...Is Another Man's Treasure

I worked illegal amounts during the four days of Valley Country Club's 3-Day Member-Guest Golf Tournament. Between preparing over 500 gift boxes (and by preparing, I mean literally configuring flat cardboard into the shape of a box), memorizing 128 members and guests names ( so when they say "just bill me for it" I don't have to ask, "who are you again?!") and sitting out on the middle of the course persuading people to buy golf clubs they already have, on a record-breaking day of 112 degrees, *gasps for breath* I forgot that I was still waiting for an answer from Hill Holliday.

It wasn't until the very last foursome came through the first tee that we started making small talk about the job search. I explained my situation in that I turned down a great job for a chance at my dream job, Hill Holliday, and instantly Mr. Ricci's eyes lit up, "I have a surprise for you!" My heart stopped-

Is he about to hire me on the spot?!

Hardly, but what he did have for me was a Titleist golf ball he found in the woods that had the words "Hill Holliday" printed on it. I couldn't help but to laugh at myself. I was still so excited to accept his gift, which turned out to be the highlight of my day. The golf ball is now sitting on top of my dresser and it makes me smile every time I look at it. I would love to say it was a sign, but that was a week ago, and I still have not heard back... Whether this opportunity goes through or not, I know I will not let that golf ball be the closest I get to where I want to be.

Last Friday Night

Sorry I have fallen off the blog radar for the past few weeks. I've been caught up with work, summer nights, and Firefly Lane. I'm finally able to add another post (in between blowing my nose and drying my tears) because I can now step away from the book that has had me in another world this past week. Firefly Lane has been the perfect escape but I have to say I'm glad it's over. I've been so caught up in it, I would race home to read more. I don't remember the last time I read a book, never mind one that effected me as much as this one.

Last week, Friday Night finally made a comeback... I guess all the stars were aligned. It was the perfect day, mid 80s, and at the last minute two of my bests from Bryant came to visit. We had dinner at Kabuki, caught up over edemame and I successfully introduced them to the eel avocado roll which is my favorite!

When we got home, we got ready all together just like we were back at school- music blasting, playing relay with the flat iron, and 4 girls to one mirror. Gessen joined us when she got out of work and after trying on a dozen outfits, snapping a bunch of pictures, we were ready to go. The rest of the night was spent at The Coast Guard House where you could find us holding our Narragansetts in the air on the dance floor. Nothing could stop us- except for the view outside that we admired multiple times that night. On the ride home we hit the highest notes our vocal cords would allow and recapped in the morning via pictures, videos and the disaster in the kitchen. Now that's the Friday night I've been looking for.

View from the Coast Guard deck

Outside Providence

How is it the end of July? My goal all summer was to take a little trip somewhere in the beginning of August. It has finally occurred to me, that time frame is next week. And after August.. Is September... Time to kick it up a notch.

I have been really busy working at both the golf course and in Providence at the Media department at RISD. I can't believe there was a time when I would leave that building in Providence on 20 Washington Place, and have to wipe snow off my car. Now leaving the AC filled office I'm hit with a heat wave. I will tell you though, there is something about Providence, especially the East Side, in the Summer time ( for those who don't know that is the area where the ivy league school, Brown is.) I mean, it ain't no Boston, but it ain't that bad either...

The work I have been doing at RISD is less than exciting, but I don't mind it one bit. The more I can learn about anything, the more it will help me in the future - even if it does make me go cross eyed . Let's just say I can utilize the PR Program, Cision Point with my eyes closed.

However some good news! Since I didn't send my resume directly to Racepoint Group (My supervisor and a former employee at Racepoint Group herself, did for me) I decided to follow up with the head HR of the agency on Linked In, with a personalized message of course. Thank God I did.

Now this is where I have analyzed the situation up and down. I don't have the job, but at the same time I don't Not have the job either. The E-mail I got in return, overall thanked me for my interest, admitted she wasn't "entirely sure there is an opening, but these things change at any moment,day to day." She also said "with that in mind, she would like to have a phone conversation, to see if I'd be a good fit." I was peeing my pants basically, and I don't even have the job...Yet.

Keeping in mind the advice from my last informational interview, - Get in front of the person that hires you - I knew the phone conversation wouldn't be enough. Nervous that I was being too - pushy, (I did it anyways) and asked if I could have the chance of engaging in a face-to-face informational interview, but expressed my understanding of her busy scheduled and that I would be more than appreciative to take up her on the phone conversation.

Result- I am going in next week!

I am so excited! My mind is already getting ahead of itself. Racepoint Group is in Waltham, MA. so maybe not exactly in Boston, but close enough to drive to the Harvard Sq and get on the red line (I already did my homework.) Either way, I am excited to get some practice in for interviewing.

Funny how things work. A job that I want so much has become a little closer to becoming a reality, and all I'm thinking is I need to go and get on a plane to Europe or on a beach in Florida. Can you say Indecisive? There are just so many options! I guess I don't have to figure out my life in one night. But I am about to look up some tickets. I need an adventure before this 9-5 happens any sooner.

Speechless

Looks like I'm still unemployed, except this time I can't even complain about it. I walked into Eident Sports this afternoon a nervous wreck with my speech playing over and over in my head...."I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your offer..." Except when I actually made it into the President's office, I didn't even get that far before he interrupted me.

"Hold on kid, I already know where you're going with this....and if you have a vision, go for it. Don't worry about turning this down, you're making the right choice."

Mentally, I envisioned my mouth dropping while I tried to keep my cool. Never in a million years did I expect that response! The rest of the time in his office could not have gone better and he only helped reassure me that I made the right decision. I could not be more thankful for that.

I love Eident, I loved interning for them, I love the people there and I love what they do.... but right now I'm ready to break out of my comfort zone. There's no turning back now....Boston better be ready for me.

Missing Six Pieces of Me

...and some days are just harder than others... the song Give Me Everything by Pitbull and Neyo came on the radio tonight while I was on my way home. Granted, I have heard that song at least a thousand times since I've graduated, but for some reason tonight it stung a little more than usual.

I'm giving my answer to the job offer tomorrow and I can't help but wish that Kelly, Brittany, Lauren, Sena, Meg and Alicia were all here. If we were back at school we'd all be sitting around the kitchen table of K2- some sitting on each others lap, some drinking red wine, others eating dinner and one designated person would be playing songs on YouTube. I'd tell them all what I was going through and they'd each give me their best advice. I know we would ultimately come up with the same decision I've already made on my own but I would give anything to be back there with them. right. now.

It's a Rhode Island Summer

I have been busy busy, editing, changing, researching and organizing but I can't help catching myself time and time again daydreaming about my awesome start of July. Despite the June gloom, July has really kicked off the summer with a bang... For starters my graduation party. Over 200 people attended, including my Boyfriend who flew over from Cali for the 3rd time in the past month, my former roommates all through college from Mass, NY, and Philly, and the old throw back friends I grew up with - It was a blast! There was endless amount of food, beer, and music. Well maybe not endless, considering there were no left overs and the 3 kegs were completely kicked. Only a result of a good time. (Which reminds me I have too many thank you letters to get to!)

And then there was the Fourth of July. Naturally any Rhode Islander or graduate from the state, knows that Block Island is the place to be. It was my fourth time going and man did the good times there catch word. I have never seen so many people as I did this year. The Town beach is usually the first stop and like always crowded with a sea of young people. Later in the day, we walked down to Ballards, where we enjoyed some mudslides and some serious dancing to classic rock. And of course the ferry ride home was a story in itself.

We finished off the holiday weekend by taking a trip down to the Charlestown Breachway. My boyfriends parents loaded their truck with the kayaks and we spent the day cruising through Ninegret park checking out the sights. We did the usual canal path, found our little island, brought our kayaks to shore and watched the waves roll in on East Beach. Then like any other Rhode Islander, on our way home from our adventurous day, we stopped at Iggys to grab some clam cakes and New England Chowder. YUM.

I might be in a hurry to get out of here, but let me tell you, there is nothing like a Rhode Island Summer.

Looking for Answers

...Never thought I would find myself in this position...
The good news: I got offered a position at the Sports Marketing company I interned at last year.
The better news: My tickets to Boston were used up sooner than expected- I got an interview at Hill Holliday!
The bad news: Now what?

 While I was in school I would have jumped at the opportunity to work at the company I interned at last year- I had so much fun there, the people were great and it was in the sports industry which I really enjoyed, naturally. However, now that it has been a couple of months since I have been out of school, I have really taken the time to get to know myself, the career possibilities out there, and WHAT I WANT. When the invitation was delivered to my inbox for an interview at Hill Holliday, I nearly cried. THIS is what I want. While the interview at Hill went well, I didn't leave there with a job. I did my part but now the rest is in their hands.

In the mean time, I have a huge decision to make myself. Do I turn down a respectable job for a potential one? And what if Hill Holliday doesn't come through? More importantly, if I take the job... will I be happy?

WARNING: Information Overload

Despite a couple minor setbacks, or several... as Khiara mentioned in the last post, I got to my informational interview on time. Note to self- One coffee is good enough for the morning. Call it the caffeine, call it the nerves, I was not feeling like myself.

That changed the minute I walked in the doors of 131 Oliver Street, as a security guard asked for my I.D., snapped a picture of me, and handed me a pass as he directed me to the second floor to New Directions. (Impressive eh?)

I then met with Carol, VP of New Directions and Joan, head of First Directions, ( a program helping recent grads and young professionals in particular- lucky me!)

As I write this post I am excited/anxious- hence, the title - info overload. The informational interview was awesome. They brainstormed with me on how I should go about taking my job search to the next level. They already had my resume printed out with corrections from the header to footer - even my Linkedin profile. For the sake of the length of the blog post I will bullet 10 general pointers they gave me. (Hopefully un-clutter my mind a bit)


1. Who are your resources? Something we all know but they really stressed on how much bigger my network can be. My Mother is part of NAWIC - where plenty of business leaders are gathered for networking conferences. They even suggested bringing business cards to the Golf Course with me.

2. MAKE A LIST- list companies. Find out Companies from PBN, The Boston Journal. Fortune 500's. Companies to research and ask for informational interviews. What I thought was super important about this point, is they said you need to research directly and indirectly. Researching companies in different publications and not only looking at them, but clients they have worked with, and considered them as potential employers. They also said to make lists of what I like, and as i meet more and more people from these companies and find out their corporate culture, I will learn more about myself and where to look. You need a "vision."

3. Be in the Know! Read on-going trends and, check out the "investors" part of these companies websites - the majority have press releases there.

4. Be innovative/Stand out- Carol really broke the mold by establishing a Women's National Chapter for Golf, a place for women to Network and also for her, hence now she is working in Boston (She is a RI Native also.) Both Carol and Joan seemed impressed with "Graduate Swagg" as a way of being innovative, but they both suggested it needs to be somewhere where people can see it. Hence my LinkedIn. They also agreed I should put work from classes and internships as a mini portfolio on too.

5. Which brings me to my next point - Get in front of the person that Hires you. I continued to tell them my involvement with Twitter, and trying to create a real digital presence - they agreed that is a good idea, but those people aren't always the ones that are hiring. Not to toot my own horn or anything - okay I am- but they both said, once they meet me- they will hire me. Therefore I need to become a member of something, go to a workshop or networking event and meet people face -to-face.

6. Which also leads me to my next point - write down what people say about you. When you get to that next interview and they ask "describe to us who you are yada yada" you can sound more modest and genuine. So far I have, well- spoken, high -energy, and a great smile... They said it not me!

7. Be Organized from the start when it comes to networking- And I mean whoever you meet. Whether it was just a run in, an informational interview, a phone conversation, backyard BBQ. Write their name down, when it happened, something particular about the conversation, and follow up. And keep it somewhere where you can get back to. More often then not, in the business world your connections overlap in different ways at different times. Consider it your "database."

8. Add an "Objective" part to the top of your resume. I've had several professors and mentors tell me different - but they stood firm that I need to differentiate myself as much as I can. Meaning, even more than having an Objective at the top of my resume, make it really stand out and be true.

9. Try to reach out to people you can connect with about a mutual interest. An Alumni of URI. If the company has a diversity program or Women leadership program you want to know more about. Angle your reasoning on wanting to connect with them so you're not just another kid desperate to meet.

10. When writing your cover letter, make the connection for them between your traits and what they can do for them. They mentioned that many will write they are hard working, detail oriented etc etc. and any reasonable person would think that It would be a great trait for their workplace. Wrong. You need to draw it out for them. ".. will benefit measuring countless impressions..." I would tackle this problem by..."

Overload? I'm still sweating over the fact If I should send hand written thank yous in the mail. (According the the book I am reading, Women, Work & The Art of Savoir Faire - Hand - written is a must. ) Or Just an Email? or Both? I am deciding on both for the mere fact the 4th of July weekend activities ( My Graduation Party, Blocked Island, and Kayaking-...all future posts!!) have postponed some of my professional goals and I would hate for my thank you note to seem like an after thought rather than a sincere thank you.

So I am tired- I worked a double at the golf course today and my mind is running laps now with so much that needs to be done. Not to mention following up with Bank of America, Cone, Race Point Group and RISD. I am unplugging myself in 3..2...1..Good Night.

Bostonians

7:30am: (401): So excited for todayyyyy! I'm on my way...Boston here we come!

7:55am: After getting to her house, Gessenia and I spent a considerable amount of time deciding which shoes she should wear to her informational interview. It was between her reliable "mature" white shoes or her stylish nude suede heels. After weighing the pros and cons, we obviously agreed on the latter...(it may be an interview, but you still have to look fabulous!) With the assistance of her mom, Gessen's outfit was complete and we were ready to catch the 8:38am train.

8:38am: We're only at exit 20 on 95. "Looks like we're taking the 9am train!"

8:45am: We purchased our tickets and it wasn't until we stepped out of Cafe Le France (or whatever it is) that we realized he said the next train was at 9:48. What?! Not possible. Turns out we somehow managed to read the schedule wrong the night before. After a brief moment of panic we did what he had to do and paid the extra money to buy another ticket for the 9:16 Acela.

9:05am: As we were waiting outside for the train I grabbed my camera off the ground to snap a pic of the State House. Silly me forgot I was using my camera to keep my ticket from flying away. Sure enough my ticket took off. As it drifted toward the tracks I had a moment of poor judgment and envisioned myself doing whatever I had to do to get it back in my possession...even if that meant jumping down to the tracks to grab it. Thankfully I caught it just as I stepped onto the yellow section. Gessenia and I died laughing at my frantic scramble and it wasn't until we read the sign "Caution live wires below" that we fell silent. That could have been bad.

9:48am: We arrived in Boston after numerous mock interviews and the extension of our Boston dream. We had just enough time to find New Directions on Oliver Street and grab a multi-grain bagel at Starbucks.





12:00pm: I got quite far into my book, Firefly Lane, while I had waited for Gessenia outside on a park bench down Oliver Street. When she finally walked out of New Directions it looked like a whole new level of excitement had come over her. She was reassured, motivated and was so excited to share the information she had learned during the past hour and a half. (I'm sure she'll go more into detail in her blog to follow)

We lost track of time for the rest of the day and it only continued to get better. We walked around Quincy Market and found Gessenia the perfect graduation party dress at Urban Outfitters. We grabbed lunch at a little Mexican restaurant where we discussed our next move (career wise) over apps and a pitcher of white sangria. We made a lengthy check list and decided to step our game up even more (after the 4th of course!). After we paid the bill and checked our statuses in the mirror, we took off-with no plan in particular just to make the most out of our trip. We hopped around from place to place, even tried watermelon flavored beer, until Gessenia got a call from a friend (who saw her tweet- that she was in Boston) and we made our way to The Landing. It was so exciting to be in the Boston crowd, mixed in with people who were just getting out of work and really feeling like we belong here.

After too many drinks and too many laughs my boyfriend scooped us up after his night class at 10:15pm and we headed home. It was such a perfect day....and we still have unused tickets back!