My last day of work was Thursday the 30th. I knew this day was coming, and it was nice having nearly a full month's notice that I'd be wrapping up then for sure. When you do consulting/contract work like I have for nearly five years, you learn quickly how fluid and unpredictable work assignments can be. You don't always get as much notice as a month. Hell, I've had two weeks, one week another time...and even another time got a phone call driving home one night that I didn't need to come back to work the next day. Never knew why. It was the end of the quarter and maybe they'd forgotten that they needed to trim their contingent workforce. Who knows.
Why do I do this type of work, you may wonder? Well, I consider it a big advantage, as I get the opportunity to zoom in and out of very disparate work environments and see what's out there. I do the work they need me to do and then I move on. I don't have to insert myself in politics or bullshit that every work environment has. I learn different ways of solving problems and can apply them in other work engagements.
The flip side is I'm pretty much networking and job hunting year 'round. Time goes quickly and most of my engagements are a year or less in length. This one happened to be just over a year. Felt like the blink of an eye, really. So while there's a part of me that gets a little drained having to keep an eye out for my next job pretty much constantly, the advantage is I've built up a much stronger network than I would have if I'd stayed in the same job for years and years. I know how to rock an interview, network and land a job. I always land on my feet. Sure, I feel a little envious when I see people around my age who have been at their same jobs for 10-15 years or longer, but I've also heard them tell me things like, "Wow, I haven't been on an interview in years. I wouldn't know how to do what you're doing, fivenineteen. I don't know what I'd do if I ever got laid off." Guess the grass is always greener. I'm happy in my patch 'o green right now.
The job market has improved immensely out there, at least in my little world of perspective. Once I updated my resume and started getting the word out, lots of calls and emails came pouring in. That feels pretty damn good, no doubt there.
I'm starting a new position later this week! It's at the same company I was at prior, but in a completely different business unit. Everything about this has felt good and right from the minute I got called to interview. Including the speed of business and sense of urgency in getting this all put together (paperwork, etc). Remember how my start date for the position I just wrapped up got delayed some two or three weeks? And when I did show up for Day One, my manager was out sick and didn't tell anyone (so I sat in the lobby for two hours with a peer of mine and a sales rep)? Yeah, I don't like to remember that either because it sucked royally. Glad that is all far, far in the rear view mirror. And it makes for great storytelling too.
So I have had just about a week of downtime between gigs. Just enough to really "reset," but not so long that my brain would start going to mush.
I had an incredible 4th of July weekend with family. I've posted about Ocean Park and the Long Beach Peninsula out on the Washington coast before. It's truly magical, beautiful and deeply steeped in family history. And it's fun seeing my nephews and niece discover it too and get to know their other cousins - on both sides of the family! We had incredible warm and sunny weather - it's a crapshoot on the coast even in early summer like now. Polar fleece? Shorts? Yes and yes.
Even the drive there and back is relaxing and cleansing. Once you get off the main freeways and onto the two-lane highways the scenery is amazing. I've driven that route hundreds of times and I never get tired of it.
Know that feeling when you're on a roll...things just happen in your favor? Right down to a rockstar parking spot when you're running late for an appointment...and parallel park correctly on the first try? That's how it's been lately, and frankly I deserve it. It's been a real grinding haul these past 13-14 months.
Just the other day I got an "escrow overage" check in the mail from my bank. Wuhh? $212 - works for me. And within two days I received two very generous jewelry orders from my side business. One was a guest who couldn't make my last hostess' party and the other was a friend who called me when I posted something on Facebook about the new jewelry that's coming out later this month for the new season! Earlier this week I looked at my post-coast trip feet. Yuck...I need a pedicure! My favorite spa had an opening just two hours later. I splurged and got the pedi with the extra foot and leg massage time. Ahhh. I also met with a couple of recruiters I'd not met with before over lunch. Like I've said, you always keep networking. They know I've got something new lined up already, but time goes quickly.
Now...how can I bottle up this great Feeling of Reset?
