MOVING!!

I'm moving to a new site! Which I'm very excited about. And let me say it now...

Thank you thank you thank you to Todd Hiestand for his help on getting me set up. Because I'm really not that web savy, I just pretend to be at work.

So the question now becomes where can you find me. Which is simple really.

http://www.dorieannmorgan.com

In the words of my husband...

"And it's gonna be great!"

Internal Interviews: They already know the answers

So far today, I've experienced three internal interviews that all started with the line "well, this is a bit odd since I work with you everyday". Two of which also included the statement "I'm not really sure what to ask you since I already know you". And my personal favorite: "I didn't really you had a degree in small business!"

Apparently this isn't just a first for me.

If you ever search online for advice about internal interviews, you'll find that good information is hard to find and the information that is available is geared towards the mega corporations. I kept finding pages listing illegal interview questions and sneaky ways H.R. can get around it.

For example, they cannot ask me if I am married. Fair enough. But the interviewers are also the people who threw me a wedding shower at work.

They also cannot ask me if I have kids or if I plan to have kids. But some of the interviewers have gone out with me for drinks after work with my husband (where he told them we plan on waiting about four years).

Nothing illegal is being asked but could I still be discriminated against? These are people who already know more than they should. Like I said yesterday, maybe it isn't a win-win.

Maybe what all of this is telling me is that I need to be more guarded about my personal life at work. Which then of course leads me to the problem of how can I have a blended life if I have to unblend for eight to nine hour chunks each day.

Internal Interviews: Was this really a good idea?

I recently applied for an internal posting within my company and then had the chance to sit around and be paranoid for a while as they decided whether or not I was interview worthy. The whole situation is like dating gone horribly wrong – I’ve already been on this “date” for the last year and a half, I’ve asked to take the next step and the other person is standing there and thinking about it while I feel awkward.

Now that I’m trapped in the internal hiring process, it is really starting to click in my head how many problems really are in this system. I’d love to say that being promoted from within is a win-win situation for everyone but now I’m not entirely sure.

For starters, what is going to happen to your career within the company if you are not selected for the position? Will that be remembered in the future if you apply for other positions? For example, could the ABC department turn you down because if the XYZ department didn’t want you, there must be a reason? The last few days, I’ve been thinking about this like a marriage proposal – does the relationship really survive after a rejected proposal or does it just limp along until someone has the guts to call it quits?

Next problem: I would be moving out of an administrative role but it isn’t unreasonable to think that I could be perceived as the new department’s copy ‘n staple bitch. Would I forever be seen as the coffee girl or could a truly become a vital part of the new department? Would I really be able to make the impact I am capable of making?

Finally, if this new position should work out, I’d be leaving my present boss in a bit of a bind. She would have to cover the work I currently do until they find someone to replace me or I could be expected to cover both positions until someone new could be trained. I really don’t want to leave my current boss in a bad position (I have a really great working relationship with her) but at the same time, I don’t want to put myself in a bad starting position.

My big interview is scheduled for tomorrow so I’m hoping I’ll know by the end of the week how this will pan out for me. Keep your fingers crossed it works out well for me and I’ll keep you posted on the process this week.

Where is your faith?

I usually find myself painting Sunday mornings at church when I’m not helping in the nursery or Sunday School room. I am not sure if I would identify myself as an artist or a painter but it is something that I enjoy doing and it is relaxing for me.

This past week, I caught myself ignoring the sermon and letting my mind wander. Somehow, I ended up thinking about faith. Not in the God, Jesus, Allah, Yhwh, etc. sort of way but in the faith in life sort of way. We all have to have some sort of faith in the unexpected things that will happen each day.

Despite my tendency to have periods of radical doubt where I question Jesus and if I even believe in him as the son of God, I rarely question if I believe in God. I always think of God as the constant but I am starting to realize that God is not my only constant source of faith.

For example, I have faith that I will have work everyday, Monday through Friday. I don’t actually know yet that I will have work but I have faith that management won’t just close up shop in the middle of the night. I have faith that as long as I work hard, I will be employed.

I also have faith in my marriage. I have faith in my husband – that he will be a good provider and partner. I have faith that he will not cheat on me. I don’t know that he will or won’t be faithful but I will have faith until the moment one of us takes our last moments on this earth.

I have faith that the world is fundamentally good, despite some of the really messed up things that are happening right now. If I didn’t have that faith, then I wouldn’t be able to think about having kids. Because you can’t in good conscious bring new life into a place that you believe is bad or evil. And I have faith that this world can/will be made better within my lifetime.

I have faith that change will happen but it will not be permanent. I have faith that my hair will continue to grow but I do not know that it will happen until I see it grow longer. I can predict that this will happen and then I can observe when it does happen.

I have faith that I will not live forever. I have faith that I have this one life and that I cannot waste it (whether that be as a cube dweller or as a kept women). Death will not be certain until I experience it.

As people, we don’t have to believe in God or Jesus or any other spiritual path. But we do have to have faith in order to survive.

What do you have faith in? Are there areas of your life where your faith surprises you or confuses you?

Should we be breaking up?

There comes a time in every girl’s life where she truly has to ask herself – Am I happy with this vendor relationship? Or am I afraid that there just isn’t anything better out there? Is it time to break up?

Then she has to fire a vendor.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this for the last month or so. My favorite vendor to use sadly has my least favorite account rep. Ever. The woman is almost enough to make me drop the vendor altogether despite the fact that her organization meets my needs (and my company’s needs) best.

How do you know if it is time? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Does my account rep communicate well with me? This is usually the first sign of trouble. When your account rep stops returning your emails or phone calls, it quickly becomes obvious that the relationship isn’t working. But what about when the rep is slow to respond to questions or concerns but quick to place an order on your behalf? If your concerns are not addressed as quickly as your orders, speak up. And if you can’t reach a new agreement, request a new account rep before you become so frustrated you drop the vendor.

2. Does my account rep call me about price changes? If an item you order on a frequent basis goes up in price, your account rep should call you before the price change occurs. If this is something you discover on your own, a red flag should go up. The account rep is there to keep you, the customer, happy and informed. The time it takes to call or email you to alert you of a price change is nominal compared to the level of frustration you will experience when you discover these things on your own.

3. Does my account rep know what I look like? I have been working for my employer for a year and a half – and ordering from this vendor for just as long. I know her office is within a half hour of my office. Do I know what she looks like? No. Does she have a firm understanding of who my company is? Definitely not. Your account rep needs to know who you are in order to help your company best. A ten minute stop in to your office goes a long way. The rep doesn’t need to be my best friend but she should be comfortable leaving her office and stopping by mine with new catalogs and services at least once a year.

I didn’t spend too much time thinking about these questions until the situation had gotten out of hand. Asking for a new account rep is easier than switching vendors and most companies live by the rule that it is easier to keep a customer than find a new one. Sure, the conversation is a little awkward at best but at least you don’t have return each others stuff at the end of it.

Investing in You: Make wise choices

When I first got out of college, investing in me almost seemed silly. I had just spent 150k on an undergraduate education – wasn’t that enough? I didn’t need to worry about taking classes anymore, I was ready to hit the corporate world and look fabulous doing it.

As a result, I bought more suits than I probably needed, skimped on true professional development and then spent a year and a half at Starbucks trying to figure what it was that I really wanted to do. Those suits, that looked so fabulous at the time, are still sitting in my closet and rarely see the light of day.

Investing in you is important for every career but how you invest is the key. You can spend money to make sure you look the part but if you don’t have all of the skills (or at least a plan) to back it up, you aren’t going to get very far.

So. How to invest? How do we make wise choices when it comes to ourselves? These are a few of the ways I try to find a balance.

Clothes: Don’t stock up on business attire until you get the job. I have a ton of suits in my closet that I rarely wear. Why? Because the dress code at my job is Lab Casual. Had I waited until I had the job, I would have realized that client days at my office are few and far between.

Tip: Own enough suits to not repeat during the interview process. If you aren’t sure how many interviews are in the company’s process, make sure you have two suits. You can always play with accessories to change the look. Once you get the job, you’ll have a better idea of the clothes you will really need.

Classes: Continuing Education Credits (CEC) are your friend. It took me two years post-college to get back into the classroom. I was convinced that because I spent so much money on undergrad, I didn’t need to spend money on more classes until I either went to grad school or got my soul back from Sallie Mae. Sure, I can write a fabulous business plan but ask me to format it a certain way and I might not have the skills to back it up.

Tip: Figure out where your weak spots are and target those. It is far easier to stay in the classroom than to get back into it. I recently completed 9 weeks in a program about Microsoft Access and have now become my company’s go to person for Access help. I couldn’t have done it with a few CECs. It also keeps you occupied while you are looking for the job you really want and sets you ahead of the pack. The American Management Association also has some great courses that are offered at some local community colleges which can mean a savings in price for you ($400 versus $2000).

Vacation: If you burn yourself out from the beginning, you’re of no good. One of the ways I chronically neglect myself is by failing to get the rest I really need. After a while, I’m not only no good to my team but I’m of no good to myself. It can quickly place you in a vicious cycle that is overwhelming and just not effective. A vacation is your chance to invest in your mental health. A bonus is the first few days when you get back and you can attack your job with fresh eyes and ideas.

Tip: Find someone to hold you accountable to relax. For me, my husband is the one who makes sure I find the time (he has no problem saying that he needs a vacation whereas I always think I can put it off one more month). It helps to keep me in balance. For you, it could be friend, relative or coworker. Don't let money be the issue that stops you. When we have more money, we take a cruise (I love the idea of a floating hotel to take me away from all of my problems). When money is tight, we go camping for a long weekend ($200 is usually enough to pay for campground fees, gas and tolls).

Investing in you is such an important part of every career. Make sure your investments keep you on track for your goals.

Why a change is not forever

Sophomore year in college I decided it would be a brillant idea to die the front two inches of my hair burgandy and then leave the rest of my hair bleached blond. Kinda like the chick from Republica in the late nineties. I was tired of looking like the girl next door. I wanted to look like the edgy girl net door.

My hair color didn't work out quite as planned. Since I am a natural blonde, the bleached portion didn't look like normal bleached hair when growing out and the burgandy kept fading to this really odd shade of pink and from there it moved onto this gross orange color. Ultimately, I had to pay to have all of the color stripped out of my hair and then paid to hair the colorist attempt to recreate my natural color.

I haven't used hair dye since. I'm paranoid that if I do, it won't turn out well and I won't want to show my face in the office afterwards.

I made an appointment with my stylist for two weeks from now (she happens to be the very brave colorist that tried to save my hair six years ago - I don't trust anyone else). I thought I was being adventurous by scheduling for a cut and color with the plan being for highlights. I felt very proud of myself for this bold step forward until I told Brian.

Apparently, if I'm going to spend money on stylist, I need to start make hair choices that scare me a little. And when I started to complain about what if I don't like it, how will I go to work if it is bad, etc, Brian tells me that it is just hair. It will grow back regardless of how good or bad it is.

He also wants to know what color we should dye his hair.

He makes a great point - most of the changes we make in our lives are temporary at best. We can ultimately decide to maintain those changes or let them fall to the wayside. Sometimes undo-ing the change is painful (from what I hear, tattoo removal is worse than the tattoo itself) but there are very few changes that we are stuck with forever.

Sometimes I find that I'm afraid to make changes in my career. I am afraid that the comfortable situation that I could leave is the best situation I could get. But even a job change isn't permanent - it is a stepping stone to the next stage of life.

A change is only as permanent as you want it to be. This week I'm a blonde but two weeks from now, I think I am going to be a redhead. I'm a little nervous but now I'm also excited that I decided to do it.

What changes in your life have made you nervous? Did you do it anyway?