This Glass House

New Adventure on the Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Simmons) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:56:00 +0000

I know it's been a while since my last post but I promise that I've been busy :-) After getting out of the military in August, I was determined to get a job. However, after 2 months of no call backs and no prospectives, I told myself that I was going to go back to school. I decided to leave Accounting and pursue a degree in Nursing. With that being said, I started collecting all of the documents (transcripts, immunization records) that I needed for school. I also applied and was accepted to school. I attended orientation and EVEN registered for all of my classes.

I thought I was ready to go...well at least I thought. Until one day in late October, I received a call from an agency asking me to come in and interview for an auditing position. Initially I was hesitant to go on the interview, I spoke with my family trying to decide what to do. Everyone advised me to go on the interview and to see what happens. So I prepared for the interview with school in the back of my mind. I was very relaxed because I KNEW that they would select someone else and I would be starting school at the top of the year.

It was a two part interview and only two individuals were going to be selected for the position. My husband kept reminding me that even though they were going to only select two people, I ONLY needed ONE job offer. I kew he was right, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, "there's a slim chance I will be selected...school here I come".

The first interview was a panel interview with 3 people "quizzing" me. When I left from the interview, I had the confidence that I should have always had prior to being interviewed. My sister and I joked around and said that they would call me back for the job because I didn't really want the position. Time went on and I didn't receive a call back, so I pressed forward with becoming "mentally prepared" for school. Well I pressed forward, that is, until November when I received another call requesting me to come back for a second interview. I was overly excited and yet, a little nervous.

After the interview was complete, I was a little unsure of what events would follow. I received a different vibe this time than I did from the last interview. All I told myself was, "Okay, if I don't receive a job offer before the first day of school then school it is!". Easy right? Um mm not so much (lol). On December 23rd, I received that one phone call that I was hoping for but also dreading. I received the job and the agency was open for salary negotiation. Oddly enough, I didn't accept the position right away.

I had to take some time to think about everything and to talk to my family. Finally I sent an email accepting the position and requesting my salary. It was about two and a half weeks before I received confirmation and then I was "off to the races". I dropped all of my classes and purchased a few professional pieces to add to my wardrobe :-) This job offers a lot of travel and great adventure. I will see variety in my workload and yet have the opportunity to become an expert in my field...very positive outcomes!!!

As of today, I haven't started the new job and I have a massive level of anxiety building up within me. I'm only praying that this is the right move...Going back to my old profession of accounting/auditing and not pursuing another career field. I'm so nervous, I can't even put it into words. I will keep everyone updated on how everything unravels or should I say continue to build! Until then, farewell friends and don't forget to reach for the moon and dance amongst the stars :-)

The Loving Job Offer

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Simmons) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, I told me sister that I posted my first blog. I briefly told her the subject and the first thing she said was, “You need a job”. I just laughed while also thinking, “That’s what I have been trying to do for the past month”. I’ve been applying for federal jobs and looking at college catalogs, for what seems like forever. She’s aware of all of this because I talk to her about school and various jobs just about every other day. So I guess that’s why she felt compelled to give me an offer that I “almost” could not refuse.

My wonderful sister asked me to be her personal assistant! Now you see, my sister is a first year law student. She is very busy at times. She attends class, studies at night, work part-time, and juggle the responsibility of being a mom to a son that's into sports. But I am about 360 miles away from her and I don't think I will be a good assistant even if she only wants me to make various phone calls for her and all for free. Sounds simple right? I wish it was but it wouldn’t be simple at all. I know my sister and I would probably have to call the same company or person a million times before I obtain ALL the information that she may need. And even though, my current AT&T U-Verse package offers free long distance phone calls and I have plenty of daytime minutes with Sprint to make the calls, I still had to decline my wonderful sister's loving job offer.

My Sprint Evo Shift -- minus the hot pink cover :-)

So after we laughed through just about the entire conversation, I propositioned her with a counter-offer. I told her that after she finish Law School, pass the Bar Exam, and begin to establish her own Law Firm then I will help her any way possible for free, UNTIL she can offer me a salary. Who knows, I may finally decide to go to Law School myself and then we could become partners in a Law Firm. You never know what the future may bring. But as of right now…I think I will continue on my current path. So there it is folks, I turned down my first job offer yesterday. Hopefully there are more job offers to come.

New Veteran – 3rd Life

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Simmons) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Today is the 9^th day of my 3^rd life. In my 1^st life, I was an auditor. I used my undergraduate accounting degree and maintained a conservative and “self-imposed conflicted” life. I found myself, day in and day out, staring at the computer screen and wondering “should I continue on this career path?”

I was a new graduate, over 500 miles away from my family for the first time, and was very “green” (as someone once told me). I didn’t understand that the statement of being “green” meant being vulnerable and gullible, until I ran into a brick wall. Well maybe everyone goes through this “green” phase once in his or her life. But I had the double whammy. I was "green" to adulthood and “green” to being self-sufficient and when you add both of those up together and go through it at the same time…well all I can say is that you live on blind trust of the wrong things.

But anyways, after various painful eye openers, I decided I needed a little life change. In search for something a little more fulfilling and interesting, I decided to do what some teenagers decide to do after high school…I joined the military! The only difference was…I was not a teenager. I was a 25-year old woman. And that’s when I started my 2^nd life.

I was in the military, working in the pharmacy. I completed a tour overseas and received a master’s degree. I learned self-acceptance and reconciled a lot of things that bothered me from the past. I even found my true love and got married. However, while I was in the military I realized that even though the job was ever-changing, it was not the career that I longed for and so, after my contract was fulfilled I decided it was time for something new.

This “something new” is now what I am calling my 3^rd life. However, now my dilemma is that I don’t know what this “something new” is. I’ve went back and forth about having kids and being a stay at home mom. I thought about going back to work in the accounting field. I thought about going to pharmacy school and even law school. My mind and ambition has been all over the place for the past few months and more so this last month. Every day I wake up, I feel unsure of what to do next.

Currently in my 3^rd life, things are less concrete but at the same time relieving and free. It is somewhat like reincarnation without a physical death. I find myself picking up different books and scanning through the material, reviewing various college catalogs, taking personality tests, and praying for guidance. But with the great support system that I have with my husband and family, I know that I will find my way through this 3^rd life and hopefully will not have to "exchange" it for another again.

And so, today I welcome you to my 3^rd life. As you probably have figured out, the "lives" I'm referring to are my different career changes over the past 7 years. In the future, this blog will will include various topics. I cannot begin to list the things that I may cover. But at any rate, I hope you enjoy and keep coming back for more.