I'm in love...with Jack

I couldn't help but grin when the elevator doors opened to the fifth floor of 142 Berkeley Street in Boston.

 This is exactly the type of place I'm looking for.

My boyfriend and I left Rhode Island at 9am yesterday for my 11:30 informational interview with Jack Morton. The entire trip up there I couldn't get out of my day dreaming mode. I have been following Jack Morton on twitter as well as keeping up with their blog, but I still had no idea what to expect. How will the interview go? What are the people like there? Who will I meet? What will the place look like? Will they like me? Is it as cool as I think? Let's just say it was better than I imagined. The women I met with were absolutely wonderful, gave me great insight into the company, and could not say enough great things about Jack Morton. Lucky for me, a woman from HR stopped in to say hello and informed me that they were interviewing for an open Freelance position....even though I wasn't there to be interviewed, she said I would considered if it was something I was interested in....(how exciting!) so we'll see what happens! Overall I left there beaming and was sure to snap the above picture before the elevator doors closed on me.

I extended my stay in the city and spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Boston with my boyfriend. He took me to lunch at Salvatores (where we spent our first Valentine's together!) and we window shopped on Newbury Street... something I'll be doing one day with my bff during our lunch breaks ;)

It was such a perfect day....and I can't wait to soak it all in again this Thursday with Gessenia.

Present Occupation: Beach Bum

FINALLY THE SUN IS OUT! And things are looking up.

Khiara's Informational Interview went better than imagined, let's just say a situation 2. My older sister Kendra, who just graduated from Providence College with a Masters in Special Education, had her first interview for a teaching position last Friday (and I thought the job market was tough for my Field - try and be a teacher in the state of the Rhode Island) and ironically, her best friend Lindsay who has lived up the street from us our entire lives, had an interview the same day ( She also studied PR at URI.) It was only fitting that both of them got confirmation that they got their first "big girl jobs" yesterday within hours of each other. Weird huh? I can't tell you how happy I am for both of them. Seeing my sister jump up and down , a 25 year -old, tears in her eyes of just pure happiness. I Know what she was thinking, " it was all worth it." Every decision and step she made, substituting for almost two years, busting her butt to get into grad school, from being dead broke, living with her parents all through college, taking all those summer classes and not making it to the beach... all lead her to where she is today.

And Lindsay. She's something special. The type of person that just draws you in with her humor, charm and good looks. Always was that "in" girl, promoted for a liquor company, lived the fabulous young life, bar hoping, trips to Vegas, a total beach bum in the summer, and her worst worries were if it was raining or too cold out- she wasn't going out. But as she got older, 25 now, the panic started setting in, of when this real job was going to happen. She told me how interviews started going sour, when they were asking what has she been up to for the past three years and why she hadn't already been hired. Now, in two weeks she will be doing marketing and events for a medical company, which requires her to travel and be on the go and starting at an impressive salary. As linds puts it, "a cubicle was never for her."

After getting the good news, us three and a few other friends went down to the beach yesterday, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. And me and Linds got to talking. She was expressing her excitement and fears about finally starting her professional career. I told her mine. We talked about how our mind sets were different after graduating college. When she graduated college in 2009, she wasn't on careerbuilder looking for a job frantically yet, she wanted time to enjoy herself, and that the people she knows that did do that, weren't so happy. I thought about this. It's not the first time. I know I'm young, 21 - years -old. I have my whole life to work. And I'm sure that first job I get most certainly won't be my favorite. But I am ok with that. I am ready for something new. I want to be somewhere different. Not to discount Lindsay's path for a second, everything worked out for her. Because in the scheme of everything, our lives are not resumes that we need to continuously build to impress others. It's an experience. And how you spend your time and find fulfillment is only up to you.

So things worked out. Everyone has their own path. Things happen. Good and Bad. But Everyone gets there. Where ever "there" is. I'm sure my journey to my Scenario 1 Life isn't going to happen over night, but I'll get there. In the mean time, all you can do is soak up the sun for what it's worth.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

But here's a few dozen:

1. I'm a member of Planet Fitness 

(I highly recommend it)

2. If this girl plans on using this machine, she's facing the wrong way 

(she is well aware)

3. Okay, it's actually a friend of mine
(SMH)

4. She's going through a little rough patch 

(let's just say boys are stupid)

5. Motivation

(is clearly not present)

6. I'm in the market for a new gym partner. 

(Any takers?)

Informational Interviews 101

Another rainy day - it's OK- Another productive day.

Went to the doctors and got medicine for this on going sinus infection- Kept up with the Weight Watcher's Diet... Soup for dinner followed by 6 Oreos (It's within the points!) And got a confirmation for an informational interview.

Thanks to a friend of a friend my parents know, I was able to reach out to VP of New Directions in Boston. They are a Portfolio company, and from my understanding a little mix of life coaching, marketing and branding for individuals and businesses. They help people get to their next step. (HELLO Just what I need!!) But- I am not going there as a client, but as a young professional to ask questions and flatter. We finalized the date, for Thursday next week - in Boston (YES)- I already have my outfit picked out in my mind. But that is the only thing I have prepared thus far.

I need information on how to make use of an informational interview.
Kind of Ironic when you think about it. Your are going there to get informed, yet I need to be informed before I get there.


The way I see it, is people of these industries love talking about themselves and an informational interview can play out in 2 scenarios. 1- they do the same song and dance that they do for every graduate that reaches out to them, telling them the same story of how they got to where they are. or 2- I suck this interview for all it's worth and really make and impression.

Now how to accomplish situation 2. Dissect their company's website. Make a list of questions pertaining to my life at the moment. etc. etc. There is going to be some major preparation for this, and this isn't even a Real Interview. I might even go buy Crest White Strips. Over the top? I don't think so people, this is a recession.

On Vacation Until...

" G, you will be able to come with us to the condo in Florida right?"asks my father as he sits in front of the computer on Southwest.com. We are faithful Southwest flyers.

"When?" I reply.

" The day after Christmas to the New Year." The same annual trip we have being doing for the past 6 years...

"Ughh" racking my brain.. "I mean sure, yeah... If I don't have a job then..."

It's June. If I don't have a job by December....

Someone Hire Me.

Spell Check

Thanks again to another week of Rhode Island's humid rainy weather, I have been forced to be indoors, glued to the computer as the #jobhuntsontinues- but, I finally got something accomplished. (I wasn't being sarcastic- thank you R.I. )

After writing my first cover letter of the summer, sending it to some friends and generous alums, getting it back changing it, revising it, starting over completely, changing it back-two weeks later- I came up with my final draft. Well, what I thought was my final.

For those that don't know, I freelance once a week for the Media Department at RISD. By only fate, is my supervisor a former employee of an agency in the Great Boston Area, Racepoint Group, and was kind enough to offer to take my cover letter and resume and send it through some people she knows that still works there. Ironically, I follow them on LinkedIn, and notice they were hiring, Like I said, fate.

I admit, I am a little rusty on the whole cover letter format thing, I haven't written one in over a year. It is a little awkward starting off, finding that balance of modesty yet wanting to show off your skills without sounding so desperate-"PLEASE HIRE ME." Not to mention the pressure, you have one shot, one spelling error, and BOOM- trash can- or I guess in these days "DELETE."

Therefore, I thought two weeks was more than enough time, and this cover letter had to be complete. I sent it to my supervisor. SEND. I reopen it to give it one more read, and right there in the first paragraph, I am missing a period. My heart stops. IMPOSSIBLE. So I come up with an excuse that I sent the wrong CL, resent it in a PDF, after adding the period and a couple other things... Two hours later. I re-read it. And my mind is going back to Journalism 341 Editing for Publication (my least favorite class) I know numbers over 10 should be typed in numerals, and majors should be capitalized... I didn't do these things. CRAP. I am really messing up on this one. I go back and forth on the options to my bff Khiara- should I just accept defeat? or confront it, resend ANOTHER , explain and make a fool out of myself. Khiara votes- fix it, and it will show you want to have things right.- So for the THIRD e-mail, I make the revisions and admit to my supervisor my nervousness and lack of experience writing cover letters. I don't hear from her. My thoughts are , she's thinking - "I am not putting myself out on the limb for someone as idiotic and careless as this."

To my surprise, at the end of the day she responds that she understands, is more than happy to help and even made a suggestion herself. THANK GOD. Goes to show you, people remember how it was first starting out, it's scary, we are new at this, and all we can do is learn. So lesson? It's important to get it right. Maybe not always four e-mails worth of trials, but my mind was in the right place and I am sure my supervisor saw that (I hope.) Regardless, I get a good laugh every time I open my e-mail and see that ridiculously long thread (seriously ,click the picture- you will too) But despite it all , I wrote three more cover letters,even one to CONE in Boston, and it's only getting easier. Wish me Luck.

Unknown Number

"Always keep your phone charged and answer every unknown number." Words of wisdom from who else but my other half. Our day at Sophies is already paying off! I just received a call back from Jack Morton in response to my request for an informational interview. #ThereisaGod I couldn't be more ecstatic. I'm all about experiential marketing- and if there is one agency that rocks at it, it's Jack Morton. Follow them on Twitter to check out their latest work- In the mean time, I have some preparing to do.