You Never Know What's In Store

As we approach the end of the year, I have been thinking back to where I was a year ago. At this time last year I was newly unemployed with absolutely no job prospects in sight. This was during the time that all you heard about on the news was how X company laid off 15,000 employees or how 600,00 jobs were lost this month. The outlook was so grim and in my case I was a single mom (still am), unemployed, and had to figure out how to manage through all of it.

For whatever reason, I knew in my heart that everything would be alright. Some of my co-workers who had managed to keep their jobs expressed concern for me, which I appreciate and of course understood, and some even asked if I had considered moving back home with my mother, which I had not.

I knew that God had already delivered me from a tough circumstance about 4 months earlier and just felt that going back down that road was not what he had in store for me. I had been in debt and struggling to pay my daughter's $600/month childcare expense. I fell into the category of making too much to qualify for daycare assistance but not enough to really afford it. At the time of my layoff, that situation was already behind me and I felt in my heart that it was time for a blessing...

And that is exactly what I got.

First, my company offered me a nice severance package and allowed me to draw unemployment at the same time. I had already withdrawn my daughter from daycare because I was now at home, so that expense had already gone away. This meant that for the first few months I had more money than what I would have had if I was working. Who would have ever thought that being unemployed could be financially beneficial LOL.

Secondly, I was at home with my daughter each and every day. Looking back I am so thankful for the time that we had together over those months.

And lastly, once I returned to work I was able to land a new job in my career field. I had always planned that once I stopped working for the HR consulting firm that I would pursue a job as a Compensation Analyst in the general industry and that is exactly where I landed.

The point of this story my friends is to never doubt the power of God and the blessings and plan that he has in store for you.

Be Blessed!

Note: this post was initially planned to be about being happy where you are, but once I started to write it just went in a totally different direction. I'll circle back to the original post at a later time.

The Balancing Act

It's not easy balancing career and motherhood. Any mother can tell you this and single mothers can probably tell it best.

In the month that I have been back at work it has been a whirlwind. I am still working to get our routine down....clothes ironed and laid out the night before, Camryn bathed and in bed by 9, squeeze in a little quiet time for myself, and asleep at a reasonable hour, only to be back up at 6 AM.

I'm still working on this...and poor Camryn just can't get with the program. I guess after almost 9 months of sleeping in, she is just not feeling the 6:45ish wake-up time. I have to keep her morning routine as simple as possible because she is already so cranky. She's been too sleepy to walk to the car so I carry her to the car and into the daycare and once she sees the other kids she finally peps up.

On top of that, there's the illnesses you deal with when kids are in daycare. Two weeks into my new job, she woke up with a rash on her face so I had to take her to the pediatrician to make sure she did not have anything contagious before taking her to daycare. It ended up being an allergic reaction to something she came in contact with and no medication was needed.

I had to pull myself together while waiting for the appointment because in that moment all of the stress of unexpected events that happen with children came to a head. I said a prayer, "Lord help me handle my circumstance" and let it go. My child comes first and if at some point it poses an issue with my career I will cross that bridge when I get there...hence the prayer. Fortunately I was at work by 10AM.

The following week, she developed a cold and luckily my mother had a day off so she was able to stay at home with her. This week, she is still under the weather and passed the cold on to me...

Which brings me to this point -- I am so thankful for having the family support that I have....don't know what I would do without them.

Nevertheless, everything always works itself out. While stressful, I continue to put a smile on my face and keep it moving!

Fresh to Death

Every since the day I found out that I would be starting a new job, I have not stopped thinking about what I am going to wear.

They say that people pass judgment on you based on your appearance in the first six seconds of meeting you. Whether this is fair or not, it is a reality. I also just turned 30, so I feel that it is time to step it up a notch style wise.

I have already gone through my wardrobe twice to see what still worked, what no longer fit, and what needed to be sent to Goodwill. I tried on everything I own and played with different combinations of outfits and accessories...it was actually a lot of fun.

I have also made lists of what items I need to purchase soon. At this point, I think that I will add a couple of pencil skirts to my wardrobe, a new watch, a skinny belt and a few more necklaces and bracelets. One of my favorite places to shop for jewelry is New York & Company. They have cute pieces and I can always get a good deal either by coupon or sale. I was in Macy's the other day and they also had some cute pieces and I found the next fragrance I plan to rock, Beckham Signature. I love it and think it's a great scent for the warmer months.

I picked up a new Mac foundation and mascara, got my Spanx, and outside of that, I have everything I need with the exception of a new handbag that I am treating myself to for my birthday and getting a new job. The exact one that I'll purchase remains to be seen. I wanted the Coach Op Art Madison bag but I just cannot justify spending $398 on a handbag in this economy or anytime in the near future so we'll see.

Be Beautiful!

Closed Mouths Don't Get Fed

Okay, I am so happy to report that I will officially be re-entering the workforce next Monday, July 6.

It was a rocky road to get there.

First, the company's idea of moving quickly ended up taking about 3 weeks. And while I know there are politics involved in hiring decisions and other candidates to consider, the waiting game was really working my nerves.

Then, once they finally made the offer, I was not completely satisfied with the salary. The benefits looked great and the bonus program is awesome but for my skills and experience I believed that I deserved more.

So after a little research, a prayer, and the courage to pick up the phone, I began negotiating my salary with the hiring manager. I know the market is tight right now and many people would be happy to even get a job offer, I really felt that it was important for me to stand up for what I felt was right...partly because I wasn't taking the position just for the sake of having a paycheck and then waiting for a better paying job to come along. And then the whole - men are paid more than women for the same job - issue kept popping into my head.

When I spoke to the hiring manager, he seemed genuinely caught off guard by the fact that I wanted to have this discussion and gently reminded me that I didn't have any other offers on the table. I laid out why I felt that my skill set warranted more money and he laid out why they settled on the salary they did. There was no tension or awkward moments, it was just business.

To make a long story short, he initially said they were not in a position to make any adjustments to my salary. He then called me back 30 minutes later and started the conversation by saying, "I typically don't like to negotiate salaries." And I'm thinking yeah, okay, and...he then offered me a signing bonus to get me to the salary that I was asking for.

Now, is this ideal?

No.

But at the end of the day everything works out and it IS a tight market right now. Fortunately, he assured me that salary increases going forward would not be an issue. And please believe that if it is, I will be hopping the next flight to a better paying job.

Given the field that I am in, HR Compensation, I know my worth...down to the pennies...depending on company size, geographic location, industry, and whatever you might throw at me. And I firmly believe in fighting for that.

Overall, I'm happy with this opportunity and look forward to starting next week. I will be working as a Compensation & Benefits Analyst which is a great career opportunity because it opens up the door to work in Comp and/or Benefits in the future.

Moral of the story: Closed mouths don't get fed! If I had never asked for what I wanted, I wouldn't have gotten anything....and even though it's not exactly what I asked for, every little bit counts, plus I have the satisfaction of having stood up for myself in this dog eat dog world...enough said!

Back On The Scene

In the course of just two weeks I have sent an email with my resume and cover letter attached, done a phone screen, bought two suits, met for a face-to-face interview, sent thank you notes, and will now be attending a second round of interviews tomorrow.

For anyone who knows me, this is a lot for me to have going on all of a sudden. I've only been laid off for the past 8 months and have spent the majority of that time avoiding the job search process all together.

It's just amazing how quickly things can change.

I feel like I have dusted myself off and am back on the scene. And besides the fact that I had planned to chill with my baby for the rest of the summer, I'm pretty damned excited about the prospect of having a job.

Next task - Get back on the dating scene...

Excited...But Scared

Okay, so I have finally decided to get serious about re-entering the workforce. These months (7 to be exact) have been amazing with my daughter but it's time to begin preparing to join the real world again.

I sat down this past weekend to do some job searching and ended up applying for a couple of jobs. I would love to stay in Louisville but based on the current market it may not be an option.

I am looking regionally in cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Nashville. That way I will still be relatively close to my family and can travel to see them when I please.

So far I have gotten responses from a transportation company in Jeffersonville, IN (great b/c it's just right across the bridge) and a healthcare company in Chillicothe, OH (???, I heard it was in the sticks).

The thing that gets me is that when I think about returning to work, all of the stresses of daycare and sick baby appointments come to mind.

Fortunately, at my last job I had a lot of flexibility. If Camryn was sick, I could easily take her to the pediatrician then return home to work from my laptop (company provided) for the rest of the day. No questions asked.

The likelihood that I will have this same flexibility with my new employer seems slim to none.

And what impression will I give when I not only have to miss work to care for a sick child but also am out of the office promptly at 5 o'clock in order to make it to the daycare in time...those late fees are no joke.

I have witnessed the sacrifices that so many mothers make to raise children and have a career and it sucks.

For now I am just going to focus on getting that offer...then I'll figure the rest out...as I always do.

You Make Plans and God Laughs

Sometimes I think back to the day that I got laid off from my job and chuckle to myself.

My whole department was called into a meeting first thing on a Monday morning and were told that our jobs had been affected by the current economic downturn. We would be laid off immediately and they were sorry but that was that.

I was in shock and cried right there in the meeting. How could my job possibly be going away...What I did was important! And how would I find another job in this market.

I had plans to work for this company for exactly 5 years, then move on to X company in X role for X years...and etc.

Reality check, seriously. I'd been hearing about lay-offs almost daily on the news but when it happens to YOU, it's a different story.

So back to my chuckle. It's for a couple of reasons.

I am now so thankful for the opportunity to be at home with my daughter. Being at home with her since she was 13 months old has been so rewarding and valuable to me...and it's time that I will probably never have with her again.

Financially, between my severance package and unemployment, I did alright. All of the financial woes that I experienced while working and paying childcare are now gone.

And most of all, my piece of mind and contentment are back. My job at the consulting firm entailed a lot of hours and unforgiving deadlines so it did not make for good work/life balance. My time was consumed with work, caring for an infant, and all of the pressures that came with it.

My life currently consists of no alarm clocks and no bed times...daily episodes of Oprah and frolicking around with my daughter as I please. While it is only temporary, it sure has been much needed R&R.

I now know that God knew best exactly what I needed, when I needed it...regardless of my plans.