Is this Really Work?

I just ate subway, these apple crisp things, bag of Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms, and a bag of Zachary confections Chocolate covered raisins. WOW... what a lunch. So, everything but Subway came from the Chicago Candy and Snacks convention they had this week. I went on Tuesday and basically trick-or-treated my way through the 100+ stands. And did I mention this was all for work? How sweet is that! No Pun intended.

Anyway, life in Chicago is progressing rapidly. It seems life never slows down. Right now, I'm looking for a place to live. I am currently staying with a college friends parents in the suburbs. They are really nice to me and have been exceptional, but the commute is killing me. I always planned it would be temporary...but now I have a certain 'increased' urgency to move, since I hate wasting 3+ hours of my day in traffic.

As for the job, it is a normal 9-5 type of position. So far, it is going really well. I think it will be exciting to work with these small business owners and help them grow their business. It's almost like being a CEO, the way you get to learn how to manage as a generalist and not as a specialist (which is primarily the role I filled before this).

We're not in Kansas anymore

Day 1 –
Did the day start with an omen? I’m not sure whether most people would consider a 2 hour drive in congested Chicago traffic a good or bad sign to the beginning of this new life chapter, but I took it as par-for-the-course and decided to listen to the Radio DJs’ discuss Britney Spear’s VMA performance, or lack there of. Are we short on issues in America, especially given the upcoming presidential election, that Radio DJs must talk about a pop-star’s performance for 1 hour? And, as a listener, are audiences so disengaged from public/society concerns that they prefer to spend an hour listening to superficial assessments of a single person’s body, performance, or attitude? Perhaps the thought of actually understanding the issues would force them to do something rather than complain…such as develop a solution. Well, how do you change a nation’s perception of what is and is not significant? That’s a riddle that seems to go unanswered for this nation.

So onto things I can control, or at least I think I am in control. I am starting a new chapter in my life. Given the scope of this undertaking, I thought it would be fun to actually keep a blog on a regular basis. So after the traffic came all the good stuff. I was ‘sworn’ (aka signed a piece of paper) into a year of service with the Federal government’s AmeriCorps Vista volunteer program. I also quickly realized that I have had the ‘Bentley’ in terms of health/life/dental insurance, benefits/perks, and overall flexibility while at Chase. As a Vista, I will still have these things, but it is more at the ‘Neon’ level. I can’t decide if I should be nervous or if I should cling to that false sense of security that keeps saying “You’ve never been sick or needed the Bentley insurance before.” Well for better or worse, this will work…

Right, so I arrived at Chicago Community Ventures (CCV) at 10:30 AM after my swearing in and had a tour/orientation. The tour and orientation lasted approximately 20 mins, but covered all the essential components. At JP Morgan Chase, it was a day long event to get oriented. I think I like this expedited process better. It allows for you to jump right into work, that is if I had any to do right away (that whole 'learning curve' thing generally prevents you from being fully functional 20 mins after arriving). Now, I will have my official AmeriCorps Pre-Service Orientation in November that will be 3 days long. So CCV is more efficient than Chase, not sure if I’d say the same about the Government. I guess time will tell when I learn more about what their 3-day oreintation will cover.

Today Marks an Expression of Choice

If you asked me a year ago where I would be today, it certainly would not have been starting a volunteer program in Chicago. But that is exactly where I am. It's scary... and exciting. I feel liberated and I can already see the idealism/optimism I was known for in college returning. It's the 'It'll all work out' and 'I can do anything' attitude that clings to me like a second skin now. Gosh, I have such a feeling of hope. It's so hard to describe in words.

So, what has brought these changes in mindset... I resigned from JP Morgan Chase at the end of August. I had originally planned on joining an MBA program, but decided to defer my enrollment for one year. I also have relocated from Columbus Ohio and now live in Chicago, IL. :) I'm very happy about this location change.

Over the next year, I am participating in a social service/volunteer program called AmeriCorps Vista. For those of you who are familiar with the Peace Corps, this is similar except that it is domestic instead of international in scope. Through AmeriCorps Vista, I was assigned to work with a not-for-profit that focuses on Economic Development in low-income areas of Chicago. I am primarily responsible for developing business classes (Marketing, Pricing strategies, Sales, Negotiation, etc.) for established business owners to enroll in to advance/grow their business. Additionally, I am doing counseling work with business owners on a 1-on-1 basis to help develop their strategy for business growth, sales, etc. (almost like consulting work).

So the selfish side of me is going to be sure to enjoy the year and try to find what truly motivates me. And then figure out how to get a job doing that! So I may or may not end up in B-school... I guess we'll see.