#CorporateLyfe

I never thought I would feel the same relief that Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada feels when Christian Thompson calls her to tell her he’s able to get the Harry Potter book 7 manuscripts. Then one of the guys I support came to me with a last minute request to compile all the information for flights, hotels, and car rentals that had been purchased for a certain set of employees for their travels to one of our partner schools. One of our travel ladies was out sick and the other was inundated with the extra workload. I think of the next best thing: Donna from World Travel who helped me with the report previously. I shoot her an email hoping she can help me out as quickly as she had before – and I get an out of office reply in return. She will not be returning until the second week of March due to medical leave. At this point I’m planning how I’m going to let Jeremy, as well as the COO, know that I may not be able to get the information prior to the due date of 17 hours after it was brought to my attention. Before I reach out, I make one last attempt to reach out to the general email that Donna left in her absence. I had a response in fifteen minutes from Tracie at World Travel stating that they would complete the task by the end of the day along with providing an update in one hour. By the end of the day I had a completed report and was able to send it to the necessary people. Cue the utter relief Andy feels whilst on the phone with Christian delivering the good news – and an overly thankful email to my new BFF Tracie.

Later that same day I was working at the front desk and a Jimmy John’s delivery boy was dropping off a sub and asked me “Is your job boring?” As though the assumption is that my job would leave me feeling unfulfilled. And my little balloon of accomplishment lost a little bit of air. Then things others have said started popping into my head – “So when do you think you’ll try to get a real job?” “I can’t believe you work a desk job, that sounds awful” and other such atrocities.

While I understand that what I do may sound trivial to someone who leads a much more ~*~cReAtIvE~*~ lifestyle, this job is what I’ve actually dreamed about since I was little. Part of me wishes that was a joke – but it’s not. I used to sit at my desktop computer when I was in middle school and pretend to take calls and manage calendars. Yes I’ve had my hopes of being an artist, an author, a veterinarian, and a librarian – but an assistant/clerical job has always been something I’ve known I would excel at.

At the end of the day (5 o’clock Monday through Friday), I feel fulfilled by my job. I serve a purpose. I can see improvement and completion of tasks on a daily basis. Sure, it’s difficult to sometimes see progress in the grand scheme of things – but I am SO very fortunate to work for a company that takes time to appreciate its employees. Heck, my boss let me leave the office early so I could go watch the USMNT compete against the Germans downtown this past summer just because. #USA

I also once had somebody tell me that a desk job depletes people of creativity. Through the companies I’ve worked for (a whopping total of two) I have met some of the most incredible and ~*~cReAtIvE~*~ people that I now call friend. Erika Cooper has encouraged me to pursue my creativity and independence more than any other person I know. Brett Shugh is always down for a new venue or experience, no questions asked. Marcos Viera has provided me with the most encouraging and uplifting words that I remind myself of on a regular basis.

My current job allows me to have a life and provides me with stability. I know what my hours are going to be on a weekly basis. I know what my paycheck is going to look like. I love the consistency that gives me. I’ve been to at LEAST one concert a month for the past four months without having to worry if I’m going to have to work that night. I’ve been able to go out of town without worrying if I have to work a Saturday shift.

I understand that #CorporateLyfe isn’t for everyone. I also understand and get SO AMPED for friends that are pursuing their dreams and excelling in the world of the arts. And hey – you want to work in the restaurant industry until you figure some things out, go for it. There’s no user manual on this thing called life – you do you.

Maybe I don’t have the same story as Andy Sachs; I’m not utilizing this job just as a boost to my resume in order to obtain my dream job. But please understand that I am very content and satisfied in my little cube covered in bible verses, quotes, and pictures of friends and family – because maybe this is my dream.