The Job

I'm just about one month into the new job. So far, so good. Of course, it's not perfect, and of course I still have the rosy perspective of a newbie, but I am definitely happy (trust me, this is a big change in my life). Here are a few things I love about it so far. . . .

• My coworkers rock, and everyone is so focused on our mission. People seem to really care about what they do, and it's great to feel like part of a powerhouse working to help people move out of poverty.

• My office building is broken into little "suites," and all the coworkers in my suite happen to hate overhead office lighting, which is something I also loathe. Instead, we all turn off the overhead lights and use lamps. It feels so much more like a home office than an office building, and I am able to avoid migraine-inducing fluorescent lighting.

• I am totally getting the green light to run with my own ideas, to take the program in new directions, and to build my job duties around my strengths and interests. In some respects, my job is design-your-own job, and I have so many exciting projects ahead of me that are going to give me tremendous experience.

• Because we have to track so much outcome data for our programs, I spend a lot of time organizing things--creating spreadsheets, managing data and paperwork, etc. Even though sometimes this part of my job feels like glorified secretarial work, I secretly love it. I'm all about creating order, my friends, and I gain much satisfaction from my pretty spreadsheets.
  

• Most social service jobs--and many jobs like it--can feel so thankless at times. While you often work with many wonderful clients, you also tend to come across clients who are manipulative, have a sense of entitlement, or just don't have the ability to recognize the value of services (e.g., people with severe developmental disabilities). Among other things, my job involves enrolling low-income healthcare workers in free education and training programs so that they can advance their careers and make higher wages. In the last month, I have heard the words, "Thank you" and "Bless you" countless times when enrolling students in our classes. I think I have been blessed more times in the last month than I have been blessed in my entire life. Trust me, that is really something. And it really makes me feel like what I'm doing is so worthwhile.

• As added bonues: regular hours, great benefits, a lovely neighborhood for taking strolls during my lunch hour on beautiful spring days, and a two-story Target right down the street. I really do love that Target.