss - via Successful Military Wife

The Power of Personal Networks - via Get Rich Slowly

How to Build a Personal Network (Genuinely) - via Lifehacker

The specifics

How to Professionally Promote your Friends - via Corporette

How to Network at a Conference - via Corporette

Tips for Staying in Touch with your Network - via The Levo League

My Time at the Academy

A few weeks ago, I was asked to represent my company at a Hiring our Heroes event at the Air Force Academy. {Side note: the Academy campus is gorgeous.  The event was a mentoring event for military spouses searching for work and I was asked to attend as a mentor. My role was to answer any questions the job-seekers had and help them navigate the career fair scheduled for the following day.

The event was Wednesday and it was, without a doubt, one of the coolest experiences I've ever had. First, to be considered knowledgeable enough to be a mentor was a major compliment. Second, it's no secret that I have a huge passion for empowering military spouses to pursue education and careers. Finally, I got to meet tons of wonderful spouses, employers, and significant community members - meaning I made friends and business contacts!

If you have the opportunity to attend, even if you are not a job-seeker, do it! The program, while practically brand new, has done phenomenal things for military spouse careers and they continue to be a leader in the jobs movement for spouses around the nation. Even as a mentor, I learned so much from the event and found myself soaking up the information and mingling the event offered. Here are the upcoming spouse events and they are all located on or near major military installations around the country. 

Seriously, go.

I'm grateful to MSJDN for telling me about the event many months ago, to my company for making the connection with event coordinators, and to my branch manager for believing in me enough to allow me this wonderful experience. I hope to build on these experiences and create meaningful, long-lasting relationships in the military and my community.

Redemption

Do you remember this post? 

Well, yesterday I re-took the exam and I passed! I am so grateful to be over that hurdle so I can start building my business and, more importantly, start making money at it! 

It felt great to go into the exam knowing what to expect, which I guess is an advantage to taking it more than once. But it felt even better to click "calculate results" and see "PASS" in big, black letters. 

On my drive back from the testing center, I blasted the music with the windows down (it was a beautiful 70-degree day, unlike today's 20 degrees and 50 mph winds!) and simply reveled in my accomplishment. This isn't meant to sound like bragging because, believe me, there was not a big margin between failing and my score. And I don't think I can even say I'm proud of the work, mostly relieved and just happy to be done.

The biggest thing I took away from the whole experience is self-teaching something new is really hard. You will at some point hit a wall and want to walk away. Instead, stick with it, find new ways to learn, and don't get discouraged. When you're done, you will not regret pushing yourself to learn something new!

Have you redeemed yourself recently for an earlier mistake? Tell me about it.

Don't lose your mojo when facing a setback

I'm not perfect. I am smart and dedicated. I work hard and I have accomplished many great things. I treat people well and love my husband with everything I've got.

But I still fall short sometimes. We all fall short sometimes.

Recently, I failed one of my license exams. It was tough materials, with a lot of numbers and difficult computations. I regrouped and studied again and passed the second time around. Then, last week, I failed another one. This time, the material was law based and even though there were some difficult concepts, I thought I had it all down. 

I was floored and I spent the next couple hours beating myself up mentally over my mistakes.

On the first test, it was easy to forgive myself because the concepts were so foreign to me. I knew absolutely nothing about mutual funds and stock pricing and how to calculate yields. On the second test, however, I didn't have that excuse. The subjects were analytical, legal and business oriented. These are things I know. Things I went to school. Things I've already proven my knowledge of when I passed the bar exam.

After I had a few hours to get sad, then mad, embarrassed, and finally calm, I pulled out the test results. I realized that I actually knocked the law section out of the park. The topics that I did not excel at were the topics revisited from the first exam. It makes a lot more sense that the concepts I struggled with the first time would give me additional difficulty on the second exam.

Finally, I was able to regroup and decide a new course of action. I sat down and developed a study plan for the next month, biting off small sections of information each day and incorporating an array of learning techniques. I created a plan similar to the bar exam by giving time to each subject individually and readdressing them at the end of each week. 

I also used that time to touch base with my energy and my passion - to hang on to my mojo. I needed to remember why I started this business and what I love about my job. It was (and still is) important to learn from my mistakes when it comes to studying and the material itself but also learn how to control my stress level and change my attitude so I can head off a similar mistake in the future.

I'm not perfect. I'm not going to win every time and I'm certainly not going to be the best at everything. We all make mistakes, in our personal lives and our professional ones.

Here is the best part: making mistakes is actually a good thing. It is life's way of teaching us valuable lessons and setting us back on a track for success. That is, when we forgive ourselves for those mistakes, keep our mojo, and learn how to do better the next time!

More resources: 

Don't Lose Your Mojo - LifeHealth Pro

3 Steps to Turn Setback into Success - The Daily Muse

My Interview for the Successful Military Wife

Two weeks ago, I had the sheer pleasure of having a Skype date with the ever-so-lovely Kaye Putnam. She is the brain (and personality) behind The Successful Military Wife and she also advises business owners (with special focus on military spouse owners) on marketing their businesses for portability. 

{courtesy of Kaye}

The fact that military spouses need help in business and careers is not new - this is a fight many of our leaders (and us) have been fighting for years. The way Kaye brings the information to the table, however, is quite remarkable. One of the best pieces of advice I've garnered from her site is that you can't just be "good" at business, you have a be a good and likable person too! 

In fact, Kaye recently ran a three-part article discussing ways to be remarkably liked so people flock to your business.

{courtesy of Kaye}

And really, if you think about it, that makes perfect sense. If you are likable, interesting, charming, and even funny, you are going to make more friends, networking easier, and build a stronger base of support around you. Those are the components necessary to successful business. 

When I first ran across her site, I felt compelled to connect with Kaye. I have always had a passion for encouraging spouses to pursue their education and career dreams and I knew I wanted to help her in any way I could. She emailed me back (almost instantly) and asked for an interview. I was thrilled. 

And then I was nervous. What made me an expert in business? Certainly not the fact that I am slowly making my way through starting my own. Nor the fact that I went to law school and focused on business law. Those are just pieces of paper. Nevertheless, the Skype interview went swimingly (it helps when the interviewer is so delightful and puts you at ease immediately!) 

Even after she excitedly sent me the link to the video, followed by "It's live" and a smiley-face emoticon, I was still nervous. How am I going to come off on this video? Will people think I know what the heck I'm talking about? Did I have anything in my teeth? 

Please head over to The Successful Military Wife and let me know what you think. (I don't have anything in my teeth, I already checked!) Also make sure you take the time to check out the other amazing features on her site. Thank you, Kaye, for spear-heading an amazing business and for inviting me to be a part of it!

 I hope that we can help other women to find the balance between pursuing their dreams and supporting their spouse all while navigating this crazy military life!

Continuing the pursuit of happiness

In January, I forced myself to admit a my feelings of inadequacy, monotony, and overall unhappiness with my life. Perhaps I was overreacting. I was certainly highly emotional. Yet, at the time, it was true and it was how I was feeling. And after putting those words on paper, seeing them in black-and-white, and talking them out with Al, I was forced to make a change. 

One of those changes is re-evaluating my goals and the things that make me happy. 

I've spent my entire life focusing on my career. I've invested time, a ridiculous amount of money, many sleepless nights, and even more tears, in pursuing my education and starting my career. I always believed that a large part of my identity, my heart, and my happiness was based on my education and work.

This week, however, I was faced with a big decision. Continue on my current path, pursuing a job only partially related to my field, that I only sort-of love, with higher pay and great opportunity - or, walk away and take an attorney job for less pay simply because it's what I really love to do.

Everyone I know would say to follow your dreams. I always told myself that if I didn't love what I do, it isn't worth doing. And while that may seem like an easy decision to some, it really isn't. After all, my passion and career options aren't the only considerations...

My current job allows for more flexibility (and more money) for starting a family. It is also keying me in to many networking groups and volunteer opportunities. And if I truly give it everything I've got, I can use it as a way to propel me into starting my own law practice down the road. (Say, when our debts are paid down and we've started our family.)

I also have to consider that Al wants to transition out the Army (at least active duty) and pursue his own career. He wants to start a business and finish his degree. And in order to support that transition, I need to be the primary bread-winner. I need to financially support our household when we leave military life behind for "the real world." 

So I reached the fork in the road and for a brief moment the hustle of the world slowed and my choice was clear. With teary eyes, I told Al, "I need to stick with my current path. It's hard to remember that while this job might not be my first choice or my whole passion, supporting our family is."

My priorities have changed and that just might be okay.

The MSJDN and getting published

I joined the MSJDN (Military Spouse JD Network) before I had even completed law school. It is an amazing network of military spouses who also happen to be attorneys. The primary purpose of the organization is to initiate change in the registration and licensing requirements of attorneys to allow for more reciprocity for military spouses. As it stands, most states require an attorney to pass their bar exam as well as pay to receive their license in each state they wish to practice. I'm sure you can see the difficulty this poses for military spouses. Not only is licensing expensive and time-consuming, it often leaves the spouse with a very short period of time to practice in a given state before a PCS - thus making it even more difficult to get experience and build a client base - both vital to the practice of law. 

I am lucky in that we are not going to face another PCS. I will be able to establish my business here in Colorado without the fear of moving again. Even in my case, however, there are complications. Eventually, I would like to move back to Minnesota and I would like my business to be as portable as possible when that happens. With the current licensing requirements, that would not be possible. Therefore, the mission of MSJDN is vital to my career and the hundreds (yes, there are that many of us) mil-spouse attorneys out there.

My personal involvement in MSJDN has been limited so far. I attended an event here at Ft. Carson as a representative of the MSJDN. After that event, I was asked to write an article about that experience and the organizations that assist military personnel with their legal matters. This month, when the newsletter came out I found my article on the FRONT PAGE! I was stoked that the topic (and my writing, I presume) was important enough to be on the front page of the newsletter. With my name in little black typeface just below it.

Even without that moment of personal pride, I am thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful organization, made up of so many fantastic, career-driven, and devoted milspouse I've ever met. Thank you, MSJDN, for some amazing opportunities and I cannot wait to be a part of many more in 2013!

Reflections on 2012

Today is the last day of 2012.

It is amazing to look back on the year and remember everything I experienced, accomplished, and enjoyed. It truly was a year of blessings, new adventures and hard-work. 

Here is the break-down:

In January I started my final semester of law school and Al and I celebrated our first year of marriage. In February we PCS'd to Ft. Carson, Colorado and in March I spent Spring Break in Colorado getting settled in. At the beginning of April, I was fortunate enough to travel to Washington D.C. (a beloved city) and coach a moot court competition. Also in April, I took up boxing - something I've always wanted to do - and hope to continue the sport in 2013. On May 1st (less than 24-hours after my last exam), I packed my car and drove the 14-hour drive from Minnesota to Colorado. We were able to celebrate our birthdays together for the first time. Finally, in May, I graduated from law school!!! In June I started a new career in finance, unsure of whether I would enjoy ir or even be any good at it. And at the end of July, after studying most of my summer, I sat for the Colorado Bar Exam. When August rolled around, Al and I made the decision to buy a house (a BIG house!) and in September we moved in and immediately started renovations. In October, I had two wonderful surprises when my favorite people visited from Minnesota and I got the news that I passed the bar exam!! November was mostly centered around work and the house (but I voted) and building our great new friendships. When December rolled around, we were thrilled to visit Minnesota and see family and friends.

At the beginning of the year, I created a list of 12 goals that I wanted to accomplish this year. They were not the standard set of goals, but more like a set of guidelines on how I wanted to live in 2012. You can see the journey as I checked in on those goals throughout the year (click here). I looked back over those goals for one last time today and I am pleased with what I accomplished. Life is fluid and some goals have to be as well, but I got so many wonderful things out of the goals I set for the year that I consider it a success.

For 2013, I decided to simplify those goals a bit and to make them more manageable. I want to head into the new year with a clear focus so I can advance myself professionally and personally and make this year even better than those before. I will debut those goals tomorrow, so stay tuned!

One last reflective thought: In 2008, on New Years Eve, I reconnected with an old friend and invited him to accompany me to a NYE party. We played blackjack with a kiss as the high stakes. We drank and laughed and found that our friendship felt like a little more. That friend is now my husband and I am full of joy knowing that four years after that party, we are lucky enough to curl up in front of our fireplace and toast to the new year together. Now, as the calendar rolls over into 2013, I can hardly wait to see what the new year will hold!

Cheers and Aud Lang Syne.

Show and Tell Monday: My Man

I am in Denver for the day for the Colorado swearing-in ceremony! By the end of the day, I will officially, legally, actually BE an attorney. How surreal is that? I have literally spent my entire life working for this moment and am thrilled that it has all come together. I'll be sure to give you the recap as soon as I return!

In the meantime, I decided to link-up with From Mrs. To Mama for Show n' Tell Monday rather. Today's theme is "How I met your father" or show n' tell your man!

1. Tell us how you met your husband and what first attracted you to him.
I first met Al about 8 years ago. We worked for the same company, me in the office and him out in the production plant. At the time we were just friends, and I was too young to know what I wanted in a relationship, so it wasn't until 4 years later that I "fell for him." I was most attracted to his sweet nature and sense of humor. 
Read more about our story here.

2. Show us the very first (or an early) photo of you two.
I don't have any photos from that early time because we were only friends for a few months before he left for the Army. This picture is from what I would call our first date:

NYE 2008
And these are from the first few months we were dating (about 4 years ago):

 Attending a wedding, January 2009

Hiking, El Paso, TX, February 2009

3. Tell us some of your favorite memories together.
One of my favorite memories is from very early in our relationship. We had visited a water park and decided to hit the DQ drive-thru on the way back. The drive-thru was poorly marked and didn't have an arrow so we accidentally drove in backwards. Rather than turn around, AL ordered and pulled up to the window backwards - with me facing the  window. It probably isn't that funny to most people, but I was in hysterics. 
I've written about many of our other memories here.

4. Tell us what qualities make him "the one." 
He is not afraid to be himself - beer tats and all:

(yep. that's my man.)
He is kind and loyal. He is smart and incredibly funny. He is genuine and trustworthy.

He sees love and respect as unconditional and simple concepts. He gives so much of himself for his friends and family and always puts others first. 

(See! Total weirdo!)

And, at the end of the day, we balance each other out, push each other towards success, and make each other laugh.  

5. Tell us what your date nights typically look like.

4-wheeling in Minnesota, March 2009

 Drinks at Lavo nightclub in Las Vegas, April 2009

 Outdoor concert, Ft. Bliss, TX, July 2011

We both really enjoy good food so more often than not, we will cook a nice dinner at home or try out a new restaurant. We prefer low-cost dates so most of the time we'll pick up ice cream cones and drive around exploring our city - drive up the mountain to a park or ogle expensive houses in a high-end neighborhood. Really though, after spending so much of our relationship apart, curling up on the couch with popcorn and a movie is good enough for us (so long as once in a while, I can put on a great pair of heels and some red lipstick and head out on the town!)

Holy crap, I passed the bar!!

On Thursday, around 10AM, the Colorado Supreme Court released the list of those who passed the bar exam. I frantically searched through the names until my eyes fell on my own name. That's right, I passed the bar exam! 

I can't even explain my excitement when I saw my name on that list.

More than excitement, though, was relief.

When it comes to standardized tests, I have never been at the top of my game.

There are two key things (other than knowing the information itself) when it comes to these exams: time management and efficiently ruling-out the right answers. For me, time management was never the issue. In fact, I'm a fast test-taker. So fast that I don't carefully read questions and make a mistake that would easily be avoided if I simply read the question! 

All this in mind, there was a part of me that really, truly, thought I was going to fail.

I know that sounds silly. I am confident in myself, but I am also realistic when it comes to my strengths and weaknesses. 

I am smart. I will make a damn good lawyer. But I am not a good test-taker. So the reality was that I could, quite legitimately, fail the bar exam. 

Instead, I passed. I passed the bar.

Three years of law school. Three months of exam studying. It all paid off.

In a few weeks, I get sworn in and can officially practice law in the state of Colorado.

Just call me Mrs. JD!

Let Go and Let God

I leave for Denver early tomorrow for Day 1 of the bar exam. I am staying at a hotel a few blocks from the exam center so I can relax and get a good night sleep for Day 2 on Wednesday. 


I have experienced severe lethargy and complete panic. I have cried (for hours, maybe even days) and I have been a neglectful wife, daughter and friend. After months of class and weeks of prep-work there are still topics I know nothing about. (Seriously. WTH is the difference between holder and bearer paper when dealing with commercial paper liability? It's OK...I don't know either.) But, there are some topics that I feel really good about. Better yet, I feel prepared for the time-management aspect, which is a challenge in itself.  


And I'm not the only one with a rock in my stomach and little doubt in my heart. In fact, I have many friends back in Minnesota experiencing those same feelings. Even more, hundreds of people have gone before us. Some have passed. Others have magnificently failed. But, regardless of that, most of them are great lawyers and even more are totally fab people.


I am packed. I am well-rested and I am as prepared as I could ever be. 
All I can do now is close my eyes, let go, and let God.

Fashion Friday: Catching Up

I am on my last couple days of studying before the BIG exam on Tuesday/Wednesday. Even though I don't have a lot of time to put together a Fashion Friday post, I wanted to at least stop by and share with you some great articles that help with dressing professionally. 

How to Wear Flats to Work - via Stylized Existence

Tips for dressing professionally in the heat: 

Dressing for Success is Challenging in Hot, Steamy Weather - via Best Friends at the Bar 

Working: When Dressing Cool for the Summer Isn't Cool - via The Washington Post 

Dressing Professionally for Summer - via Corporette

My favorite article: 

8 Items you Must Have in Your Desk to Fix Outfit Mishaps - via The Grindstone (so helpful!)

As always, you can adapt the tips to fit with your particular workplace or profession - not all of them will be as strict as the legal profession is, and not all offices have the same rules! A good rule of thumb: watch what your bosses wear on casual Friday, for a work picnic, informal meeting, networking dinner and mimic those rules. If he/she is relaxed with an open blazer and tailored denim, you can probably dress similarly. 

Things that are always off-limits (not matter how hot you get): flip flops, shorts, t-shirts, ballcaps, unclean clothes, and too revealing clothes. Other than that, learn what works for your office and it should be a piece of cake! If you have any questions, email me or leave a comment! 

Fashion Friday: Outfit 1

 I had a job interview on Wednesday, which gave me the perfect opportunity to photograph my suit and share it with you. I consider this look to be a very basic, uber-professional look. It's not fancy, it's even a little boring, but it is the perfect no-fuss suit for an interview. 

In the photo, it looks black, but it's actually navy blue with a light pinstripe. You can see in the second photo, the mirrored buttons that add a little flair to the suit. I wore a ruched neckline, which adds a little dimension without being distracting. Finally, I wore nylons (gag!) and carried a structured work bag. Ultimately this is a basic professional wardrobe formula, which will never fail for an interview, formal work event, or a courtroom. 

Suit - Tahari / Top - Calvin Klein / Shoes - Thrifted / Bag - Target

Currently...

Stole this from Nicole, who stole it from someone else... 

READING Barbri. That's all I ever read these days. I'm one month from being able to read for fun again!! WRITING notes from the Evidence lecture LISTENING to the recap of the Evidence lecture THINKING Barbri is taking over my life and sitting by the pool would be a lot more fun than sitting at the library SMELLING nothing specific WISHING This barbri stuff was over and I had my license already! HOPING the next month goes fast! WEARING flip-flops, jean shorts, a turquoise tee and my hair in a braided bun = Summer! LOVING my husband, who is currently at home cleaning the entire house! WANTING coffee. A big mocha with an espresso double-shot! NEEDING a job, desperately. FEELING less nervous about this exam then I should be (time to face reality!) CLICKING through this video, hoping it is over soon!

Comfort Zone

While my top priority right now is getting through this pesky test in July, priority #2 has been finding a job. After all, the whole point of that expensive diploma was to be employed when I was done. And I could spout off all the reasons why finding a job is hard (the economy sucks, the attorney-market is narrow, I am too busy studying, blah-blah-blah) but those are merely excuses. So even though a part of me wants desperately to rest on those excuses, bury myself in BARBRI and enjoy the gorgeous Colorado summer, I just can't do that. I can't afford it. And I will not be happy, truly happy, if I'm sitting at home under-utilizing (if at all using) my education. 

As a step towards employment, I attended a job fair on post last week. I, fortunately, received a call back from a company I met with during that fair. Turns out, I had mingled with the president himself and must have impressed him, because I got a call the very next day. 

The down side: the job is in finance. Not as an attorney. Which doesn't mean it wouldn't be fulfilling or even a good career decision, it just means that it is way out of my comfort zone.  I have built my life and my career, on knowing what my skills and abilities are. I know I'll be a damn-good attorney. I know what I can do well, and I'm also honest with the areas in which I need improvement. But the financial business is so far out of my comfort zone and I have no clue whether I will be any good at it. It has taken me many adult years to stop making financial mistakes and to properly manage my household finances, let alone help with the financial planning of others. 

Can I really do this kind of job? 

This hesitation, and lack of confidence in my own skill-set, prevented me from calling the company back that first day (Friday). I mulled it over for the weekend and talked it out with Al and my mother, arriving at the conclusion that it certainly can't hurt to go to the interview. Then I ran across this article on Happy Go Legal: Leave your Comfort Zone; For your growth, for your business. Okay, okay. I get it. I can't hide from possible opportunities simply because I'm uncomfortable. If nothing else, I will make another business contact and get more interview practice for other possible opportunities. The best case scenario: I get a job I really enjoy, push myself to learn a new field, and make some money. (Which I really need!)

I did call back. The interview is in two weeks. Which gives me two weeks to pull my stomach out of my throat, learn what I can about the field and the company, and practice a few "fake-it-til-you-make-it" confidence boosters. Send out some prayers and wish me luck!

Love the Way You Miss Me

It could be because Al is in the field for the week, or it could be because Casey James has such a silky-smooth voice, or it could be the rock vibe to this song, but right now this song is where it's at!

I'm donning a suit and skipping BARBRI today in order to attend a job fair on post. I have a half-dozen copies of my resume, so I hope this pays off!


Happy Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday: Where I've Been

Remotely

As I write this, I am sitting in an office lobby waiting for my bus. Yes, my bus. I am an official commuter now since I take the bus from Colorado Springs up to Denver for class every day. I'm still not sold that this is the best way to commute, as I have to allow an extra hour each day to get to the bus station and I still have to catch the metro rail train  from the Denver bus station to the actual school. The first day I traveled this way I ended up spending 3 hours in a classroom, 3 hours waiting for trains and buses and 5 hours actually commuting. Needless to say, I was a miserable  person by the time I got home.

This is day two and now that I know what to expect, it's already going  better . Plus Al agreed to let me splurge  and buy a tablet PC with some of my graduation money. In fact, I am blogging  on it at this very moment. My tech-geek brain is loving the new toy. I think it will make the commute, the class, and my summer that much better.

The commuter bus has wifi, which I think is pretty stellar. As does the law school, coffee shop and train station, so I haven't  missed the 4G one bit. So far. I might decide that I want to pay to turn my phone inot a wifi  hotbot if I start feeling "disconnected " but that isn't great for the budget and for now this works just fine!

Man, oh man. What did people do before technology?