Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Glimmer

This week got off to a craptastic start. Epically craptastic. I won't bore you with all the details but it was not a good day at work. As a result, I worked 14+ hours and got about 4 hours of sleep on Monday night.

Hence the post-free day yesterday. I just didn't have the mental dexterity yesterday to answer the 10 on Tuesday questions.

But yesterday was a much better day. It was the day of the National Sales Conference that my employer hosts twice a year. I just joined my company in October, so this was my first Sales Conference. I had heard about it, but it's something you have to see to understand. It was a really cool presentation on the initiatives we'll implement in 2010. Sometimes the corporate initiative mumbo-jumbo can bore a person to tears, but they were able to present the information in a manner that was interesting and engaging. The 4.5 hours flew by.

Yesterday I got a glimpse of the company culture that was sold to me during the recruitment process. That buzz I felt when interviewing returned.

And for the first time in months, I found myself grinning ear to ear when thinking of my employer. I remembered what it was that attracted me to this employer in the first place.

So while I don't love the department I work in now, that's not to say I won't find a different area of the company that is a better fit. I might be a square peg in a round hole right now, but my employer saw something in me when they interviewed me. And I saw something in them which led me to accept the offer.

So it's just a matter of finding the square hole where I just might fit. Of course that is down the road since I will be in my role for at least 18 months.

But I'm feeling more optimistic about things.

Of course, the fact that they brought in big name talents, like Michael Buble, to sing a few songs sure helped foster those warm & fuzzy feelings. ;)

Is there anything specific that drew you to your current employer? If you are not working, what has attracted/will attract you to an employer?

16 comments:

Amber said...

I'm SO glad that you are feeling better after the sales conference yesterday!! I think you're right -there is a role for you SOMEWHERE In that company that will fit perfectly, just need to find it :)

I think this glimmer of hope came at the perfect time for you!!

I originally just applied for my job because I NEEDED an internship asap - but once I started working there I grew to love it. It's a company made up entirely of women (in-house) and they have a real cool approach to the work life/balance. As in, it's very important to them so come in when you can and leave when you want just get your work done. Healthy living and sustainability are also HUGE things for us so if I want to take an extra 30 mins or an hour during the day to hit the gym or yoga it's totally encouraged. Or if I'm coming in late because I want to go running in the morning, no problem! I absolutely LOVE the flexibility and the work life/balance of it!

Abby said...

I have second thoughts about the hospital that I chose during my sponsorship match up. I was drawn to it, because it is absolutely gorgeous. And quiet. You walk in to marble floors, and classical music is playing throughout. And I think that's what a hospital should be (such a healing environment!)

But, there are things I will miss out on because of my choice. They have no Labor & Delivery, Peds, or Psych. So I am unable to try out those areas if I wanted to.

But, we all get put in places in our career where we may *feel* stuck, but it's all part of the journey to advance to where we *want* to be and *fit in! I know you will get there, Lisa! I am so glad yesterday was a better day, and I hope that continues throughout the week! :)

Erin said...

I love the word "craptastic" :-) And I'm glad you had a bit of your excitement sparked again!

Well, my job has NOTHING to do with my degree, and I chose it for these reasons:

1) Their mission.
2) Super flexible hours (9-ish to 3-ish)
3) I knew it would be SO easy to leave once I had a baby - I've always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and knew that there were certain jobs that would REALLY be tempting for me NOT to give up.

Nora said...

As totally lame as this sounds, I wasn't attracted to my job at the time only by the prospect of being fresh out of college & having a monthly check/salary/benefits. And that's why I took it.

It's obviously grown on me over time since I've been here for five years! Now what attracts me is that we are small company so we all have input, I'm the youngest person here so my thought leadership is actually valued, it can be flexible if I need it to be (not as flexible as I'd like... yet), and we get a month of vacation a year! Now if only I started taking it... :)

Ah, Michael Buble. SWOON.

Emily Jane said...

It makes me so happy you're feeling better and I hope your week continues to pick up. What attracted me to where I am now was the non-profit environment, that these people actually CARED about people and not about making money! Even if I am being laid off in a couple of weeks, I hope I can find somewhere with a similar mentality :)

Mandy said...

I am glad that you had that feeling yesterday. Sometimes that little spark of hope is all you need to make that push forward and find what fits best for you.

What drew me to my company was that it was housed on academic campus, with all the perks of being on an academic campus. It was a complete change of pace from my previous position.

qwerkyqook said...

Michael Buble! awesome! I'm glad your meeting went well. liking the company and vision is so important. Sometimes you have to just jump in to figure out where you really fit in the end. Maybe like renting an apt in a new city before finding your house...or something.

Marlys said...

AWESOME! I am so delighted that yesterday was such a morale booster compared to Monday! Hang in there -and remember,"Never by other's good fortunes be vexed. Be happy they're happy - your turn may be next"!

Kelly said...

I'm sorry about Monday! But I'm glad Tuesday was better.

In teaching you don't get to be too picky about the culture of the school you are at- I only had a few interviews so I chose this job over another but mostly because of location. When I got the job though, I was happy that the atmosphere seemed like a lot of young, hard working teachers. I absolutely love the 3 other kindergarten teachers which is very lucky. I have a love/hate relationship with the rest of the school, some people are great and some or not, but such is everywhere right?

I hope your experience yesterday gave you some hope at work. It's terrible to hate where you are every day.

Kyla Roma said...

I'm so glad that you're feeling better about things- or that you've caught a glimpse at the bigger picture =)

What drew me to my current company is that I'm working for family, and after a series of really horrible work experiences that means I can finally relax and not worry about abusive managers. I'm also working part time and going to school part time, so this has allowed me to fast track my school and now that I'm done for the summer, it has allowed me to put all of my time towards starting my own business.

Or it will, next week when I'm not doing two people's jobs anymore =)

Cherry Blossoms said...

I was drawn to my school from the cute outdoor grounds it has, to the "homey" feel the front office has by how its decorated and how friendly my principal was. The fact that he was able to crack a joke with me prior to stepping into his office with a table full of people made me feel right at home!

aimee said...

14+ hours?! you poor thing. i'm glad to hear you're feeling a little more refreshed!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

In a lot of ways, jobs are like relationships. Something attracted each of you to each other ... and you have to figure out if going through some rough patches are worth it in the long run. I'm glad to hear you see real potential with your current company.

What attracted me to my current firm (where I've been for 10 years)? No more travel (my previous position consisted of 80% travel, usually to the west coast). A close relationship with 2 out of the 3 owners (I had worked with them at my previous firm). Flexibility. Trust. Work-life balance. And those are the reasons I've stayed as long as I have.

Lisa-Marie said...

Hurrah! I am so, so glad you got some of your work mojo back!

We both know I frickin love my job - lovely employers, playing with kids, wearing jeans and t-shirts!

J said...

I think you and me both are having a rough work week! Cant wait for the weekend! I like the group I am in but not always the work but I do love the company and I know I will get to do other things as I get more experience so its worth the wait. YOu gotta start at the bottom and climb to the top!

Anais said...

I love hearing how optimistic you are about your job :) I think we all need to hear that once in a while, it doesn't just have to apply to jobs either!