Job hunts and husbands

I have been really enjoying trying new or interesting dinner ideas. Both the Thai Lettuce Wraps and Greek Salad Steak Wrap were successes! I am very happy. On top of that I got to spend part of each evening relaxing…and was successfully in bed by 10:30 each night. Phew!



Tonight we’re going to watch game 4 at our place with Prakash and Kathleen (Dinner: Tortellini Marinara), and then sit and chat after the game. I like friends you can watch hockey with AND talk about real life with. Tomorrow we have our friends Ana and Josh coming over for dinner (Zucchini Lasagna) and board games. We love having this couple over. Friday we get to hang out with the Maxwells…eat (Chicken Caesar Salad) and hang out. Stoked!


I have spent the better part of my work days this week looking for a job. Right now work is slow for me – we are in the beginning stages of moving, so there is only a minimal amount that can be packed, and many of my jobs have been given to new employees who will be doing them once I am gone. I asked my boss what she expected from me when there was no work to do. They really value having me at the desk to welcome people, help if needed and answer phones. She said as long as I was at the desk and available to assist people I could do whatever I wanted. So job searching it is! I’ve started with the networking process; emailing many contacts to let people know what I’m looking for in case they hear of anything. Most people won’t have a job for me, but I’m hoping some people have ideas of where to look.


My resume is in great shape. Part of our Severance Package is the ability to use a Career Transition Service. We are using Toombs Inc. They offer workshops (I.e. Interviewing skills, or networking), mock interviews, advice, random help, financial planning, and resume help. We have made my resume look very professional and explain easily why someone should hire me. I have business cards (wooo) and a great cover letter. They have taped me doing a mock interview (and made me watch it, eeek) so I have learned what to say and what not to say. I know my strengths and my weaknesses. I am armed with specific examples of situations for almost any question they could throw at me. I am ready for the hunt!


Here is what I am looking for (because hey, you might know of something):


Location: Vancouver (Downtown or UBC preferably) or surrounding areas (within a 30 minute commute of Oakridge)


Work Schedule: I would like to work a 7 hour work day (starting as early as 7:30, ending as late as 5:30) Monday to Friday.


Job: Customer Service, Administration, or Event Planning…or a combination of any of those three. I love computers, spreadsheets, organizing, planning and assisting people do their job at their best capability.


Contract: I’m looking for a position that starts in August or September and finishes in April or May. Paul and I are going away next summer to a school in Nashville, TN for June, July and August. I really value working a contract position so that I do not have to quit and leave someone in the lurch. I want to have integrity in my job!


Here is why I some should hire me: I love working with people. I have integrity in the work place. I work hard. I use problem solving and planning to get things done. I love to exceed expectations in the workplace (and in life). I have received positive feedback from co workers, customers, managers and vendors in each industry I have worked in.


I’ve really enjoyed the self reflection that the job hunting time gives you. What was cool about working with Toombs was that I got to spend some of the workshops reflecting on what I wanted in a position and what I bring to the table. It helped me zero in on my strengths and learn to work around my weaknesses.


It’s interesting, as a Christian, to be doing self reflection in a secular environment. Through the School of Ministry in Nashville, working as a Campus Minister and KLMS in Vancouver I’ve had the opportunity to look at my strengths before, but with a Christian spin on them. Naturally in both settings my strengths are fairly similar and my weaknesses as well. But how I use my strengths and how I work around my weaknesses is very different. Also how I see both, are very different. How I talk about both, end up being pretty different. In Christianity we talk about how in our weaknesses God is strong, and in the places we do well at he is to be glorified. In the secular world, while that remains true in my heart, as I job hunt, I need to focus on what I do well and take the credit for that. For example, in an interview for a job, I couldn't say “Through Jesus I am strong in customer service, administration and event planning,” nor can I say “My weaknesses are punctuality and anger, but those weaknesses give God the opportunity to work in me, and let my coworkers learn to show grace.” I'm still talking about strengths but I have to say things in entirely different ways. And by the way, I wouldn’t actually say those are my weaknesses…punctuality might be a bit, but I don’t tend to get angry at work….actually I think most of my coworkers have been amused when they finally see me good and mad at work.


As a side note…MAN, have I enjoyed being married to Paul. I like that man so much. I always thought being married would be this weird thing, but really it’s like the most normal thing. I thought being this close to a man, and trusting him so much would be weird…but trusting Paul just makes sense. I mean, I do know he’s not perfect. Trust me. I do. Just take a look at our cupboards after he puts away dishes, and that alone will tell me he is not perfect; but I do know that he someone I can trust. I do know what he is always in my corner. He backs me up. He wants me to be the woman that God wants me to be. He trusts me! What a feeling. Sometimes I’m surprised that we can enjoy each other so much. We spend quite a bit of time together and we like that. We laugh together. We pray together. We eat together. We visit with people together. We sleep together. We live together. We are a family? We are…though it’s weird to say since it’s just us two for now.

I have learned SO MUCH about how God loves me through Paul. When I first started dating Paul it was very clear that God was going to use him to show me just a glimpse of how God felt about me. Wow. I feel like I have grown so much in my relationship to God because I know understand what it means to have someone delight in me. Delight in me!


I should probably go pack a few boxes (I try to get through a few each day so that at the end of 2 months we’re all packed up here). I’ve got a yummy turkey sandwich (no crusts) waiting for me, and a large veggie and dip platter for lunch in half an hour. I will eat, and then sit outside in the sun and be warm. Good days. Good days. I am one lucky, loved lady.