When Comfort is a Bad Thing

I'm sitting in my cozy office, roughly the size of the bedroom I share, and it occurred to me why I don't like this office.  I loved it for a minute, and then it stopped quite suddenly.  The temperature of the office seems just a little colder every day that I'm in here, and I start to realize that I hate being comfortable.

From the office, to the temperate Nashville weather, to the daily expected 30 minute storm, to the southern comfort and hospitality that's shoved down your throat with the gallons of sweet tea, I hate how comfortable I am.  The last few months have been so easy to deal with, it hurts.

I learned from a young age how to grow from challenges in life, and I'm finding myself ready to jump into the unknown and do things I'm not entirely sure I can do just to feel important and alive.  I'd give anything for just a hint of self-doubt every now and then, just so that the prize is that much more satisfying.

If you don't have any hard edges in your life, then what's so great about the successes?  How do you appreciate the little things?  I didn't know how much I needed to be challenged in life until right now.  Give me something to work with here, people.

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Life Lessons I've Learned in the Last 48 Hours

Remember that time in your twenties when you did something stupid?  That's right, it was about every other day.  Here are some stupid lessons I've learned this week:

Don't close yourself off to opportunities.

It's nice that you have a full-time job, but applying for something doesn't hurt anyone.  It might be the right move for you.

Honesty counts the most.

Even if everyone around you is dishonest at work, being honest and getting fired for it is better than screwing someone over.

Real meals are delicious.

Don't just eat a bunch of salads because you're trying to be healthy, and don't just eat a bunch of ramen because you're trying to save money.  Balance is the key.

Too much coffee CAN be a bad thing.

Just because you feel tired, doesn't mean more coffee is the answer.  Unless you want to shake uncontrollably.  

ALWAYS dress for success.

You never know who is going to be where and when you may run into someone important.

Go for it.

Make your mistakes now.  Face your fears.  The consequences just get more serious as you get older.

Really?!

We all know these people, right?  The mama's boy who "doesn't eat vegetables."  The girl who thinks reading isn't cool and therefore "doesn't read."  The list is endless. They don't watch the news, they don't study, they don't want to move more than a block away from their parents' house.  I have a few words for these people.

REALLY?! When was the last time you ate vegetables?  Do you think your opinions haven't changed at all?  Isn't there ONE out there that you like?  When was the last time you read a book?  The last time you were transported to another world in your imagination.  There aren't ANY books that you like? NONE? REALLY?!  What about when the Boston bombings occurred?  You didn't turn on the news for a MINUTE?  Did you hear about the explosion in West, TX? ...REALLY?!  Aren't you A LITTLE curious about what's out there?  Don't you get sick of this bubble you've created for yourself?

Maybe it's the family I grew up in or the fact that I didn't grow up in the Midwest.  I'm not sure what, but there's an endless world out there of possibility.  To close yourself off to any part of that just seems strange to me.  Why is it not cool to be smart or different?  What do we have to do to make this generation see that these things are important and that it's okay to know things.

COME ON.

Trusting Your Gut

Well, I've got two weeks left of undergrad, and I keep having to reassure myself that I know what I'm doing.  There comes a point in your life where you don't rely on anyone else to make decisions about your life except yourself.  For me, that's right now--when my parents no longer finance my life.  So how do I know what's right for me when my parents have been influencing my decisions for the past 22 years?

The answer is, of course, that there's no way to tell for sure.  You just have to trust your gut and know that no one else had their life figured out at this age either.

I'm someone that's always striving for more and pushing harder and never settling, and it's hard to grasp the concept that I've settled...for now.  I've dreamt of New York City for a long time, and to have closed that door for now wears on me every once in awhile.  I'll make it there someday.  I know it in my gut.  I also know that if I'm going to get a job in my field, I need to be in Nashville.  I need to work my way up in Music City, pay cheaper rent, pay off loans, and my path to New York will carve itself out somewhere down the road.

I love Nashville to death, but my soul will always wander to New York until I can be there.  Wait for me, please.

The Job Hunt: 10 Tips For College Grads

Well, it's that time of the school year: Senioritis is in full swing, and you need to apply for jobs until you get one.  This means applying to any job you might be qualified for in your field, but you certainly don't want to waste your time.  So, what do you look for when you're picking which jobs to apply for?  Here are some tips to maximize your time when job hunting

1. Spotting Scams
Some posts out there are really just too good to be true.  There are many scams out there for entry level positions at fake companies.  If it sounds like a cookie-cutter posting, or if it just sounds too good to be true, do a web search with the word 'scam' and the company name to see if anything comes up.  There are more out there than you'd think.  For more tips on identifying scams, go here.

2. Basic Qualifications
Before applying to something, look at the basic qualifications.  If they say that a college degree is not necessary, it may be below your level, and you may not get great pay.  Try to apply to jobs that require a college degree.

3. Administrative Assistants
Beware of Administrative Assistant jobs.  Yes, they sound like great entry-level jobs.  The problem with many of them is that there isn't any room for promotion.  Pay attention to the list of assigned duties for the job.  If it is strictly clerical, stay away.  You'll be stuck in that job for a long time.

4. Do Your Research
When you apply for a job, make sure you research the company.  If you don't know anything about it, you may not know if you would even like the job.  The company will most likely hire the candidate that knows the most about what they do.  If you can't name some basic facts, don't bother applying.

5. Cover Letters
ALWAYS do a cover letter.  Unless explicitly stated, always send one.  If you don't send a cover letter, you may as well not apply.  Your application will get thrown out simply because you didn't take the extra effort that everyone else did in your application.  Make sure that you talk about your skill set and how they can help the company in each letter.

6. Aim High, Then Low
Start by applying to jobs that are slightly out of your reach.  If you only have a few months of experience, apply to jobs that ask for 1-2 years.  Find jobs that you know you could do if they gave you the chance and make a case for yourself.  Even though it's unlikely that you get the job, you never know.  If that isn't working, THEN apply to the hourly jobs that are below yoru skill level.  Don't be afraid to apply for some internships either.

7. Location, Location, Location
Always think about the pay rate versus the cost of living.  If you apply to a job in New York City, make sure that you would be getting paid enough to live in New York.  Don't apply to hourly jobs in those locations.

8. Follow Ups
Only follow up on jobs that say calling is okay.  Many job postings ask that people don't call.  If it doesn't say anything, it's always better to follow up with a phone call, if possible.

9. Interviews
In your interviews, be sure to come in with questions.  In addition, you should research the location and job to have a salary range in mind.  If they plan to hire you, they will ask, and they will expect you to have an answer.  It's hard to know how much you should make, but if you don't have any idea, chances are that you'll get screwed over.

10. Stay Calm
The most important tip is to stay calm.  A lot of things in your life are about to change, and most everything is uncertain.  Try to focus on what you can control, and don't worry about the rest until you can fix it.

Good luck out there.

Senioritis at its finest

Well, here we are again, Fairly Straight University.  My fourth and final year in a town with 3 main roads, four bars, too many Amish people for my taste, and 45 minutes away from any civilization (shopping malls, casinos, and Targets, oh my!).  Needless to say, these next 7 months can't fly by fast enough.  Yeah, yeah, savor the college years, best time of your life, blah blah blah.  I really just want to go to the mall without spending $20 on gas.

I can definitely say that my "Senioritis," as it's called, is in full effect.  What are the symptoms, you ask?

• irritability
• procrastination
• watching television
• skipping class at least once a week
• new-found levels of procrastination
• not doing homework, even if the subject interests you
• watching several hours of television in a row
• beer
• Tumblr
• Facebook is suddenly interesting
• New low levels of disapproving of Freshmen behavior
• Wondering how you could somehow not take those last 5 classes
• sweatpants all day every day
• beer

I think that about sums it up.  

"Command authority by doing your job well, not by telling me how to do mine."

I don't know if I originally came up with this phrase yesterday, or if it's completely unoriginal, but it does completely and accurately describe my situation.

Anyone that I have ever looked up to professionally has had the following things in common:

1. They love their job.

2. They care about other people, especially those below them.

3. They work really hard to do an excellent job.

If you don't have these things, then I have a hard time respecting you as a professional, especially if I have to answer to you.  So, let's talk about these things.

1. You love your job.

I understand if you work at a job you don't like to get by for awhile, but I then assume that you are working hard to find a job that you like or are figuring out what it is that you want to do.  If you love your job, your quality of work is better and your attitude is better.  Nobody wants to hear you complain about your job, and nobody can respect you if you're not trying to get yourself out of this job that you hate.

2. You care about other people, especially those who work below you.

Everyone cares about the opinions and feelings of their boss, but it takes a really good person to care about somebody that works underneath you.  Without those people working for shit money doing shit tasks, you would have to work and extra 40 hours a week doing those shit tasks for no extra money.  Paying attention to them and letting them know that they're appreciated will help them remember that they're important to the company.  They will respect you so much more if they know that you respect them.

3. You work really hard to do an excellent job. 

I don't understand the people that are more obsessed with other people doing their jobs correctly than doing their own job correctly.  If you aren't doing your job, no one else is going to do it.  Trust in your co-workers and make sure to converse with them appropriately if you feel like they may not be doing their job.

What does that entail, you ask?  For instance, if you feel like they didn't do something they were supposed to do, ask them if they did it.  Then, ask them if they knew that they were supposed to do it.  Then, if they answer the questions accordingly, go ahead and tell them off.  90% of the time, it was a misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, make sure that everything you are asked to do is done efficiently and excellently.  Making sure other people do their jobs well still doesn't reflect well on you if you aren't doing your own job well.



The main reason I love working at Taillight so much is that I can genuinely respect almost every person that I work with.  I wish more offices ran the way that this one does.  Have I run into a few people that I don't respect as professionals?  Yes.  However, you would think that it would be more than the two I can think of, especially being in the entertainment industry.

I've never met so many humble, hard-working people that love their jobs and love everyone they work with.  Even though I'm an intern that does those shit jobs as described earlier, I love coming in to work every day.

I just hope I can work in a office like that when I need to find a grown up job.