As the year comes to an end...
1) Where did you begin 2009?
If I remember correctly I was trying to throw a party in my apartment, but very few people showed up, so I just hung out with my closest friends.
2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
In a Relationship
3) Were you in school anytime this year?
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall
4) How did you earn your money?
I did some office-type work for friends, and I did a little custodial work. But mostly I went to school.
5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
I took a friend to the hospital. It was actually pretty enjoyable for me, because I love being with friends.
6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Yea. I was on a motorcycle without a helmet, and the cop thought I was underage. We hadn't realized that there even were helmet laws in Utah. Turns out the cop had recently been in a motorcycle accident.
7) Would you relive 2009 over and over again?
What good would that do? Lol. I'm looking forward to 2010.
8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Tuition (and car repairs probably added up to about that).
9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Of course. Who doesn't?
10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Unfortunately, yes. My grandmother passed away in February. The interesting thing about it is that I've been thinking about her so much since then that I almost feel closer to her now.
11) Did you know anyone who had a baby?
Quite a few of my friends.
12) Did you move anywhere?
I've been very happy not moving, but I'm looking forward to it in the future.
13) What concerts/shows did you go to?
Jimmy Buffett in Las Vegas last May and Kenny Chesney in Salt Lake in July
14) Are you registered to vote?
Yes
15) Do you still have the same job as you did in 2008?
Nope. I'm going to be working for Big Heart Humanitarian.
16) Has anyone betrayed you in 2009?
Betrayed? Wow. I dunno. That's really strong.
17) Where do you live now?
The same place that I've lived since 2007 in Provo.
18) Describe your birthday.
Lol. It was a little bit of a disaster. I went to eat with my study abroad friends, and they didn't realize it was my birthday. We tried to get the restaurant to bring out cake, but they didn't do it until everyone else left. I was given a really exciting promise for my birthday, but it fell through. Next year should be better though!
19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2009?
Got hired for a good job right out of college (ok, I guess I thought I'd do it, but I wasn't sure how great it would be).
20) What has been your favorite moment?
There are so many great ones to pick from. It could easily be hanging out with friends, climbing timp, catching my first fish, going to my first BYU football game, going to my cousins' weddings, going to concerts, but it just might have been unwrapping my KitchenAid mixer. I can't wait to go use it!
21) What's something you learned about yourself?
I can accomplish anything.
22) Any new additions to your family?
Mmm... Cousin-in-Law Meg and Cousin-in-law Josh
23) What was your best month?
July
24) Were you in a relationship this year?
I was for most of the year, haven't been for the past 4 months or so.
25) What music will you remember 2009 by?
Kenny Chesney. Great concert, and great memories.
26) Who has been your best drinking buddy/buddy's?
Mmmm... I'd turn this into a going-out buddy, but I don't really have one of those either. Maybe Nicki?
27) New friend?
Mmmm...
28) Favorite Night out?
Going to the Cheesecake Factory or going to see New Moon.
29) Would you say you've changed since the beginning of this year?
Wow. My ability to handle and cope with uncomfortable and difficult situations.
30) Do you think 2010 will be better or worse?
Oh.... I have a feeling it'll be better. I'll be finishing school, starting an internship, starting a job, getting my own place, and as far as love goes, it can only go up from here!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
5. Finding and Internship - Fith "goal" accomplished
Well, this is perhaps the goal that I was the most concerned with. It seemed the hardest to nail down, and because of that I had to consider quite a few different options. The hardest factor was that I was looking for an internship that would give me a lot of international interaction in a business management setting. Those are very difficult to find when it's not part of a program that you have to pay for.
For a while I was considering going to Mexico as a direct enrollment exchange student, and doing an internship program through the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). It was a really exciting opportunity. Dreaming of going abroad again and working in an international company was something from my dreams, but there were also little things that made it difficult to really consider.
I'll admit it was nerve-wracking to think that I may be abroad when I should be getting my career started, finding a place to live, and wrapping up everything with my offers. Not to mention, to go to Mexico, I was going to have to pay extra tuition, and I would have to fly back to Utah for my graduation, back to Mexico to finish the semester, and back to Utah again for the rest of my life. With all of these things together with everything that I've got going on now and I'd like to continue, Mexico was more of a back-up plan and a nice dream than anything else.
Well, diligent searching of the online job postings lead me to find a humanitarian organization that was looking to take on interns. In the post, they mentioned that they were looking for someone to interact with the case workers in Guatemala. I applied for the position, and immediately sent an e-mail to the director, informing him that I was interested in starting immediately. We scheduled the interview within the next week (and the same week I had to give my final decision on Mexico), and not only did I get the position, but I also got it approved through the Global Management Certificate Office. Big Heart Humanitarian is still in the growth phase, so I will be able to have a lot of interaction with Guatemala, as well as an influence in the management and organization of the non-profit.
I have yet to really start my first day (I've done a few small things here and there), but I'm really excited about it. I am also really impressed with the work of Excend Consulting, one of our partners. They cover our overhead costs, which is marvelous, and it allows all money raised to be given to the children (yes, I'm working in an unpaid position). If you want to learn more about either of the organizations, visit http://www.bighearthumanitarian.com or http://www.excend.com.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
New Posts
Hey All!
I just finished updating some of my old post drafts. They're saved in the original months that I started them, but if you're interested, I've included them below:
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/3-byu-footbal-third-goal-accomplished.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/things-ive-done.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/week-of-celebration.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/12/career-influences.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/12/4-finding-job-fourth-goal-accomplished.html
I just finished updating some of my old post drafts. They're saved in the original months that I started them, but if you're interested, I've included them below:
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/3-byu-footbal-third-goal-accomplished.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/things-ive-done.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/11/week-of-celebration.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/12/career-influences.html
http://ibitj.blogspot.com/2009/12/4-finding-job-fourth-goal-accomplished.html
Friday, December 18, 2009
I know....
"I know what I have to do now.
I have to keep breathing.
Because tomorrow the sun will rise,
and who knows what the tide will bring?"
~From Castaway
I have to keep breathing.
Because tomorrow the sun will rise,
and who knows what the tide will bring?"
~From Castaway
Monday, December 14, 2009
4. Finding a Job - fourth "goal" accomplished
Just in case you haven't heard, I've accepted a job offer from Goldman Sachs. This is the fulfillment of my fourth "goal" that I've been working on. I'll be working as an Operation's Analyst starting after the April graduation.
Here is a little bit about the interview process that I went through.
These interviews were stressful, and I didn't think that they'd call me back after the first one. It all started out with an e-mail in September from the college of humanities. Apparently they were looking for people with diverse backgrounds. Then I ran into them at the career fair, and I gave them a hard copy of my resume (one of the 5 that I gave out). This was around the time that I was giving weekly sailing lessons, and still holding biweekly sailing club meetings. That very afternoon Goldman Sachs held an information session. I went, but because I didn't really think that I'd be qualified or that I'd find a job with the company that matched my skills (and because I had a meeting to be at right after that), I didn't give the presentation my undivided attention, but it sure caught it. I heard my dream job described to me. As I was headed out the door (a little early, so that I could get to the meeting), a lady caught my attention, and let me know about a women's networking dinner that they were holding the following week.
That next week, I brought my resume to their "resume review and interview workshop." I picked up some pamphlets and booklets from the sign-in table, along with a little black GS notebook. I still carry it in my purse (I even brought it to an interview with another financial institution). I waited about a half an hour, and I sat down at the table with the same lady who had told me about the women's dinner. She said that my resume looked good, but advised me to put my GPA on it. It was just a little below a 3.5, and I know that that can be the cut off point for what to list. She told me that by not listing it, she would have thought that it was much worse than it was. We covered interview tips, and I remember that in those tips she gave two pieces of advice that are especially important for women.
The first was that you should absolutely wear a suit. Standard interview attire is a black suit with a white button-up underneath. The goal, is to make the interviewer feel like he or she can take you directly into a meeting with the company. Ask yourself this question "Do you look like you could represent the company, or branch, or division professionally?" Don't bring a back pack, with a giant coat, and a huge purse. Look professional! The men always come dressed up in their best black suit, and the women shouldn't present themselves less-professionally. As far as company culture goes, GS may be a little more formal than others. I've had plenty of other interviews where the person conducting the interview is wearing business causal attire, but I highly doubt that this would fly with GS. But remember, you can never go wrong when you're dressed at a slightly higher level of formality (just don't try wearing something like a ball gown, that's much higher, and you could go very wrong with that).
The second piece of advice was to make sure that you look the interviewer in the face. She said that so many women are timid in their interviews, that they do not represent themselves well. Interviews are a time to show your confidence, and to explain why you are the person for the job. Also, use examples from your own life, don't share how your mother, boyfriend, brother, or grandfather dealt with a situation. They want to know about you! She also suggested common things, such as knowing the position. Go in with a knowledge of what you will be doing. Also research the company. Know what they have done recently that's in the news. And make sure that you prepare questions to ask in the interview (you are double checking to make sure that it's the position that you want too). On their website, GS recommends that you ask more general questions. This shows interest in the company and the position.
After that little session, I ran to go give a sailing lesson, and as soon as that was done, I went to the women's networking event. It was a great opportunity to be able to sit and ask questions, and to find out what the company culture is like, and what the possible future coworkers are like. It was really neat. I spoke some more with the lady who I had seen earlier that day, and I got to know a few more people both within the operations division and outside. It was a really great opportunity to help me decide if the company was one that I want to work for, and if the position is one that would fit me.
After all of that, I completed the process of applying for the job (one application through the campus job search website, and one through the GS website). And I waited. And I waited some more. And on one Friday in October, they sent me an e-mail letting me know that I should sign up for an on-campus interview. That was a little rough. It gave me three days to find a very professional looking suit. (prior to this, I had pieced together two things that didn't fit, weren't the same fabric, but could almost pass as the same color). After searching and searching, I finally found one on Monday (the day before my interview). It was from Banana Republic, and I'm still working on paying it off, but I figure it's necessary if anything ever was.
My interview was Tuesday afternoon. I was second to last and right after a break, and either that was a great position, or it was a horrible one. I ran around getting in the last of my study abroad application, and two of my past teachers told me that I looked perfect for an interview. I went in, and I was shocked. Everyone I had met with before was so warm and friendly. These people were somewhat like robots, and were so focused that there seemed little room for warmth. They were probably exhausted. The second interview that day seemed to go a little better, but I didn't leave that day feeling like I knew which way it would go. Surprisingly enough, they contacted me a few days later to schedule an on-site interview!
That day I got dressed and jumped in the car. My head was so cloudy that I could hardly remember my name. I had been researching and reading, but I was slightly worn out, and a bit nervous. I called my mom, and for almost the whole drive there, she threw the hardest interview questions in the world at me, and she'd give me advice after my answers. It did worlds to boost my confidence and prepare my brain for answers.
I pulled up in the parking lot, and made my way up to the GS floor. The building seemed somewhat out of line with with I had imagined a GS office would be, but the second that I stepped out of that elevator, I could see that it was exactly what I was expecting. I waited in the blue room, and was taken back to a conference room for the interview. I was faced with two men. They were hard to read, but they were more like what I was expecting the first interview to be like. We got done a little early, so as I waited outside of the second conference room, I took the opportunity to talk about the company. I went into the second interview that day, and I could tell that my resume had caught their attention. I spoke with one of the ladies who interviewed me, and she later told me that I had the experience with the sailing club that directly related to something that they had been recently facing. Let me just say, that I'm so thankful that I got the opportunities that I did with the sailing club.
I felt so good after those interviews that it didn't even bother me when I got rear-ended on the way home. I knew that I had given it my all. After that I did some more waiting. I waited about a week, and started applying to more jobs. It got really tough, because nothing else seemed like such a good fit or nearly as exciting to me.
One day I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I was kind of in a funny mood, so I went to the deli to get an ice cream cone. As I was checking out my phone rang with an unidentified number. My heart rate increased a little, but for the most part I wasn't expecting too much. Well, it turns out that it was a representative from GS, and from then on my brain started spinning. I think I circled the grocery store about 3 times, and all I was there for was milk and apples!
Two days later my offer came in the mail, and after some chats with HR about my start date, I sent the signed acceptance in. I've still got to go through the background check process, but I am looking forward to starting after graduation!
Here is a little bit about the interview process that I went through.
These interviews were stressful, and I didn't think that they'd call me back after the first one. It all started out with an e-mail in September from the college of humanities. Apparently they were looking for people with diverse backgrounds. Then I ran into them at the career fair, and I gave them a hard copy of my resume (one of the 5 that I gave out). This was around the time that I was giving weekly sailing lessons, and still holding biweekly sailing club meetings. That very afternoon Goldman Sachs held an information session. I went, but because I didn't really think that I'd be qualified or that I'd find a job with the company that matched my skills (and because I had a meeting to be at right after that), I didn't give the presentation my undivided attention, but it sure caught it. I heard my dream job described to me. As I was headed out the door (a little early, so that I could get to the meeting), a lady caught my attention, and let me know about a women's networking dinner that they were holding the following week.
That next week, I brought my resume to their "resume review and interview workshop." I picked up some pamphlets and booklets from the sign-in table, along with a little black GS notebook. I still carry it in my purse (I even brought it to an interview with another financial institution). I waited about a half an hour, and I sat down at the table with the same lady who had told me about the women's dinner. She said that my resume looked good, but advised me to put my GPA on it. It was just a little below a 3.5, and I know that that can be the cut off point for what to list. She told me that by not listing it, she would have thought that it was much worse than it was. We covered interview tips, and I remember that in those tips she gave two pieces of advice that are especially important for women.
The first was that you should absolutely wear a suit. Standard interview attire is a black suit with a white button-up underneath. The goal, is to make the interviewer feel like he or she can take you directly into a meeting with the company. Ask yourself this question "Do you look like you could represent the company, or branch, or division professionally?" Don't bring a back pack, with a giant coat, and a huge purse. Look professional! The men always come dressed up in their best black suit, and the women shouldn't present themselves less-professionally. As far as company culture goes, GS may be a little more formal than others. I've had plenty of other interviews where the person conducting the interview is wearing business causal attire, but I highly doubt that this would fly with GS. But remember, you can never go wrong when you're dressed at a slightly higher level of formality (just don't try wearing something like a ball gown, that's much higher, and you could go very wrong with that).
The second piece of advice was to make sure that you look the interviewer in the face. She said that so many women are timid in their interviews, that they do not represent themselves well. Interviews are a time to show your confidence, and to explain why you are the person for the job. Also, use examples from your own life, don't share how your mother, boyfriend, brother, or grandfather dealt with a situation. They want to know about you! She also suggested common things, such as knowing the position. Go in with a knowledge of what you will be doing. Also research the company. Know what they have done recently that's in the news. And make sure that you prepare questions to ask in the interview (you are double checking to make sure that it's the position that you want too). On their website, GS recommends that you ask more general questions. This shows interest in the company and the position.
After that little session, I ran to go give a sailing lesson, and as soon as that was done, I went to the women's networking event. It was a great opportunity to be able to sit and ask questions, and to find out what the company culture is like, and what the possible future coworkers are like. It was really neat. I spoke some more with the lady who I had seen earlier that day, and I got to know a few more people both within the operations division and outside. It was a really great opportunity to help me decide if the company was one that I want to work for, and if the position is one that would fit me.
After all of that, I completed the process of applying for the job (one application through the campus job search website, and one through the GS website). And I waited. And I waited some more. And on one Friday in October, they sent me an e-mail letting me know that I should sign up for an on-campus interview. That was a little rough. It gave me three days to find a very professional looking suit. (prior to this, I had pieced together two things that didn't fit, weren't the same fabric, but could almost pass as the same color). After searching and searching, I finally found one on Monday (the day before my interview). It was from Banana Republic, and I'm still working on paying it off, but I figure it's necessary if anything ever was.
My interview was Tuesday afternoon. I was second to last and right after a break, and either that was a great position, or it was a horrible one. I ran around getting in the last of my study abroad application, and two of my past teachers told me that I looked perfect for an interview. I went in, and I was shocked. Everyone I had met with before was so warm and friendly. These people were somewhat like robots, and were so focused that there seemed little room for warmth. They were probably exhausted. The second interview that day seemed to go a little better, but I didn't leave that day feeling like I knew which way it would go. Surprisingly enough, they contacted me a few days later to schedule an on-site interview!
That day I got dressed and jumped in the car. My head was so cloudy that I could hardly remember my name. I had been researching and reading, but I was slightly worn out, and a bit nervous. I called my mom, and for almost the whole drive there, she threw the hardest interview questions in the world at me, and she'd give me advice after my answers. It did worlds to boost my confidence and prepare my brain for answers.
I pulled up in the parking lot, and made my way up to the GS floor. The building seemed somewhat out of line with with I had imagined a GS office would be, but the second that I stepped out of that elevator, I could see that it was exactly what I was expecting. I waited in the blue room, and was taken back to a conference room for the interview. I was faced with two men. They were hard to read, but they were more like what I was expecting the first interview to be like. We got done a little early, so as I waited outside of the second conference room, I took the opportunity to talk about the company. I went into the second interview that day, and I could tell that my resume had caught their attention. I spoke with one of the ladies who interviewed me, and she later told me that I had the experience with the sailing club that directly related to something that they had been recently facing. Let me just say, that I'm so thankful that I got the opportunities that I did with the sailing club.
I felt so good after those interviews that it didn't even bother me when I got rear-ended on the way home. I knew that I had given it my all. After that I did some more waiting. I waited about a week, and started applying to more jobs. It got really tough, because nothing else seemed like such a good fit or nearly as exciting to me.
One day I stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I was kind of in a funny mood, so I went to the deli to get an ice cream cone. As I was checking out my phone rang with an unidentified number. My heart rate increased a little, but for the most part I wasn't expecting too much. Well, it turns out that it was a representative from GS, and from then on my brain started spinning. I think I circled the grocery store about 3 times, and all I was there for was milk and apples!
Two days later my offer came in the mail, and after some chats with HR about my start date, I sent the signed acceptance in. I've still got to go through the background check process, but I am looking forward to starting after graduation!
Plotting a new course (Goals 4 and 5)
So, it's official! Everything in my life will be changing. Right now I should really be studying for finals, but I'll take care of that in a few minutes. Here are just some pieces of big news that I have for yall.
After a vigorous round of interviews, I accepted a job with Goldman Sachs. I am going to be an operations analyst with them in Salt Lake City, starting in May. This morning, they just verified with me that they have received my letter, and I will begin their background check process within a few weeks.
Also, I'm going to be interning with Big Heart Humanitarian, from January to April. I've always wanted to do humanitarian work, and for me, this will be a great opportunity to practice my Spanish, and to help children. Big Heart raises money to send kids to school in Guatemala. There the cost of tuition, books, and uniforms is so unaffordable for some families that children do not even get the opportunity to finish elementary school. We try to help with that and improve the literacy rate. I've always wanted to do something like this. I thought it would be in a different country, but it looks like I'll be doing it from Salt Lake. (my original/backup plan was to do an internship with a multinational company in Mexico, but not everyone in my life was supportive of that, and the cost was going to be very high, so I've decided to stick around Utah).
With all of this stuff going on, I've already started to look for apartments. I'm really excited to go pick my new place, and I also really enjoy looking at homes. I'm not planing on moving until May, but in any case, I'm excited about this new course in my life.
After a vigorous round of interviews, I accepted a job with Goldman Sachs. I am going to be an operations analyst with them in Salt Lake City, starting in May. This morning, they just verified with me that they have received my letter, and I will begin their background check process within a few weeks.
Also, I'm going to be interning with Big Heart Humanitarian, from January to April. I've always wanted to do humanitarian work, and for me, this will be a great opportunity to practice my Spanish, and to help children. Big Heart raises money to send kids to school in Guatemala. There the cost of tuition, books, and uniforms is so unaffordable for some families that children do not even get the opportunity to finish elementary school. We try to help with that and improve the literacy rate. I've always wanted to do something like this. I thought it would be in a different country, but it looks like I'll be doing it from Salt Lake. (my original/backup plan was to do an internship with a multinational company in Mexico, but not everyone in my life was supportive of that, and the cost was going to be very high, so I've decided to stick around Utah).
With all of this stuff going on, I've already started to look for apartments. I'm really excited to go pick my new place, and I also really enjoy looking at homes. I'm not planing on moving until May, but in any case, I'm excited about this new course in my life.
Monday, December 7, 2009
It won't stop coming out of the sky!
And yes, I'm talking about the snow. I know nobody in their right mind would want to listen to me complain about the weather, so instead, I'll just say that I'm looking forward to going home for Christmas.
There's been so much going on, and I've checked off a few more of my "goals." I'm looking forward to writing about them, but I still don't really have the time. This week I think I already have plans every night, and next week is finals. I never thought I'd be facing finals with such excitement. So, look for more posts over the holidays. They should be good.
There's been so much going on, and I've checked off a few more of my "goals." I'm looking forward to writing about them, but I still don't really have the time. This week I think I already have plans every night, and next week is finals. I never thought I'd be facing finals with such excitement. So, look for more posts over the holidays. They should be good.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Career Influences
I've been doing a lot of thinking and a lot of thanking recently, and I've come to a new conclusion about the influence of parents on their children's careers. When I was younger I would have said that anyone can absolutely pursue whatever career they want. After looking at my cousin who has a dentist for a father and wants to be a doctor, and me who has an accountant for a mother and wants to work in the corporate headquarters for a company, I've realized just how much influence parents and their professions have on children.
All growing up, I associated "career" with what my mom and dad did. My mom sat in a cubicle in a sky scraper, and my dad had his own office in a smaller building, often connected to a warehouse. My dad was always the manager of a sales office/team, and my mom was always the accountant. I think I probably identify a little more with my mom because of the whole gender role, but growing up with those influences, I've always associated my "career" with working in an office somewhere.
I also see how much help parents can give to children as they're applying for schools and jobs and as they're pursuing their options. It's so helpful to have a parent you can call to read over your resume before you submit it, or to ask them which answer is a better answer to a recruiting essay. I'm really thankful for the influences in my life, and I have an even greater respect for those who go out into the world and blaze their own trail. When you don't have parents to ask all of your questions, you MUST rely on networking and your own intelligence. Now I understand why it is that children often grow up to have careers similar to their parent's.
So here, I want to thank all of those in my life who I can turn to for advice and who help me learn from their experience.
Thank you for your help.
All growing up, I associated "career" with what my mom and dad did. My mom sat in a cubicle in a sky scraper, and my dad had his own office in a smaller building, often connected to a warehouse. My dad was always the manager of a sales office/team, and my mom was always the accountant. I think I probably identify a little more with my mom because of the whole gender role, but growing up with those influences, I've always associated my "career" with working in an office somewhere.
I also see how much help parents can give to children as they're applying for schools and jobs and as they're pursuing their options. It's so helpful to have a parent you can call to read over your resume before you submit it, or to ask them which answer is a better answer to a recruiting essay. I'm really thankful for the influences in my life, and I have an even greater respect for those who go out into the world and blaze their own trail. When you don't have parents to ask all of your questions, you MUST rely on networking and your own intelligence. Now I understand why it is that children often grow up to have careers similar to their parent's.
So here, I want to thank all of those in my life who I can turn to for advice and who help me learn from their experience.
Thank you for your help.
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