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January 2013
Jan. 25th, 2013 07:28 pmHello DW and LJ, I know it's been a while.
I keep telling people I just do better on odd-numbered years, and while that sounds a little superstitious, what I mean is that somehow, with the turning of 2012 into 2013, everything just felt a little bit... better.
Jobs
I've been applying for jobs, mostly random stuff on Indeed. There was a position with our local public library I applied for at the beginning of winter break in December, but didn't hear back for so long I had mostly given up on it. When school started back up I made an appointment to talk to Natalie, the career services person I'd been talking with.
During that meeting she suggested a position a little bit outside my biking range, but close to a lightrail station. It's a small but longstanding company that puts company logos on merchandise like reusable grocery bags and pens. It sounds like their current graphic designer is leaving so they are looking for a replacement.
I interviewed with them last wednesday (16Jan), and now they want me back in on monday to work with their current graphic designer and see if I fit in with the office. Which sounds pretty promising!
In addition, I finally had that interview for the library position this wednesday (23Jan). The main branch has an Espresso Book Printing machine, and they are looking for a printing assistant to help authors set up and print their books. I felt really confident after that interview, and got a call later that day asking for my professional references. I know at least one of them talked with someone today, and that the person making the call sounded very pleased with what she was hearing about me.
What's cool is that both jobs are looking for basically completely different hours, and both are limited in hours available per week. So I might be in a position to take both. Which would be pretty fantastic for me right now.
School
I'm down to my last three quarters, set to graduate with my associate's in graphic design at the end of summer. Oddly, though, it worked out so I needed to take two classes for three quarters, rather than three classes for two quarters, due to financial aid. Rather than languish in the reduced class load, though, I spoke with the Bill Mead, the advisor for both graphic and web design. I got his permission to basically audit web classes.
And since I'm not officially in the class, I don't have to worry so much about prerequisites. As in the class that I'm taking now is called "Advanced Web Scripting." I had to scramble a little at first to feel like I was caught up, but three weeks in I'm feeling like I'm at the same level as the other students in the class, with just a little difference in experience up to this point. They've done more coding, I've done more design. It's good.
Another class is Type IV, which is good, but I'm not super into the designer I was assigned to study for the quarter, so that might be a bit of a struggle. I like the teacher a lot, and I like that I don't feel as pressured in that class as I did with Mehallo, the Type II and III teacher. I love him as a teacher, but that kind of pressure is hard to sustain without going nuts.
Finally, Public Speaking. Which. Is one of those things that is inherently hard for me, but I feel like the class is helping. I did a great caricature of the teacher the other day. He's pretty hilarious, and likes to push the boundaries of what is acceptable to say in a classroom setting. He manages to make a lot of pretty boring material at least entertaining to sit through.
I have a Demonstrative speech to write and present next week. I think I'm going to do it on 'How to train a Pokemon' for beginners. Just basic EV training, but depending on factors I might do an overview of natures and IVs and EV berries/powerItems/pokerus. It's gotta be 6 minutes long, give or take 15 seconds. Hoh boy.
What else?
I went to FC last weekend. It was not my best FC ever, but it wasn't terrible, either. There were at least a couple really great moments and I'm glad I went. Joshua and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary both on the date (13Jan) and at FC, which is where we first met, two years ago, and went from friends to something more, last year.
He's been enjoying the art show at FC the past couple years and has decided to work hard and make some stained glass pieces to put up next year. He's getting me to draw the patterns and he'll do the stained glass. It'll be fun! I will try to share those as they are made. =]
I've been realizing I spent too much time last year and in years past trying to make myself do what I thought I 'should' be doing, rather than what was speaking to me in the moment. So I'm now working on being nicer to myself, not worrying so much about PUSHING myself, and instead, encouraging myself to put in time on projects that are interesting me at any given moment. Obviously I still have to get my homework done in there, but I'm finding that the more I allow myself to pursue what is interesting to me in the moment, the more I'm able to find interesting things to pursue within my homework. So that's awesome too.
Right now though, I sure am feeling antsy about those two job prospects!
I keep telling people I just do better on odd-numbered years, and while that sounds a little superstitious, what I mean is that somehow, with the turning of 2012 into 2013, everything just felt a little bit... better.
Jobs
I've been applying for jobs, mostly random stuff on Indeed. There was a position with our local public library I applied for at the beginning of winter break in December, but didn't hear back for so long I had mostly given up on it. When school started back up I made an appointment to talk to Natalie, the career services person I'd been talking with.
During that meeting she suggested a position a little bit outside my biking range, but close to a lightrail station. It's a small but longstanding company that puts company logos on merchandise like reusable grocery bags and pens. It sounds like their current graphic designer is leaving so they are looking for a replacement.
I interviewed with them last wednesday (16Jan), and now they want me back in on monday to work with their current graphic designer and see if I fit in with the office. Which sounds pretty promising!
In addition, I finally had that interview for the library position this wednesday (23Jan). The main branch has an Espresso Book Printing machine, and they are looking for a printing assistant to help authors set up and print their books. I felt really confident after that interview, and got a call later that day asking for my professional references. I know at least one of them talked with someone today, and that the person making the call sounded very pleased with what she was hearing about me.
What's cool is that both jobs are looking for basically completely different hours, and both are limited in hours available per week. So I might be in a position to take both. Which would be pretty fantastic for me right now.
School
I'm down to my last three quarters, set to graduate with my associate's in graphic design at the end of summer. Oddly, though, it worked out so I needed to take two classes for three quarters, rather than three classes for two quarters, due to financial aid. Rather than languish in the reduced class load, though, I spoke with the Bill Mead, the advisor for both graphic and web design. I got his permission to basically audit web classes.
And since I'm not officially in the class, I don't have to worry so much about prerequisites. As in the class that I'm taking now is called "Advanced Web Scripting." I had to scramble a little at first to feel like I was caught up, but three weeks in I'm feeling like I'm at the same level as the other students in the class, with just a little difference in experience up to this point. They've done more coding, I've done more design. It's good.
Another class is Type IV, which is good, but I'm not super into the designer I was assigned to study for the quarter, so that might be a bit of a struggle. I like the teacher a lot, and I like that I don't feel as pressured in that class as I did with Mehallo, the Type II and III teacher. I love him as a teacher, but that kind of pressure is hard to sustain without going nuts.
Finally, Public Speaking. Which. Is one of those things that is inherently hard for me, but I feel like the class is helping. I did a great caricature of the teacher the other day. He's pretty hilarious, and likes to push the boundaries of what is acceptable to say in a classroom setting. He manages to make a lot of pretty boring material at least entertaining to sit through.
I have a Demonstrative speech to write and present next week. I think I'm going to do it on 'How to train a Pokemon' for beginners. Just basic EV training, but depending on factors I might do an overview of natures and IVs and EV berries/powerItems/pokerus. It's gotta be 6 minutes long, give or take 15 seconds. Hoh boy.
What else?
I went to FC last weekend. It was not my best FC ever, but it wasn't terrible, either. There were at least a couple really great moments and I'm glad I went. Joshua and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary both on the date (13Jan) and at FC, which is where we first met, two years ago, and went from friends to something more, last year.
He's been enjoying the art show at FC the past couple years and has decided to work hard and make some stained glass pieces to put up next year. He's getting me to draw the patterns and he'll do the stained glass. It'll be fun! I will try to share those as they are made. =]
I've been realizing I spent too much time last year and in years past trying to make myself do what I thought I 'should' be doing, rather than what was speaking to me in the moment. So I'm now working on being nicer to myself, not worrying so much about PUSHING myself, and instead, encouraging myself to put in time on projects that are interesting me at any given moment. Obviously I still have to get my homework done in there, but I'm finding that the more I allow myself to pursue what is interesting to me in the moment, the more I'm able to find interesting things to pursue within my homework. So that's awesome too.
Right now though, I sure am feeling antsy about those two job prospects!
