Where did I go? Why did I stop blogging? Did anyone notice?
Let’s start with the easy one. Did anyone notice I stopped blogging? No, no one noticed. I’m not hating. I’m not hating. My bff in Barcelona checked out my website a month or two ago to see if there was anything new but found nothing. I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Ramon. For my Spanish-speaking folks, my friend’s name does not take an accent on the “o” because it’s the Catalan spelling.
Where did I go? The New York Public Library. All. The. Time. I focused on teaching myself how to build a website using WordPress.org. I also began taking a free Project Management course on the PMI website. Project Management is being touted as the next big career, so I thought I would check it out (I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up because I want to be too many things). I went to the beach a couple times. That was nice. It was a summer of upskilling, and I’m very happy I had the financial means to pull it off.
Why did I stop blogging? Well, I lost my mojo. I was on a good roll, too. I felt good having the time to post, and I was motivated by the journalism classes I was taking at the time. I hate myself for stopping, but I lost my mojo. It didn’t help that I had to start looking for full-time work, so my mind and time were occupied with a job search that often ended in rejections and no interviews. Life is crazy because my original plan of working at an accounting firm for several months to a year didn’t pan out (see side note), and I decided to live off the 401k I cashed. Judge me for that decision all you want.
Side note: Never, ever work for or with your friend unless you know their working style, especially if they’re going to manage you. I decided I had had enough of being a flight attendant (FA) at the beginning of this year, but I didn’t have a backup plan in order to leave my FA gig. I can’t recall how the conversation with my “friend” began, but he told me that his company was in need of a receptionist. Cool! An easy gig with a steady paycheck (not going on my resume for personal reasons). What could go wrong? I applied, I interviewed, and I got the job. Unfortunately, a lot went wrong and it all had to do with my “friend” being an asshole. People do not leave companies, they leave bad managers. My “friend” was a complete nightmare to work with, so I quit after two months. I didn’t quit once; I quit twice. Yes, ladies and gents, I submitted my resignation letter twice in the two months I worked for this company. Unfortunately, the company didn’t have an HR Rep in the NYC office (they’re headquartered somewhere upstate), and my “friend’s” managers weren’t addressing the problems that everyone was having with him. Word on the street is that he’s had to go through numerous training sessions because of what happened (I stayed in contact with someone at the company). Lesson: Don’t ever work for or with a friend unless you know their working style.
Where was I? Yes, blogging. I could’ve continued blogging while I looked for a job, but I couldn’t find the inspiration. I lost my mojo, and it wasn’t coming back.
Fast-forward four months, and I think I got my mojo back. I want to finish what I started: writing about my bike trip (travel in general), language learning (French, j’arrive!), and I want to write about my personal finance journey. I find myself slipping into a very deep rabbit hold, and I think I should document it (who isn’t or hasn’t?).
NEW ROLE, AND THEN SOME
What am I doing now? I’m working full-time. I chose to return to what I knew and once really liked. I knew I could charge top dollar for my experience (it’s all about the money, people!). The challenge I faced, we all face when applying to new jobs, was finding a positive office environment with leaders who take care of their employees. The last thing I wanted was to return to the same toxic office environment I left in 2018.
It took about three weeks to find my current position. Something happened to me in the final stages of the interview process that I had never before experienced: I received two job offers from two separate companies. It was crazy. It felt good. Both companies were offering a competitive salary, but I only knew about the benefits of company A and nothing about company B (they were vague during the interview process, a big red flag). It was this lack of information plus the stalker-like behavior of the head of human resources of company B (called three times in two days to confirm an appointment) that pushed me to choose company A.
What was company A offering? An annual salary of $90k (negotiated to $95k), a 5% bonus (up to 10%, which I never rely on), decent health insurance (employer contribution to HSA), a 50% company match of 6% in the company 401k plan, fifteen (15) days of PTO with a floating holiday and an additional PTO day added every year, a short commute with the option to work from home two days a week, and tuition reimbursement. It was the entire package and the positive interview experience that made me sign with company A. I didn’t hesitate. I want people to focus on what I bolded and italicized because it really is all about the entire package.
There are a lot of posts on social media idealizing a six-figure salary as if that number is going to solve all your problems. It’s not. It’s going to make your life more comfortable, without question, but a six-figure salary with shitty health insurance will not provide you with a comfortable lifestyle. A six-figure salary in a high-stress environment with awful leadership is not worth the money. A long-ass commute for six figures? Hmm…Nope. No company match in the company’s 401k plan (the accounting firm I worked at for two months)? Goodbye. You get what I’m saying!
It’s important for you to analyze the entire package before making a decision. There’s this obsession on social media with only making a six-figure income. I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive for that number. Make. Your. Money. However, you need to make sure the other benefits are on par with what you need and want.
Side note: One of the most important benefits a company can offer (health insurance is a must), in my opinion, is tuition reimbursement. Read the fine print. I don’t see any strings attached to my tuition reimbursement benefit (I’ve checked three times because I have trust issues). Many companies offer tuition reimbursement with a caveat: You must remain employed with the company for two-four years (longer at some companies). Companies do this to get a good ROI (return on investment); otherwise, you’ll have to pay back the amount you submitted to the company if you leave before the allotted time in the contract. Ask yourself: Can I see myself with X company for X amount of years to take advantage of this benefit?
Another reason why I think this is one of the most important benefits a company can offer is because you need to upskill more frequently to remain employable in today’s market. Gone are the days when you could stay at a company for fifteen or twenty years without having to worry about your job being replaced by another human being or technology. I encourage you to watch any interview of Yuval Noah Harari.
I like to say, “You need to be like Madonna.” Set aside your opinions on her music, and focus on her willingness to reinvent herself album after album to remain relevant even now. I haven’t listened to Madonna since 2008’s Hard Candy, but I see videos here and there of her being on stage with some of today’s hottest artists. In order to stay relevant, you need to reinvent yourself (professionally) and you do that by upskilling. Upskilling costs money. It can be done for free via YouTube, but I’d like to see you sell that type of education to a potential employer. If I plan to complete the process to become a PMP (Project Management Professional), I’m going to have to pay a little over $5,000. I’m not paying $5,000 to remain employable. If following this path leads to more opportunities with my current company or at another company, the companies are going to have to foot the bill.
Some people might consider that selfish of me. To those people, I ask:
- Are you going to teach me new skills to stay relevant? For free?
- Are you going to pay my bills if I get laid off and can’t transfer my existing skill set to another career or job?
- Are you going to hire me?
I tried to get the eyes to look right.
I think I’ve beaten this horse to a pulp. You get my drift. Look at everything the company is offering and what you can negotiate if it’s not being offered.
WHAT’S NEXT?
I would like to stay at my current company for quite some time (minimum six years) even though I plan to interview occasionally. There’s a benefit to interviewing once in a while:
- You keep your interview skills fresh.
- It’s all about the money and the benefits, and who’s going to offer you the best package.
- It never hurts to look.
I mean it when I say I’d like to stay at my current company for a minimum of six years. I think it has to do with age. I’m no longer a capricious twenty-something gal with a lot of time left to make endless changes. I’m going to turn forty soon and while I feel and look great, I no longer have time to play around. Yes, I have time (before someone starts cursing at me), but the reality is that women face more discrimination as they age even if they’re aging like fine wine.
My professional life changes in two- to three-year cycles. I’d like a little more stability (change every 5-6 years, instead?), and I think I landed at a company in which I can grow professionally. The company is looking to expand their presence in Europe, and I would love to be a part of that growth. I speak multiple languages that would be beneficial to a position in Europe (France, Spain, Italy?!), and I’ve made this known to a few people in the right places at the company.
I’d also like to invest and save quite a bit of money in the next six years, and I think it’ll be possible. Ana, my financial coach (check out her website), helped me get to $0 debt. I didn’t save or invest the first twenty years of my employment history, so I have some catching up to do to make sure I don’t end up with $0 when I retire. I still have time to accomplish many things, I just need to stay focused.
So…here’s to me being back and to future posts. Let’s see where I go from here.
À bientôt!