Category: Work Life

Helpful resume tips

If you are applying for a job in Hawaii, do not have the background of your resume be a big script font that reads “Aloha!”… in pink font no less.

I felt I was in Legally Blond with Elle Woods giving me a pink and scented resume.

Don’t. Just don’t.

I also don’t need a resume that looks like a headshot. I would make fun of you for applying for an accounting job with that resume if you were good looking. But when your picture looks like every bad stereotype of an accountant I’m just left wondering…. why???

Hello world!

I’ve wondered from time to time what to do with this space, because I love being able to look back on my time on the East Coast, young, no kids, living up the newly(ish) married life with Ryan without worries like Children and a crippling Hawai’i house mortgage. But I never seem to get back in the swing of things. I guess we’ll give it another go and see how long I stick to it this time around.

So what’s up with me?

1) I’m pregnant. I guess it only took us 8 months to make that happen, which isn’t long in the big scheme of things but man was it heartbreaking (I had three miscarriages before this little nugget stuck around). Baby boy is coming at the end of May and I’m both beyond thrilled and terrified about juggling one more obstacle/schedule/person.

2) It’s kindergarten admissions times. This is the worst thing ever. Public schools are really bad here, causing a vicious cycle of everyone scrimping and saving whatever money they can afford to send their kids to a private school. But before you can do that, your 4 year old has to impress a series of educators and admissions heads by being the smartest, cutest, most articulate kid ever. And it’s not just the kid, Ryan and I have had to write essay questions and go to our own interviews as well. It’s the worst. The application process starts in October and you don’t get acceptance or rejection letters until April. Have I mentioned it’s the worst?

3) I got selected to be a part of this leadership program at work. It’s super impressive and people would kill to be in my shoes. The reason I bring this up is not to brag on here but because before you can “graduate” at the end of the program you have to work on, turn in and present a huge capstone project over the summer. And you know how I’m giving birth in May… guess when my maternity leave is? Yup, over the summer. Work was super accommodating and gave me three options: 1) I could drop out with no hard feelings – ummm no! As I said people would kill to be in my shoes. 2) I could drop out of this year’s program and automatically get a spot saved on next year’s program – not horrible but the program started in August so I already have put in 6 months of the program and juggling my regular job on top of it. It has been exhausting and I really don’t want to do it again. Or 3) continue as planned… aka maternity leave will also be capstone project time. That’s the one I decided to go with. Scary (especially since Emma will be home a lot during this time too) but I guess working on the project will help my mind not turn to mush at the end of this. And how did I find myself in this predicament? Like why didn’t I just wait a few more months before trying to get knocked up? Well, after 8 months of tears and either negative pregnancy tests or miscarriages, we were ready to get fertility help. My appointment was already scheduled when I found myself sitting in my boss’s office as he told me the amazing news about getting selected for the program. I sat there barely listening because in my mind I was changing priorities… telling myself that this would be good, I could take a break from all the stress of getting pregnant and just focus on my career for a little bit. Geesh, that line people tell you, how you get pregnant when you stop trying… it’s infuriating but it’s true…. found out I was pregnant the day of my first program meeting.

4) Emma’s teacher told us that Emma is one of the best negotiators she’s ever met… heads above her peers. When we asked what she meant by this it turns out Emma was negotiating with the teacher what type of school work to do that day. Great, can’t wait for her teenage years. So there’s that.

5) I’m really obsessed with eating at hot pot restaurants right now. Yum!

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The life of a working mom: dropped off Emma at her extracurricular activity, walked two blocks to pick up food for dinner for the whole family, and spent the rest of my wait time reading the above book, an assignment I have for a leadership program at work I was selected to be a part of.

45 minutes enjoying the outside and being thankful that I live in Hawaii… and 15 minutes hiding in my car as droplets started to fall… signaling Hurricane Olivia is on her way.

It took me a long time to get here… to feel like I have a good work-life balance. Based on how I think the average husband contributes, I’d still be heavily in the weeds and totally overwhelmed if I had one of those. But Ryan is awesome, always meeting me 50/50 with all responsibilities (actually he’d probably he does more than 50%), to make it doable.

I get annoyed with all the fake lives people portray of themselves on social media where they hide all the negative aspects so you sit there wondering what the hell is wrong with my life…. but since I used to be so down all the time and depressed with how my life was all work, not able to manage both home life and work life in a sustainable way… I just had to take a moment to glory in how great it feels like to finally have an equilibrium. Phew!

The afternoon was taken up by the big move which consisted in moving from our current office to nicer digs in the same building.  As per usual, I left packing until the last minute.

Also per usual, my spacial relations knowledge is somewhat lacking.

Meet my favorite new shoes!  None other than the Skechers Shape Ups.

The first interview I went on for my new job I showed up in 2-inch heels.  And found out that my new employer’s office was much too far of a walk for heels.  I ended up limping back to the train station.  By interview #2 I lugged a huge briefcase with me for no other reason than to be able to change from ballet flats (which just didn’t look professional paired with my new suit jacket and skirt) into heels and back.

So now these are my go-to shoes for all my pedestrian needs.  I figured they were as cute as shape-ups would get and were easy to slip on and off since they attached with Velcro (ack!).  My first day wearing them I was so sure EVERYONE was staring at my feet thinking to themselves, “She’s wearing velcro?!” but by day number 2 I had let it go and was smiling in amazement by the comfyness of the shoe.

I don’t know if all those testimonials of how people dropped “4 dress sizes” just by walking around in these shoes will have even the glimmer of truth to them (though honestly I do feel more of a burn in my legs and gluteus maximus than in regular sneakers) but the comfort it provides my feet alone makes me want to go out and get them in every color and style… velcro be damned.

Man… how do I get sponsored posts?  Yoohoo – skechers… I’m over here (waving hand frantically).

In anticipation of my longer commute time I went a little overboard on the book shopping front during my week off.  This group doesn’t include the stacks of books currently on bookshelves in my house that I haven’t read yet.

I’m so excited to have time to just read though!  If I don’t fall asleep on the train rides instead… which I’ve been known to do.