Moving On Up

I'm MOVING ON UP!

Okay, not literally "to a deluxe apartment in the sky", like in The Jeffersons, but in terms of the job I currently have, I'm moving on up.  Last week, at the grocery store I work at, I was given the role of team trainer of my department by the higher ups.  It came as a surprise to me, not just because of how soon it was since I started working, but the fact that I was the only person they had in mind for the position.  Part of me felt like they just gave it to me because I'm friendly and talk a lot, but that's not a bad thing; I like to think of that as an asset.  And I'm a hard worker, who has taught others in the past, so maybe they thought I would be a good example?  I'll never know, but what's done is done, and now I'm the new team trainer of my department.  I have to admit, I'm a little miffed that it's mostly paperwork and technical stuff to start, but I guess everyone has to do that when they move up in the ladder.  It means a lot that my bosses and coworkers have faith in me, though.  That makes me want to return the favor.  And by doing a good job, my confidence and self esteem go up, as well as production for the store.  I hope I can do a good job and make everyone proud. 

I'll admit, I certainly never thought I would get this far in a short time, but this is just the beginning for me.  Hopefully, there are more good things, ahead!

The Thing About the Post Office

When it comes to others doing their job, I believe that I have no right to complain when I get terrible customer service.  I know as people, we have a right to, and if it was really bad, then I'd have to think about it.  But we can all relate to having a bad day and not being our best.  And I took forever to get a job, myself, so I would hope that some people understood.  But one place I have always loathed is the post office.  Not the people themselves, or the delivery people, who I think are some of the hardest working people out there.  Just the institution and what it represents.  While I do enjoy it when I get mail or packages, there are some things that they do that just annoy me.  And by annoy me, I mean, a lot.

One thing that has always annoyed me is the fact there is no mail/post on Sundays.  This is nothing that is their fault; I know by law, Sunday is a day of rest, and everyone deserves a day off.  But the demand for mail and packages has never been greater, so you'd think that some places would change that.  Also, the economy is still going through a crisis, so why not give more jobs to help more people?  Economically, I guess it might not make sense because the post office isn't Microsoft or anything in terms of funds, but I think more people would be willing to if the funding was there.

Another thing I hate is delivery vehicle policies.  And I know everyone can relate to this.  You're waiting for a package or something to be delivered, and it says it is on its way, only, it never shows up.  Worst, they leave you a slip saying there was no place to securely leave the product or saying they rang the doorbell, but no one answered.  I understand that the first line of reasoning can happen.  Not all neighborhoods are safe.  But there have been too many times where they have just left the slip and just lied about ringing the doorbell.  How is that good customer service or even honest?  I know that the people who drive those trucks and deliver are people too, and they probably want to go home after a long day, but they still have a job to do, like we all do.  We don't always like it, but we have to do it.

I'm sure I could go on and on with this, but I'm not really angry like I am in a typical rant.  I'm just miffed by some of the actions of the post office.  Now if you'll excuse me, it's Sunday and I need to go to work.

My First Resume

Like everyone, whenever I accomplish something, I can't help but feel proud.  There haven't been many instances in my life that I could do that, but I can honestly say, I feel that way now because I just completed my first resume.  I have to admit, it probably isn't perfect, and was only created as a final assignment for class, but I MADE IT!  I'm not sure if you understand that.  I have no experience and don't think I have any important qualities, so making this is a big deal since I didn't think it was possible for me to make one.  I wish I could take credit for making it, but credit has to go to those at Career Services for helping me.  They talked to me, and gave me handouts, which had resume tips and sample resumes I could look at to help format mine.  Since the resume I made is only for a writing job, I'll probably have to make another, but I don't mind now because after looking back on the experience, it was pretty cool and definitely rewarding.  I just wish I had more information to put on mine, but you have to deal with what you have.  Regardless, this is a step in the right direction for my confidence and my future.  Even though I'm late, I hope I can make it.

Casinos

Gambling is something that seems foreign to me, but in some ways, I feel like I've been exposed to it my whole life.  Now, I've never been in a casino before (the closest I've been was in Sonic games), but my family plays the lottery a lot.  We've never won the "big one" as my dad calls it, but we've come close on a number of occasions, which has brought some profit, which is nice.  But I wonder as I get older if I'll be like the millions in the world who love gambling?  The odds of winning the lottery seem impossible, and I don't seem like a casino/Vegas person (especially since I can't play games and have no game face).  Even something as simple as betting doesn't seem like my forte, so if that's out, maybe I won't do anything.  I'll never say never though, especially with the temptation of scratch tickets, and the fact that everyone would want to win the lottery if they could.

On that note, it brings me to local news in the state of Massachusetts.  Just this past week, plans to build a new casino in the town of Milford were voted down.  Not a shock, considering this isn't the first time a casino has been voted down, and yet, I am always surprised by the results.  Everyone always talks about wanting a casino, or finding a quick way to get rich, yet whenever a casino is talked about being built close, everyone changes their mind.  It's funny and ironic.  I wonder why that is?  Could it have to do with what it would cost taxpayers, what it would do to the surrounding area, or religious purposes?  I'm sure it's a combination of all of the above.  Yet, at the end of day, I can't help thinking a casino would help, even though gambling is a terrible thing.  People would have a place to be, they'd have the potential to make money, people would be hired for jobs, and a casino would bring lots of business and tourists, which would boost the economy.  But I know this is a issue that is much deeper than money.  Just thought I'd give my two cents.

Resume's

Resume's are something that confuse me.  Maybe it's because I've never worked before, or maybe it's because they have so many rules to them, but regardless, something about it irks me.  Yesterday, I went to the Career Services Office at my school and met with a career counselor to talk about my future.  Besides writing, I didn't know what else I wanted to do with my life, so we tried working on different resume's to see how it would look for someone like me with no experience.  To me, the process seemed impossible based on what I had heard, and the people I knew with amazing resume's, but the person I met with was amazing, and really helped me.  Thanks Dana!  Even though I don't know when I'll start my resume, or if I'll be by again any time soon, it's nice to know my situation isn't hopeless.

The thing that irks me though is that resume's decide so much of a person's future.  I understand why companies base so much off of it since it lists accomplishments, and tells a lot about a person in a limited amount of space, but it seems so contradictory for companies to do.  They want to hire someone who represents the company well, but how can a piece of paper tell anything about me?  If social media isn't accurate, it seems ridiculous to me that a piece of paper is worth so much, but I guess that's why I've never worked.  I know eventually I'll have to someday, but it seems to wrong to me that's the way things are.  

Do you guys have any resume tips for a novice like myself?