job resolutions/ job emergency fund/ career success

Jan. 10 Job resolutions: Office job: In 2012, I made the resolution to get an office job.  I did get one at the Switchboard.  It wasn't very good.  Or it wasn't a really good fit for me.  It seems like you have to work very hard and learn a lot of things and you were only compensated for $11/hr.  I was there for one day to do a job shadow/ training, and I knew it wasn't for me. I then got an office job at this lab.  I did one day job shadowing/ training too.  I knew that I didn't like it and I know I won't be getting good at it.  So I decided not to take it. Make more money: That was my other resolution.  It's kind of a vague goal, because what are the steps to achieving it?  Well my restaurant increased my hours.  I always take extra shifts or hours when someone or another department needs me. I was able to make $2000 more this year because I took on those extra temporary part-time jobs. Quote: I put this in collection of quotes. “Wealth, in general, cannot prevent bad things from happening.  However, wealth used wisely and proactively can increase the odds of good things happening.” –Jason Heath (financial planner and writer for the National Post) Job emergency fund: Here are some real life examples on why you should save your money. A couple of months ago I was talking to my friend Sherry and she told me about a time that she had this job that she hated.  She wanted to quit, but she didn't have enough money to live off of without a job.  She had to keep working awhile more before she had enough money and quit. On a more positive note, I was recently reading the Globe and Mail business article about this East Indian woman.  She had found this dream job in HR and she flew from Toronto to Edmonton to do a job interview.  She had applied, wrote a cover letter, done some test and did the interview.  She didn't get hired. She thought the job was the perfect fit for her.  She kept emailing the HR once a month to keep her on their mind without annoying them.  She turned down 4 job offers because she really wanted this one.  Then she got a good offer for a good company.  She did say something along the lines of: "Fortunately I have saved a lot of money and could be unemployed for awhile." She has been there for 3 yrs now. 13 money lies: I was on Yahoo and there's this article that said "13 Money Lies You Should Stop Telling Yourself."  Each has a paragraph and an example. #2 is like "Ignorance is bliss."  Well, it isn't.  What I learned when I was in high school is this: Ignoring a problem is not going to make it go away. Most of these are delusions.  Reality can be hard, but you have to deal with finances. 1. So long as a job pays well, it's okay if I hate it. 2. If I turn a blind eye, somehow my finances will figure themselves out. 3. I should get married, because it's the "next step." 4. Banks and bill collectors will get their way no matter what I do. 5. I should buy a home because that's what grownups do. 6. If I start dipping into my savings now, I'll have plenty of time to make up for it later. 7. I'm too inexperienced to start investing. 8. I'm a failure because I'm not getting paid as much as other people my age. 9. I can still afford to eat like I'm 16. 10. I can still pull off the outfits I wore in college. 11. If I get approved for new credit, obviously I can handle it. 12. I should have kids now because I want them. 13. I'm pretty much invincible. http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/13-money-lies-you-should-stop-telling-yourself-by-age-30-190805632.html Jan. 11: With #1, I would tweak it to: "hate" to "tolerate." Metafore: I got this technical writer position emailed to me for the IT company Metafore.  I thought it was a writer company because it seemed to be "metaphor."  The position needed someone with 5 yrs experience. I did find their link with job tips helpful:  http://www.metafore.ca/content/Get_the_Job.aspx Flashback: I had done a job interview for an office.  It reminded me that I had done an interview there before 5 yrs ago.  I didn't get the position, but that's fine.  It was through a staffing agency, and I didn't know they were bad back then.  I remembered that I didn't bring a piece of paper, pen, and notes of research with me. It wasn't a complete flop since I showed up on time, and dressed well.  However, I was just out of college and I was 22.  I would say 2010, 2011, and 2012 were very educational years where I learned a lot about careers, jobs, job search, interviews because I was out there in the world experiencing and learning all those things. Jan. 12: I wanted to add that I have been to only 3 office interviews in 2008.  One through the staffing agency, a bank, and that TV production company. In 2008, I did get an office job, but it didn't work out.  I will say I think I really pursued my passion to get my TV script produced in 2008 and 2009.  I was constantly emailing and pitching my The Vertex Fighter to all these TV production companies in Canada. Jan. 15 Lesson: Here's another example of the lesson: "Don't burn your bridges" at work.  My co-worker/ friend had gotten a job at this other restaurant.  She worked there for a month, and worked at my restaurant for one day a week.  She didn't like the other job, so she has now come back. If she had burn her bridges, then she may not have a job to come back to. Lynda Albertson sent me the article "30 Blogs with the Best Self-Help Advice" and one of them was Professional Success. http://www.nannybabysitter.com/blog/30-blogs-with-the-best-self-help-advice/ Career success: This article is on Psychology Today.com. I clicked on the article "Career Success Starts with a T."  I thought it stood for talent, but it's about the shape of the letter: "The vertical stem of the T is the foundation: an in-depth specialized knowledge in one or two fields. The horizontal crossbar refers to the complementary skills of communication (including negotiation), creativity, the ability to apply knowledge across disciplines, empathy (including the ability to see from other perspectives), and an understanding of fields outside your area of expertise." At the end of the article, it asks some in- depth questions: "Identify your core skills. Where do you have a depth of knowledge or expertise? How do you apply your skills and in what settings? What skills/knowledge do you need to develop?"