My first business trip! I was thrilled when my boss said he wanted me to go to an exhibition in New York. It was to be a one-day trip and I was to bring back brochures, magazines and printed materials from exhibitors in our field. In addition, my boss gave me a list of people he wanted me to introduce myself to and to explain my role in the company.

I could do this! It was an opportunity to show my boss that his faith in me was well placed. I was ready for an exciting experience in, of all places, New York! I learned the hard way, however, that traveling for business isn’t such a wondrous thing and that this novice—me—has much more knowledge to gain if I’m to handle this duty better.

While preparing for the trip, I spent more time on my outfit than on anything else. I wanted to look professional, yet stylish. I tried on outfit after outfit and decided I just didn’t look up to par for New York. A shopping trip resulted in a new outfit complete with new shoes. (The latter turned out to be a big mistake.) I chose to take a large shoulder bag to handle all the materials I would collect. (Another mistake!)

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Posted by Emily Prysby at 05:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My friends want “honest” opinions on just about everything, including clothes, hair, weight, job and their significant other. To accommodate their requests, I have given them my honest opinions. If my opinion is less than favorable, I even try to soften it so I don’t hurt their feelings. I’m learning the hard way, however, that my opinion is expected to be the same as theirs'. They only want “honesty” if my opinion agrees with their thinking.

When am I going to learn? When am I going to stay away from the “honest opinion trap?” At the rate I’m going I will lose all my friends. (Fortunately, I have a lot of friends but…)

One friend has a new job. I know that the company has a questionable reputation and is always in search of large numbers of new recruits. I learned this from my own year-long job search when I asked others—those in the know—about the company. “Bad” and “illegal activities” were the comments I heard.

My friend never told me about joining the company until after she accepted the job. I didn’t know what to do. Should I tell her? What if I’m wrong? She didn’t ask my opinion, should I say something anyway? I was in a quandary. Do I tell her what I know or should I let her find out?

I went to my boss, who is a respectable and knowledgeable businessman, for some direction. He, too, knew about the questionable company and advised me to tell my friend. He said the company operates with a “cult” mentality. “If you are a good friend, you must tell her,” he said. So I did.

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Posted by Emily Prysby at 03:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I got my college degree. I got my first job. I got a good salary with great benefits and I got a title. I’m a marketing assistant for the president of a number of companies. I’m handling the marketing responsibilities for these companies’ websites. I love what I’m doing; I respect and admire the man I’m working for and he likes me and the work I’m doing. Everything sounds great, doesn’t it?

Well, it would be great if the other employees weren’t so…well…jealous of the amount of time I spend with the boss.

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Posted by Emily Prysby at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I’m new at learning things the hard way. However, I’m rapidly gaining the knowledge that life isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, especially with regards to beginning my professional career.

I’ve been out of college for a year and it has taken me more than 12 months to find employment. I thought finding a job in my field of study—communications—would be easy. I have a college degree and a good resume, which lists three internships in marketing/public relations. I figured I was go to go! Then the economy took a nosedive, and jobs along with it. To make matters worse, Michigan’s unemployment rate is the highest in the nation and this is where I wanted to work.

Continue reading "What Do I Want To Be When I Grow Up?" »

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