choose happiness

i came across another blogger's post with the same title. the author is an italian-new yorker living in paris. (this is her blog.) the title describes me at the moment. life has been a roller coaster but mostly a kiddie roller coaster. there has been no highs since i returned from france. at least nothing on an exciting scale. the lows however have been low.

recently, i started to think positively (again). i started to appreciate the smaller things more (even though i've always liked the smaller things). i'm currently taking a yoga class twice a week in the morning (a positive side of being partially employed). i think this is going to be good for me in the long run. it will help create a routine and because it's a morning class, help me move away from sleeping in on the days i don't work. thinking positively is working so far.

as far as my career path, i've put the whole idea of going into international development on hold. i'm not sure about it anymore. i've been waiting for guidance (intuition) on which step to take next but nothing happens. i don't feel anything about pursuing a degree in this field anymore which isn't a good thing. tomorrow, i'm going to look into another possible career path which will involve volunteering, again. we'll see how that goes.

also, i have come across a few blogs of americans living in paris. tales from the chambre de bonne, the one mentioned earlier in the post, is one of them. i recommend it if you like humor, the other is je parle americain. i had stopped following american expats in paris blogs for awhile. a few just wasn't the type of blog i was looking for. for a few, the authors had moved. i think reading these two blogs will help me to dream again.

mispronounced names

for someone like myself, my first and last name (especially my last name) is difficult to pronounce. sometimes i don't bother telling people how to pronounce my last name (and once i let my prof in college mispronounce my first name for an entire quarter). i've even given an easier pronunciation of my last name in college.

today while catching up on ask a manager, she mentioned that she saw a colleague with a button under her email signature that states, "hear my name." her colleague used audio name. you can call the service, in your own voice, record the correct pronunciation of your name, and use that wherever needed (more so in business communications, i'm assuming). what a great idea. it is for use on online social networking sites (and anywhere else online that you need. although a link to one's name on a business card could also be something to consider.)

hiding gaps on resumes

gaps are always icky. no one likes them on a resume. mine are pretty big - and it was all my doing. after i sent in my resume, i did some research on what to keep on a resume and what to leave off. the expert, a hiring manager, said that your resume is a marketing tool and should only have things on there that will make you look good. kinda obvious. however, after looking at my resume (which had already been sent just a few minutes ago), i realized mine did not fit that description. i was horrified. the resume i had sent was written last year when i had no relevant work experience. i was applying for an internship. a year later, i now have that internship, my volunteer experience and current job (same) to list. the resume i sent was like someone wearing a tight shirt and did not have a fit body: it just shows all the lumps and bumps or with my resume, my employment gaps. oy.

for the second resume i sent out, because i decided to delete the volunteer section of my resume and combine that under the work experience section, i now have no gaps on my resume. yes, my work history only goes back to last year (?) but there are no gaps. my point is if you have a employment gap, before it gets big, go volunteer (find something relevant) while looking for work.

as for the expert i was talking about earlier, her name is alison green and she has a blog, ask a manager. it has tons of information. (maybe more suited for north americans). i love reading the comments because the other readers share their experiences and insight. it is very helpful.

what i've been waiting for

today, i decided to turn my job search in a different direction. until today, i always looked for jobs similar to what i'm doing now: entry level office work and data entry. from my online research, i looked into an area that i had not considered before. the advice was to look into the things that you do without thinking at work but isn't part of your job description (because it points to what you're good at). for me that is research. (also, i love solving problems but not technical problems or problems that need a master's degree to solve. i just like to solve problems to make things run more efficiently.) so i looked through one online job search engine. i scrolled through several pages of medical research positions and computer science-related research positions, and others that required a very technical degree or knowledge. finally, i saw something interesting. the position ended up being not a good match  but i looked up the company anyway. they are a nonprofit "research, development, and service agency, [that] works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults." i can not tell you how excited i was after reading that. i currently work at a local branch of a nonprofit that deals with something very similar:  after school care and programming for k-12 students and this nonprofit is more on the research end of things.

so i look on their website. they have a branch not far from where i work now. problem is, that branch does not have a human resources department. the only way to apply is to apply online for a posted position and that would get sent to their headquarters in san francisco. there is only a postal address but i don't think sending my resume would be appropriate. there isn't an open position that pertains to me yet. luckily, i have someone to ask about this. just sent her an email.

anyhow,  i looked up their current employees. (there's a list on their website.) one person started out at the organization doing what i'm doing now (data entry). at the end of the bio it stated his degree and alma mater. his bachelors degree was in drama (mine was in studio art) and he went to the same university i did. (how bizarre). at least i know i qualify for the position i want (that it doesn't require a master's degree).

now i just have to get to work on crafting my cover letter.

update: i went to bed and realized i couldn't just send in my resume. i would have to wait for something to open. the person i asked said the same thing. still, a breakthrough in my job search.