Tag: work

it's OK if you don't know

Posted on by jplatt27

A few weeks ago, I went back to my alma mater to participate in a career day for sophomores. I was part of a panel called Unexpected Career Paths.  It was so fun to share my career story and hear the stories and advice of other alumni on the panel.

A reoccurring theme through the event, from the keynote address to the panel discussions, was “it’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do.”

Let me repeat that:

It’s OK if you don’t know what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I did. And then I didn’t.

 

But, if you want to figure it out, I’d be happy to help.

mike’s unemployment

Posted on by jplatt27

“I know that some day soon I’ll be greeting you with a kiss as you walk in the door after work. I am so looking forward to that day as I know you are too.  In the meantime, know that I love you and am just as proud of you as I’ve always been.” —note from me to Mike, 3/3/11

In November of 2010, Mike’s boss lost the election and with it, Mike and his colleagues lost their jobs.

Our wedding was just 6 months away.

This was not completely unexpected.  There are elections every two years for Congress and this particular election cycle was going to be a tough one for Democrats.  But, Mike’s boss had been in office for longer than we’d been alive at that point, winning 13 consecutive terms.

They packed up the office, finished the term working from makeshift cubes in House cafeteria, and on January 3, 2011, Mike was officially unemployed.

There’s nothing like filing for unemployment to tell you welcome to the real world.

Of course this was a difficult time for Mike.  He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do next and staying on the Hill wasn’t a promising option as Democrat staffer jobs were few and far between. He was very diligent about applying for jobs and recording everything to collect unemployment.  But he got kind of down.

This was hard for me too. I did my best to support him, to be encouraging but also allowing him to feel down. I knew he wasn’t happy about not having a job and was doing his best to find something quickly, he didn’t need me to add to that.  I tried to be strong.  But this really sucked.

Finally, I think I said that to him. This really sucks. And it was pretty freeing for both of us.  Admitting this to each other felt good.  It allowed us to be a little vulnerable with each other. And brought us together as a team. It helped us move forward.

 

 

what i'm up to…

Posted on by jplatt27

In my post on having a baby last week, I mentioned that I’m pretty much not ready to have a baby because I’m really enjoying focusing on myself right now.  Here’s what I’m up to…

Things After the Rings

Obviously.  I love writing and often find my mind wandering to potential blog posts.  I’m having fun with my blog and have so many things I’d like to do to continue to improve it.

Prepping for life coach training

I start a life coach training program at the end of July (can. not. wait!) and I’ve been busy doing some pre-work for it including a 27-page questionnaire about my life and a book report.

Business course

I’m enrolled in Ramit‘s Earn 1K course about making money on the side through freelance work.

Starting a business

The reason I’m enrolled in Earn 1K is because I’m in the process of starting a life coaching business. In addition to learning more about business and reading a lot about life coaching and personal development, I’m also spending significant amounts of time brainstorming ideas for services and packages, ways to find leads and clients, and working on branding.

My day job

I’ve actually become much more engaged in my day job over the last few months and find my mind brainstorming ideas on my own time.

And then there’s life…

In addition to all of these great things, I’m having fun being married, spending time with friends, exploring DC, and just relaxing and enjoying weekends.