Potential new job. But don't get too excited.

I might might be getting a new job. But not in magazines. (sad face.)

I've had two interviews at an advertising company. The position is for an "account coordinator," which basically means "administrative assistant." They need someone to answer phones, organize schedules, help with PowerPoints, etc. Definitely a job I'm qualified to do, but not one I'm thrilled about.

It's just such a tricky situation. On the one hand, it'd be nice to get a paycheck again. I'm getting unemployment benefits, but that can only get me so far. I'm pretty much eating up my savings. So, it'd definitely be nice to have some money coming in. (And do a little spring shopping!) And the pay is actually pretty nice. More than what I was making before. Oh, and it's in Manhattan, so that's a major plus.

But, on the other hand, if I take a full-time job, I feel like I'm just getting further away from my dream. It'd be easy to get caught up in this new job and stop looking into magazines. And I'm not ready to give up yet. Technically I can afford to keep looking, so maybe I should.

And the worst part? I haven't even been offered the job yet. So, of course I'm really hoping to get it. Otherwise, it'd be just like on Sex and the City when Charlotte tries to set up Stanford and Anthony at Carrie's fashion show, and Stanford says, "Great. I've been rejected by someone I didn't even like. I hate when that happens."

Exactly, Stanford. Fingers crossed.

Blah...

My blog has been a little slow. And it's because I'm having a hard time finding anything to say other than, "This sucks."

I'm usually a really positive person, but having nothing to do every day, while everyone I know goes to work, is pretty miserable. I've done everything I can think of on the job front, and I've started watching America's Next Top Model marathons on Oxygen. Not exactly productive. It's funny, when I had days off work before I was thrilled to just lay in bed and watch movies. Or get out and walk around the city. But somehow when you have all the time in the world, all you want to do is go to work. Meh.

In an effort to get out of the apartment, I met my old magazine buddies for lunch at the Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center. Their treat of course, on the corporate card. It definitely cheered me up to chat with them and catch up on industry gossip. And they helped me brainstorm fun ways to fill my days. "Ooh, there's an Alice and Olivia sample sale today!" one of them said. Hmm...probably not the best idea for my unemployed budget. But then the other suggested I spend my time going to museums. My old company ID card still gets me into all the city museums for free. And it'd be pretty cool to go during the day and skip the weekend crowds. Plus, can you believe the only one I've been to is the MoMA, and I've lived here for almost two years?

So that's the new plan. Museums. And I'm hoping it will soon be warm enough to actually enjoy the outdoor parts of the city. Seriously. Is it really snowing in April??

Go Heels!

So far today I have applied to three jobs, two of which I'm grossly underqualified for, and watched four episodes of Sex and the City. And, I talked to my big sis on the phone. She told me to stop feeling bad about myself and get my butt to the gym. So, I'm taking her advice. Although, instead of taking the train for 30 min to Reebok, I'm going to take advantage of the nice weather and run outside by the East River. Hopefully burning some calories will make me feel like I've accomplished something today.

And tonight, I'm putting on a happy face to go to Brother Jimmy's and watch UNC beat Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. Unemployment is nothing a few PBRs can't fix. At least until Monday...

Totes loving temp work

Today was my first temping gig. Actually, I'm still here -- 10 minutes to go. And, I have to say...Not a bad deal!

My phone rang at 9:18 this morning. The Brit had left for work about a half hour earlier, and I had just fallen back asleep. My phone was set to vibrate, but luckily it was on the night stand right next to my head, so it still woke me up. It was the lovely girl from the temping agency asking if I was available to work at a hedge fund...RIGHT NOW. I jumped up and said I could be there in 45 minutes.

Given that 35 of those minutes were allocated for the commute, I decided to skip the shower. Luckily, I just showered last night at the gym, but failed to wash my hair. And it's definitely looking pretty ick right now. Anyway, I started getting dressed and realized I had nothing to wear. She told me the office was "business professional," and at my old job I was more of a Leggings, Boots, Belted Tunic kinda gal. I have some nice skinny-leg black pants, but zero corporate-looking blouses. (Keep in mind I'm working with a limited wardrobe, shacking at The Brit's, and all.) Always resourceful, I ran out the door in the pants and a white cami (and a coat, of course) and high-tailed it to The Gap. I went in and bought a short-sleeved white button-up...and then realized I'd need to add a colored cardi to avoid looking like waitstaff. So, I added a "jewel sea" sweater, bringing my total to $70. Yes, almost all of my day's wages.

So, I arrived here, on the 50th Floor overlooking Central Park. And the other receptionist chick is wearing...Yep: Leggings, Boots, Shift Dress, Cardi. Ughh...70 bones, wasted. Oh well, at least it was an excuse to break my shopping hiatus.

But, back to the point. I settled in for a great, easy day of answering the phone when it rang once every 15 minutes. And, they even paid for my lunch. And it really was a treat to order a salad from Tossed without mentally adding up the cost of all my toppings. All in all, a pretty sweet day!

Goodbye, Blender

It was announced today that Blender magazine is folding. Another sad day in the magazine world. Although, they did put Kelly Clarkson on the cover of their final issue, so they probably saw it coming...

Manhattan Only, Please.

Okay, so I'm not exactly in the position to be picky about my job offers. I have a very small cushion of cash thanks to a well-timed tax return, and the fact that I'm subletting my apartment right now. But, that's going to run out real quick, and I need some money coming in. I'm looking for my next magazine dream job, but I'm trying to start some temp work in the mean time. I just got a call about two hedge funds that are hiring receptionists/admin assistants...but they're in Connecticut. One in Greenwich and one in Westport. I think I could handle the commute, but if I'm trying to find a mag job, working in CT isn't really conducive to sneaking out midday for interviews. But can I afford to turn something down right now?

Also, side note: Some of these hedge fund admin jobs pay almost double what I'll make if I land another magazine assistant job. So frustrating! I just have to keep the long-term in mind...

My hair is making me depressed

I usually love my hair. It's long, but not too long. It can be stick-straight, or slightly wavy, or crazy curly. And it's a great dirty-blond color. Unfortunately the color is fake and comes from spending $200 at the hair salon, ideally every two months. Right now it's been about three, and my hair is looking much more dirty than blond. My roots are almost three inches long, and it seriously always looks like I need a good shampoo.

Yes, I'm desperately in need of a trip to the salon. But, I happen to be funemployed right now. Can I justify spending $200 on my hair, when I have no income? I actually went so far as to make an appointment and then cancel it last week. I guess maybe I should wait awhile and just try to avoid mirrors.

The Pretty Sister

One more thing about my weekend at home: My sister got skinny! Okay, she was always thin...and she's only lost about 8 lbs. But it really makes a difference. She looks gorgeous and toned. Also, she's freakishly tan for March. But, I'll admit it. She's the hot sister right now. And, yes, she's getting married, so she definitely has the motivation. But I've decided it's time to compete. I need to get my butt to Reebok and get in shape to be her Maid of Honor. (Btw, I saw Kelly Ripa there yesterday. Talk about more motivation to get in shape. She's so tiny!!)

Also, on a slightly related note, I've recently become obsessed with Dunkin Donuts Flatbread Egg White sandwiches. They're only 280 calories, and they're absolutely delicious. Now, the only challenge is not also buying donuts when I go in there!

Meet the Parents

This weekend I took a break from the job search and flew home to Indiana for my sister's engagement party. AND I brought my boyfriend home with me to meet the fam for the first time. He was a little reluctant at first...he tends to freak out about new relationship steps. But it went so well! He did have the huge advantage of a cute British accent, which is much more of a rarity in the Midwest than in NYC. Everyone he met thought he was so charming and funny, just because his accent is adorable. Oh, and I guess partly because he actually is charming and funny. :)

So, everything went smoothly. Although, there was a small incident at the dinner table. My family was joking around about people snoring, and my mom told a story about how when I was six I was sharing a bedroom with my grandma, and she was snoring. She got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and I apparently locked her out of the room. Everyone laughed, and then the BF said, "I'll remember to wear a key around my neck while we sleep." And then of course my sister had to call him out on it and say, "Oh, so you two sleep together?" (Which seems innocent enough, except my fam loves to bring that Catholic guilt.) Everyone laughed, but it was definitely awkward.

Has your bf ever slipped up and said anything like that to your parents?

But, in the end it was really great. Now he wants to take me to meet his family in London. Flights are super cheap right now...although still out of my unemployed budget! So, we'll see.

Being productive in front of the TV

This is my first week of not working, and it's really strange. For more than a year I woke up every morning, got on the R train, and walked into a glamorous building. Sometimes it was boring, sometimes it was exciting, sometimes stressful, but I always loved it. I was a lowly assistant, getting coffee and sending faxes, but I was living my dream.

Right now it's 2:45pm, and I'm sitting on my boyfriend's couch watching P.S. I Love You. Totally depressing, but at least Gerard Butler is fun to look at.


When I found out I was losing my job, he (my bf, not Gerard) offered to let me stay with him for a month and sublet my apartment. I really don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him to lean on right now. Although, it is a little weird to be moving in with a guy for financial reasons, when you're not really at the "moving in" stage yet. So far it's been really fun and great. Only a few setbacks - such as yesterday when I drank the rest of the milk during the day...and then he got home from work and wanted a cup of tea, only to find out there was no milk. (He's English, so messing up his evening tea is a huge offense.) Luckily I survived unscathed.

But, anyway, back to the point. Not working. Basically I've been obsessively checking Ed2010 and Mediabistro job listings. It's mostly a sad reminder that the magazine industry is crumbling. But, I've found a few promising leads. I've also been emailing everyone I know in the industry and doing whatever I can to get back in. Oh, and going to the gym. Ironically, I have a complimentary one-month membership to Reebok Sports Club. It's an unbelievably fancy club that I could never afford to join, but they sent some free passes to my old magazine. One of the perks of the job...that I don't have anymore. Right...

Funemployed: The Background

One year and one month ago I got a phone call. I had landed my dream job. Since I was 13 years old, I had wanted to move to New York and work for a magazine. It was finally happening. After a seemingly endless stream of failed interviews, I had finally gotten one right. I skipped down 8th Avenue with the song "Suddenly I See" (from the Devil Wears Prada? Ok, yeah, I know I'm a nerd...) playing in my head. Life was good.

Then, on January 29th, my boss called me into her office. I brought a notepad and pen thinking she'd be explaining some new assignment. Instead she told me my days there were limited. I felt like she slapped me in the face. I tried to force myself to be professional, but the tears came anyway. The next few days felt like I was dealing with a horrible breakup. I had been dumped, and it was awful.

I continued working for 6 weeks. It seemed like they wanted to just drag it on as long as possible. But I wasn't really in the position to complain. Hell, I needed the money!

I finally had my drink-your-face-off send-off with my fav coworkers on Friday night, and now I'm officially not working. Well...not working in an office. I'm working on finding my next dream job. (Or, just my next source of income...) Oh, and watching reruns of America's Next Top Model. Right now the goal is to stick with my dream and stay in the industry. We'll see what happens...