Searching for a job is a lot like online dating.
You start
out excited. You fill out your profile, and a couple more just to be
safe. You're transparent, thinking you'll find someone who values the
same things you do. You don't expect Prince Charming, but you're
confident you'll find someone acceptable fairly easily: you're
attractive, have interesting hobbies, and are a good person, so how hard
could it be when you have so much to offer? Your first messages arrive
soon...
...and it's the old trolls who think you're young and
dumb with no idea what you want: easy to use and lose. Ah, insurance
sales companies. You have technical skills and years of experience, but
that's "not a problem." You can be trained to like what they have to
offer--it's not what you want, but they think it should be.
Delete. Delete. Delete. Did you just break the delete key?
Ok,
relax, browse listings. "That guy" is described as VGL (he's not!) and
successful; you'd love to try his hobbies, but he needs constant ego
stroking. This unknown company thinks it's Fortune 500 and they need everything you offer. You get
to travel the world on their dime while building your LinkedIn
portfolio doing high level work that requires years of experience...a
great opportunity as an unpaid intern.
Skip.
Nice,
this guy has it all. He's attractive with similar interests. And, wow,
he messaged you back! But he only wants one thing, and it's not your
needs. He'll only be a minute, though, so tough it out: you should be
honored to get with him. This employer advertises full-time work as
"freelance" to force the company's tax burden onto the employee. They
know they're top dog and think you should be grateful to have their
scraps.
Pass.
By now, you're discouraged. You think
something is wrong with your approach, but your friends say, "your
profile is great, you should be getting dates!" while your colleagues
just commiserate with you over today's options. Both suggest the best
solution is to get lucky, accidentally discovering someone in the
supermarket. Discouraged, you continue to spend months alone.
Occasionally
you meet someone who says you're everything they want--and they're more
than happy to tell you about all the wrong guys they choose over you.
These employers claim they can't find good employees. Their own systems
weed out talented candidates in favor of those who have the most time on
the job, and they use this error as reason to outsource and further
hurt you, the good employee.
It took me a very long time to find
an amazing boyfriend--but the job search has higher stakes, the very
ability to live, which cannot wait. Looking for work shouldn't be a
childish game that spans more than seven years. The old troll, "VGL"
guy, and the self-absorbed jerk need to be fixed--as soon as possible.
They're sowing their seed at our expense.
3/30/14
Science Genius Girl
This is an article I original wrote for The Gay Voice News:
I recommend listening to Freezepop’s Science Genius Girl while reading this article.
The workplace poses unique challenges for LGBTQ individuals. When your coworker talks about his wife and kids, do you mention your partner and risk confrontation, or stay silent? Will being out put you on the front lines of department cuts? If your work revolves around sponsors and fundraising, will your private life present unintended consequences?
Some industries have LGBTQ support and networking groups to help deal with these questions and offer protections to employees in need. For the sci/tech world, that’s the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. This mouthful is shortened to “nah’-goal-step” by its members, and it includes allies as well. They are active in a variety of locations, and online, nationwide.
NOGLSTP has been around since 1983, created by members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science who realized that there were serious problems surrounding homophobia and discrimination in the workplace. They have been actively involved with improving inclusivity in scientific communities, promoting nondiscrimination policies, and providing information on workplace diversity with the goal of creating a better employment environment for LGBTQ professionals.
The community at large also greatly benefits from their efforts. NOGLSTP engages in education and outreach on issues that relate to all of us from science and technology to medical developments–and in turn educates the scientific community about us and our needs. They promote interdisciplinary collaboration to make science work better for us, and they even offer an Out to Innovate scholarship to LGBT students. The public also has access to career, coming out, and mentoring workshops through the American Association for Advancement of Sciences and other partners.
An important part of their mission is mentoring assistance for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. They connect students with professionals to help them find gay-friendly companies and answer tough questions about the impact of being out in their intended careers. The goal is to put the next generation of aspiring STEM professionals on a solid path to success. They achieve this by partnering with organizations such as MentorNet, and various universities and colleges.
NOGLSTP’s publication, “Career Opportunities for LGBT STEM Grads: Brighter Than Ever” helps target science and technology companies that scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for one’s job search. They also partner with Out and Equal’s LGBT Career Link, a service designed to help job-seekers find LGBT-friendly corporations to work for.
Because role models are highly valued by NOGLSTP, they take the time to highlight and award high achieving LGBTQ science and technology professionals. These include scientist of the year, engineer of the year, and educator of the year, and nominations are accepted through their website.
To learn more, visit www.noglstp.org. And be sure to check out their “Queer Scientists of Historical Note”!
I recommend listening to Freezepop’s Science Genius Girl while reading this article.
The workplace poses unique challenges for LGBTQ individuals. When your coworker talks about his wife and kids, do you mention your partner and risk confrontation, or stay silent? Will being out put you on the front lines of department cuts? If your work revolves around sponsors and fundraising, will your private life present unintended consequences?
Some industries have LGBTQ support and networking groups to help deal with these questions and offer protections to employees in need. For the sci/tech world, that’s the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. This mouthful is shortened to “nah’-goal-step” by its members, and it includes allies as well. They are active in a variety of locations, and online, nationwide.
NOGLSTP has been around since 1983, created by members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science who realized that there were serious problems surrounding homophobia and discrimination in the workplace. They have been actively involved with improving inclusivity in scientific communities, promoting nondiscrimination policies, and providing information on workplace diversity with the goal of creating a better employment environment for LGBTQ professionals.
The community at large also greatly benefits from their efforts. NOGLSTP engages in education and outreach on issues that relate to all of us from science and technology to medical developments–and in turn educates the scientific community about us and our needs. They promote interdisciplinary collaboration to make science work better for us, and they even offer an Out to Innovate scholarship to LGBT students. The public also has access to career, coming out, and mentoring workshops through the American Association for Advancement of Sciences and other partners.
An important part of their mission is mentoring assistance for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math careers. They connect students with professionals to help them find gay-friendly companies and answer tough questions about the impact of being out in their intended careers. The goal is to put the next generation of aspiring STEM professionals on a solid path to success. They achieve this by partnering with organizations such as MentorNet, and various universities and colleges.
NOGLSTP’s publication, “Career Opportunities for LGBT STEM Grads: Brighter Than Ever” helps target science and technology companies that scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for one’s job search. They also partner with Out and Equal’s LGBT Career Link, a service designed to help job-seekers find LGBT-friendly corporations to work for.
Because role models are highly valued by NOGLSTP, they take the time to highlight and award high achieving LGBTQ science and technology professionals. These include scientist of the year, engineer of the year, and educator of the year, and nominations are accepted through their website.
To learn more, visit www.noglstp.org. And be sure to check out their “Queer Scientists of Historical Note”!
3/23/14
Supernova
Made from
stardust, life is a fusion of numbers and voices.
+$848 Month at
the office
+$500 Help from
the grandparents
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$70 Vehicle
registration
-$60 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
“Sorry, you
made it to our top five, but one candidate had just a bit more
experience than you did.
+502 Month at
the office
+$500 Help from
the grandparents
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$40 Gas
-$20 Working
lunches
“It's a slow
month, sorry.”
+907 Month at
the office
+$250 Help from
grandpa
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$60 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$90 Groceries
“Since your
grandmother passed, you need to buy your own groceries.”
+1,055 Month at
the office
+$250 Help from
grandpa
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$40 Gas
-$20 Working
lunches
-$120 Groceries
“I used to
make the same amount of money you do and I was able to scrape
together $500 for rent, plus utilities, groceries, and the same
student loan burden! What do you mean those numbers don't add up?”
+743 Month at
the office
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$80 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$100 Groceries
“You have no
choice, it's a 55+ community. Sleep on your grandmother's couch, I'm
not taking you in.”
+570 Month at
the office
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$95 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$90 Groceries
“We can only
lower your monthly payment to $300. Your lender doesn't allow us to
extend the term, and we're not going to ask them to.”
+980 Month at
the office
-$700 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$115 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$100 Groceries
-$55 Hotel
-$40 Food while
traveling
-$70 Replace
dress shoes ruined in a puddle of gas
“We liked you
a lot, but another candidate had more experience working in a studio
environment.”
+965 Month at
the office
-$100 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$90 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$90 Groceries
-$50 Replace
irreparable sneakers
“You can't
pay less than your monthly minimum, call your servicer for help
making your payments manageable.”
+770 Month at
the office
-$100 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$1,000 Car
Insurance for the year
-$105 Cell
phone
-$110 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$98 Groceries
-$20 Replace
car charger for phone
“If your job
requires you to have a phone and a car, maybe you should just get a
better job?”
+962 Month at
the office
-$100 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$90 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$90 Groceries
-$100 Tax
preparation
“I deserve
monetary benefit from you—forcing you to buy insurance makes it
cheaper for me! And it's good for you anyway!”
+955 Month at
the office
-$100 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$115 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$80 Groceries
“We couldn't
take you in, but we could afford two new dogs and your sister's two
pregnancies.”
+750 Month at
the office
-$100 Student
loans
-$130 Student
loans
-$105 Cell
phone
-$75 Gas
-$60 EZ Pass
refill
-$20 Working
lunches
-$90 Groceries
“But the
game's just $20! You can get that!”
Stardust and
fusion; the brightest have already collapsed. Do you know the power
of your voice?
3/17/14
Writing Prompt - Scary Story
The prompt was to write a story as a camp counselor, attempting to scare 8-10 year olds. This is what I came up with:
Ok, kids, gather around. You've all heard of the incident of 2012, haven't you? We don't like to talk about it because it's very scary. Last kid we told ran away in tears, and was never heard from again. You'll notice the good kids aren't here among you. You've been warned.
It was on a night not too different from tonight. About a dozen kids were gathered around the camp fire. There was nothing special about the night at all, we were just roasting marshmallows, telling stories. Tina--she was just like any of you, it was her first summer here and she was a little bored. Tina found an article on Google News about an escaped convict. Authorities thought he'd be passing through this area, and when we heard the police sirens, everyone knew he was going to be too close for comfort.
Then it happened. A rustling in a bush, and BAM! Out came the biggest squirrel you've ever seen, and it charged right past us. Tina let out the most blood curdling scream you could imagine, and she dropped her phone. Right into the fire. That's some baked apples you don't ever want to taste. And the scariest part? Her parents didn't get the insurance. Now she owns a flip phone and doesn't even have a data package. No data package! She has since gone into hiding, and no one knows what's become of her.
Ok, kids, gather around. You've all heard of the incident of 2012, haven't you? We don't like to talk about it because it's very scary. Last kid we told ran away in tears, and was never heard from again. You'll notice the good kids aren't here among you. You've been warned.
It was on a night not too different from tonight. About a dozen kids were gathered around the camp fire. There was nothing special about the night at all, we were just roasting marshmallows, telling stories. Tina--she was just like any of you, it was her first summer here and she was a little bored. Tina found an article on Google News about an escaped convict. Authorities thought he'd be passing through this area, and when we heard the police sirens, everyone knew he was going to be too close for comfort.
Then it happened. A rustling in a bush, and BAM! Out came the biggest squirrel you've ever seen, and it charged right past us. Tina let out the most blood curdling scream you could imagine, and she dropped her phone. Right into the fire. That's some baked apples you don't ever want to taste. And the scariest part? Her parents didn't get the insurance. Now she owns a flip phone and doesn't even have a data package. No data package! She has since gone into hiding, and no one knows what's become of her.
Introduction
After taking part in a local writer's group for the past few weeks, I decided to start this blog to share my work--from the group, and from whenever I have the urge to write!
You'll find that my writing can be quirky, for a couple reasons:
-I don't really like reading! I love great stories, but I prefer to see them on the big screen. My writing style tends to reflect this preference and my background as a video editor leads to very cinematic imagery.
-I'm a geek. Scifi is my preferred genre. Even when using writing prompts, I tend to inject scifi into nearly anything. It's by no means the only thing I like, but it's what I usually enjoy the most. I also write a lot about things in life that are bothering me--sometimes tongue-in-cheek to find the humor in a tough situation, other times just to vent in what I think will be an entertaining way.
Enjoy and don't enjoy.
You'll find that my writing can be quirky, for a couple reasons:
-I don't really like reading! I love great stories, but I prefer to see them on the big screen. My writing style tends to reflect this preference and my background as a video editor leads to very cinematic imagery.
-I'm a geek. Scifi is my preferred genre. Even when using writing prompts, I tend to inject scifi into nearly anything. It's by no means the only thing I like, but it's what I usually enjoy the most. I also write a lot about things in life that are bothering me--sometimes tongue-in-cheek to find the humor in a tough situation, other times just to vent in what I think will be an entertaining way.
Enjoy and don't enjoy.
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