Life Update

The Internet. It's something I use daily, hourly, minutely (is that a word?). Yet I've never quite taken the time to really try to wrap my head around how it actually works. It's kind of like those deep, theological questions that you just can't bring yourself to think about because it just makes your head hurt. Or de ja vu. That one definitely makes my head hurt. After years of using but not quite understanding the World Wide Web, I have found myself immersed in it. I recently accepted a position with a local web development company named Rockfish Interactive. I will be an Interactive Producer for them starting on May 12th, which is a fancy and impressive way of saying Project Manager. So I am spending my free time reading up on Wikipedia about a variety of terms I've heard for years but never quite understood. The very Internet that allows me to publish this blog is a very complex conglomerate of a lot of things I do not understand. There is so much more to it than this pretty interface that I see. It's amazing to think about the minds that saw this, that knew what it could mean for global communications. Fascinating. 

I'm looking forward to joining the team. I've been working with them on the Soderquist website for the past few months and know that I am in for a wild and rewarding ride. Before landing at Rockfish, though, it was a long journey of soul-searching. I interviewed for a variety of positions around NWA - most of which were not culture or lifestyle fits for me. I had my last interview at one company last week that solidified my choice to go to work for Rockfish. During my interview, one of the interviewers brought up a "hot button" - Generational stereotypes. She mentioned that my generation didn't seem to want to work, feel like we are entitled to much more than we're ready for, and won't commit to any company. She then asked me my view of those things. Wow - there is nothing like being blatantly stereotyped to your face. You know what they say when you assume things... I rebuffed her comments by pointing out that some of those issues are age related - not generational - and that there is a greater case for personality differences and individualized management than for generation-wide shifts. I am a Gen Y'er, but I am committed to working hard, don't feel like I've earned anything yet, and will show the same amount of commitment to my employer as they show me. I want to gain experience in a variety of things so I can do the best possible job at whatever I am doing. I was quite offended by her comments to me. Needless to say, I did not take that job. 

In other, brief, news:

• I officially graduate May 10. My final day at The Soderquist Center will be April 30. It's hard to believe I have been in NWA for 2 whole years!
• Nathan & I are landscaping our side yard - we are super excited and promise to post pictures of the final results when it's more than just a pile of rocks. 
• Nathan & I are quickly approaching the 2-year mark. Marriage is best thing this side of heaven.

So that's a brief overview of what's up in my life now, for all my "avid" readers. :) Just keeping up with my blog title - Meanderings!

What's next?

Nathan & I went to Kansas City this week for a Renew Retreat that I was coordinating for The Soderquist Center. While we enjoyed our time with each of the couples, it was somewhat bittersweet. This retreat marked my second to last project to coordinate for the Center. It's hard to believe that my time there is almost complete. But I'll save my reminiscent post for another day... Today my thoughts are more on what lies ahead rather than behind. I have my resume in a variety of companies' hands. There are a few jobs that sound like great fits, but nothing solid yet. I have had many interviews, many conversations, a few rejections - those are the hardest. The job-search process is cause for deep soul-searching and faith-testing. I look forward to the future post stating that I have been offered a job and will no longer have to worry about whether the 2 years I spent getting my MBA was worth it! Until then, I remain hopeful & trusting that the right fit for me is out there.