It's true. I love my job.

Additional job-related posts:

A typical day at work

A tour of my office

Have a wonderful Friday-Eve, lovely readers!

Welcome to my Office and Friends You Love Guest Post!

I'm guest posting at Life According to Amanda, for Friends you Love blog hop today!  It's just a little "about me" post - head over and say hi to Amanda for me!

I hope everyone is getting a little rest on this Labor Day.  I'm going to be spending my extra day out of the office watching the Office marathon on TBS!  And, oddly enough, ironing dress clothes for work.  Wow, everything about my day off relates to my office job. Maybe I need to re-think my plans!

In honor of Labor Day, I thought I would share a little about my work life.  Here are some shots of my office (taken with the phone, so please ignore the shoddiness):

{welcome}

 

{Forgive me, I graduated from MU 5 years ago but I still have a little school spirit!}

 

{When Marshall has a rough season, I like to look up and 

remind myself of the past. It helps... a little.}

{My teams! Still debating about what I should do with that Cavs pennant...}

{The green filing cabinet... I'm hoping that 

when I leave, they just give it to me.}

My office is pretty cool!  I actually miss it when I'm away from it for any extended length of time, because I love all of my stuff!  And now, for a little taste of how a typical day at my job is spent, check out one of my very first blog posts ever (no need to get too excited): A day @ the office.

Enjoy your day, friends! 

When You're the Baby of the Office (Problogger Challenge #2)

Five things I've learned as the youngest employee in the workplace:


1. It takes some time to earn respect.  When I first started working at my current job, I was fresh out of college, ready to dazzle everyone with my mad skillz, and I wanted them to know just how smart I was.  These things, my young working friends, take time to establish.  At first, my experienced co-workers were a little skeptical about my ability to do - well - everything.  I dropped the "hot college graduate" stuff and slowly but steadily displayed my responsibility and work ethic by jumping in to projects, offering to help others when help was needed, and completing my job tasks efficiently - and correctly.  I made sure to ask intelligent questions when I felt stuck or unsure of something I was working on.  These things, paired with perfect attendance and being nice to others, helped me to earn my co-workers' trust.  There truthfully is no better feeling!


2. The youngest tend to learn quicker.  With technology rapidly fueling changes around offices everywhere, the youngin's come in handy.  Experienced employees are getting tired of learning new stuff, and the newbies are eager beavers.  Soak up all the new info you can - it will benefit you down the road (when you're older, lazy, and tired of learning.)


3. It's next to impossible to change anything.  Positive change, negative change, even a change that would make little or no difference in anything at all really shakes up folks in the workplace.  When you're the youngest in the bunch, you need to be understanding of the fact that not everyone will be as enthusiastic as you hope about your brilliant ideas.  People tend to be set in their ways.  Be careful - and mindful - when making suggestions about work related matters to the older and wiser.   


4. It's normal to feel under-appreciated.  You think you're fabulous.  You think they think you're not fabulous.  Office babies are often asked to do what seems like every little thing, and may feel taken for granted.  Trust me on this - you're valuable in the workplace, and will be missed on the days you're out of the office.  Your co-workers will realize how much they appreciate their go-to resource, and will let you know about it upon your return.


5. Have patience.  You're young, you have a lot time to earn valuable work experience, and you'll gain tons of helpful insight from your supervisors that will help you in the future.  Be patient with those who are resistant to change, be patient when trying to establish yourself as a hard working, trustworthy employee, and be patient when your new ideas or suggestions are shot down at the meeting table. With time and patience, you'll gain a voice within your workplace and become that hot shot you so desired to be in the very beginning.  Or maybe you won't.  Either way, enjoy being the baby of the workplace because one day, you'll be the one some other kid is waiting on hand and foot.




*This was completed as part of the SITS/Problogger 31 Days to Building a Better Blog challenge!  
The second task in the challenge was to write a list post that breaks down the complicated and is easy to read.  I've used list posts in the past, because they are very easy to understand, and a nice way to organize thoughts.  I like reading lists posts because they are easy to follow and seem to hold my attention better than a longer post with several paragraphs.  Really, it depends on the topic.  I like writing list posts for the same reasons - easy organization, good to use when you can't seem to churn out an essay-type post that flows well, and quicker to develop.

Friday Free-Write #2

It's Friday... FINALLY! I've had a busy week. Work has definitely kept me on my toes throughout the last few days. My co-workers are learning to be resourceful, and unfortunately, I'm their resource for a lot of random stuff (usually computer-related). At the end of the day, after work, exercise, and dinner, I'm pretty much brain-dead. Anyway, I'm glad to be back in bloggy-land, and I'm predicting that this will be full of random thoughts.

On Tuesday, I traveled to a training in Columbus. I go to the same one every year - it's presented by my agency's national accrediting agency (can I use "agency" twice in one phrase?) and is a summary of business practice updates that we need to be aware of for the next fiscal year. Fabulous. I've done this four times now: same muffins, same juices, same weather (RAIN), same presenter, same training schedule typed in the same font (comic sans), same folders, same nametag (they make us recycle), same people, same stupid questions, same stupid answers. The only thing different this year was the location - but, I had been at that location before, for some other training on "benchmarking" (whatever that is). I've learned over the years that there are more breaks and eating than actual training at these things... I also learned that, at this particular training, "if you're going to wear something to the beach, you shouldn't wear it to the office". The hoity-toity lady gabbing about this during our lunch break was referring to those cute bermuda short suits you see in today's fashion magazines. Has she picked up a magazine lately? I'm thinking not, because she was dressed in a big long cream colored tweed shoulder-padded blazer with 80's pants pulled up to her chin, and big pink dots of blush all over her cheeks. Anyway, she continued griping about how lax dress codes are nowadays, and how everyone's wearing jeans every day of the week. And then, she continued on... jumping to Facebook, which she trashed non-stop for like 15 minutes. All the while i'm stabbing at my horribly undercooked chicken breast. Dress Code and Facebook are my two least favorite topics to discuss in the business casual working world, and I know this is because of the generation gap I come face to face with every single day. I see it - that gap - and how wide it is... so very wide. I think dress codes are fine - but I believe that if given the choice between ironed, dark rinse, well-fitting jeans with a classy pair of flats or heels, versus ill-fitting, wrinkly-a$$ khakis that are fraying at the bottom hem, I believe the jeans would be the most professional choice when it comes to "business casual". And Facebook? Let's just say this - if you suspect your employees are using it to contact clients, and you believe some unethical shizz is going down, grow some balls, then check their computer history, confirm your suspicions, confront, and DESTROY! Otherwise, shut the heck up... now I'm all heated!

I finally got my little toosh to the gym on Wednesday, where I couldn't stop watching some lady doing arm circles while riding the eliptical machine. I was amazed at her incredible balancing act, as well as the tufts of hair under her arms... kinda gross, I.M.O.! This wasn't stubble... it looked like Donald Trump's head! Yes, the Donald's head.. underneath each of her arms. Anyway, while I was analyzing said lady's armpits, I worked out for 75 minutes. And another 75 on Thursday. Then I went to Applebees and dive-bombed into a bowl of Three-Cheese-Chicken-Penne, because it was Friday-EVE and Todd's been doing some fantastic writing on his diss, so we had to celebrate somehow! I went home and took two fish oil capsules to balance out the cholesterol I ingested at dinner, LOL (I probably should have taken the whole bottle of fish oil.)

One of the most exciting parts of my week (seriously) was the release of the 2010 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Catalog online! My wishlist is made, and I've figured out my payment plan... I love Christmas Ornaments dearly, and Hallmark "ornies" are one of my favorite indulgments. Indulgents. Indulgaments... WHAT is the word??? For Pete's sake... INDULGENCES! Anyway, I have several favorites, but I literally fell in love at first site with The Dwight Schrute Bobblehead... I LOVE THE OFFICE! And I just started watching it this year (As of now, I've watched all of Seasons 1-4... ready to buy Season 5)! So hanging Dwight on my tree will be a perfect symbol of 2010. Ah... the little things.

I haven't been able to take some serious time out and paint something fantastic this week... I'm going to try to get on that this weekend! I will post photos of anything I happen to finish! I'm onto painting wooden signs - surprisingly, it's hard. Wooden signs, in general, are primitive looking and the simple quotes are painted on with a stencil. I'm doing it all free-handed, and trying to come up with other sayings besides "Simplicity", or, "love and happiness"... I like those, but I want to try my hand at something a little different. I'm cooking up a West Virginia/mountain themed sign, so we'll see if my little dream comes alive this weekend - stay tuned!

This week, I posted a facebook status regarding the new Pretzel M&Ms - the response was shockingly huge! So this weekend, be on the lookout for a blog dedicated to the many different kinds of M&Ms, and my "reviews" of each of them. Droooool...

Have a great weekend, my little blogsters!

The Office

In honor of it being Monday, the beginning of a new work week, I thought I might share with readers what I do on an average day at the Office.

6am - Rise & Shine! Hot Damn- another day, another dollar.

7am - My biggest chore of the day (getting ready) is done. (It honestly is the biggest chore because when the dress code is "business casual", i find myself standing in front of the closet for half an hour wondering just how far I can push the "casual" aspect of "business casual" each day. Does that mean a pair of nice jeans and a black blazer over a tee with some heels? Yyyyep.) I also make sure to throw the cat a toy and dart out the front door as he chases after it in the opposite direction. Shizzle, I forgot my phone!

7:15am - Arrive @ the office in Athens, Ohio, park car, swat away gnats that originate from the swampy area behind our parking lot, enter building, dump lunch in community fridge, unlock my office door - WOWZA I have a lot of Marshall Crap in here - check voicemails, turn on computer and Ipod Dock. It's going to be a lovely day.

7:30-11am Now the real fun happens! Sift through mail, organize, file, enter data, answer emails, answer phone if no one else can, converse with co-workers by yelling back and forth across the hallway, adjust the thermostat 900 times b/c it's never the right temperature in the building...ya know - do my officey-thing.

11am- 11:30am - PLAY (by eating as I check email, answer phones, browse the net. I do way more eating and browsing than anything... but only at playtime!)

11:30am-3pm - Continue to do "my thing" the rest of the afternoon.

3pm-3:30pm - Take agency mail to the post office and battle university traffic. This almost always includes nearly running over several college students on bikes with their Ipod earphones in.

3:30pm - ? - Work off daily stress at WellWorks, where the arc trainer almost always makes me want to vomit but i use it anyway.

Now, you're wondering a couple of things: "What kind of office do you work at?", and, "What is your THING?"My office is at drug/alcohol and mental health tx agency that serves Southeastern Ohio. Try to Google it based on the information i've given you - everyone likes a challenge!

"My thing" consists of a lot of things, and the longer i've worked for this agency, the more random stuff gets added to "My thing". I must say, I love the added random job duties, they keep the job interesting. Anyway, "My Thing" happens in Administration, where I am one half of the Quality Improvement Department. I get to do fun things like read incident reports, enter consumer surveys into a database, manage lots and lots of data in Microsoft Excel, produce quarterly and annual reports, attend and take minutes at monthly meetings, help in maintaining agency accreditations, etc. I began working @ the agency in the QI Dept. in July 2006. Since then, I have become the unofficial Microsoft Excel know-it-all geekazoid, so I help nearly every department at every location with their Excel questions/issues. I've built some pretty crazy spreadsheets in my time... Ohhhh yeah, I LUVVV me some spreadsheets. Especially with multi-colored tabs at the bottom. I developed the agency newsletter in 2007 and it's still going... I don't know if anyone is still reading it, but I'm still producing it. I also helped to makeover our agency website in 2009. I couldn't do too fascinating of a job, but it serves its purpose and I don't have any fancy schmancy web design software on my work computer anyway. I also smack around the postage machine when it isn't working correctly, scream at my printer as it spits paper across my office, help the executive admin with various computer tasks (chart building, oh yeah!) and visit with coworkers for a little chitty-chat every now and then. I also get to attend out of town trainings a couple times per year which is kinda nice - I'm real big on education. And we always make sure to celebrate birthdays with lots and lots and lots of cake and more cake. Sometimes Ice Cream, too.

I would have to say the biggest perk about where I work is my actual office. I'm lucky enough to have my very own, and it's completely covered in Thundering Herd banners, other sports team pennants, lots of photos, desk toys, and a fun Marshall rug. My office pairs nicely with the independent worker type of position i have. The second best perk is a tie between my co-workers and birthday parties. These three things mush together and form a pretty cool place to work, it being my first job out of college and all - Athens is small, so I'm pretty lucky. I do look forward to leaving, however - only because I know I will have to in a year. Todd will become Dr. Todd Ph.D. in less than a year, and away we'll go, to who knows where! Until then, I get to figure out what I would like to do with my life next. A master's degree? A whole new path in something ridiculously different than anything i've ever done? It won't be long until I'll be finding out. Until then, I'll just enjoy my days @ the office.

Speaking of The Office, which is a show I dearly LOVE, I recently took the Office Character Personality Quiz on NBC.com. The results were as follows: "You've got a split personality! You're most like JAN and PAM!" I think that's a pretty accurate result...