Sunday, November 28, 2010

Heigh-Ho! Heigh-Ho!


It's been about a year and a half since I've been out "in the real world," "working for the man."

Immediately following college graduation, I took an unpaid internship for which I had to commute an hour each way. Don't even get me started on this economy — and yes, I am sick of the phrase.

After moving back home with my parents around the same time the internship ended, I found a full-time job working for a direct mail marketing company in the production department. While I was grateful to have a job (with a salary, benefits and paid vacation), it was never the best fit. It was a stressful environment, and I wasn't doing work that was in-line with my long-term career goals. Aside from these cons, the schedule was not at all flexible.

In July, I took advantage of a new opportunity — social media strategy for a startup internet company. I've really been enjoying the work I do there and feel more fulfilled in my work than I have since finishing college. Tomorrow I officially start full time, meaning five days a week in the office. For the past few months, I've only been in the office three days a week, plus some working from home on other days. Some "me" time is definitely what I needed after my frustrating first year out of college!

While I'm excited to take on more responsibility and play a larger role in the office, I'm certainly going to miss being able to sleep in, cuddling so much with my cats and mid-day runs. It's going to be quite an adjustment in my schedule. However, my schedule is much more flexible here — if I need to come in late or leave early, it's no big deal because I can make up hours on my own time. Plus, more hours will certainly be a good thing come payday!

Working for a startup has its own set of pros and cons, but I'm eager to see how we grow, and to have a part in it. Cheers to the future!

Monday, November 15, 2010

America Recycles TODAY

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted on here. I wanted to break my silence though as a friend/coworker pointed out to me last week that today has been labeled "America Recycles Day."


I think I've made clear my feelings toward recycling in the past, so I won't ramble on. But I wanted to share this website and its resources should you be interested in getting more information. Keep America Beautiful has lots of tips about why recycling and beautification is important and how to get started with small steps.

If you choose, you can also complete the America Recycles Day Pledge and start making a difference in your community. Here is what the pledge entails:
  • I pledge to find out what materials I can and cannot recycle in my curbside recycling program.
    (Or in my case, facilities in the area.)
  • I pledge to lead by example in my place of work or school by recycling.
    (I'm in charge of my office's recycling. I brought in a box and simply ask coworker to place recyclables there instead of the trash, and I take care of it when it's full.)
  • I pledge to recycle my used batteries, cell phones and other electronic waste through a take-back program or e-waste facility near me.
    (Earth911.com is a great resource for finding places to recycle electronic waste. As I mentioned in an earlier post, most Target stores, now have electronic waste recycling bins.)
  • I pledge to tell five friends that recycling is one of the easiest things they can do to reduce their carbon emissions.
    (That's where you come in. I'm not sure how many readers I have, but I just want to get the word out. )
I know it's impossible to be perfect. But even if there's just one thing you can do differently to help out our planet and your community, why not put forth the small effort? Happy America Recycles Day!