Gainfully Employed

Well world, I finally got a job. I'm pretty excited. I've been working on getting a job since June, so this is two months of labor come to fruition. (And if you've been following a bit, you know my argument about how all of my schooling actually has led to this point.)

I'm a little nervous about how this works. All the other jobs I've had have had an outline, a procedure. I'm not sure what I'll be doing all day. How does working in an office function? Everybody is at their desks all day ... does the work just appear there? Do people bring it to me, do I generate it? Is it reasonable, when brainstorming, to spend most of a day thinking? How do you measure thinking?

The people I'll be doing outreach to - I don't know them yet. Will I have to figure out who they are? Will there be inroads paved by my new colleagues? I only have four business suits - am I going to be dressed appropriately for work?

There are other nerve-racking things, like wondering if the people there will like me, whether I'll be good at my job, whether I'll like my job, whether I'm prepared for all of this. This is quite possibly the biggest step I've ever taken.

Manager of Science Outreach for Research!America.

Combining my science education with my political and science communication education and my programming experience. I'll be working to advocate health and medical research across America. Like Caroline said tonight on the phone, I might even be able to make a difference. Also, I'm finally going to get to use my business card holder.

So I'm gainfully employed. I have a job. My future is out there ahead of me ... I've taken the running head start, now all I have to do is leap!

Okay, off to other projects now! Love always, ~Heather