Things are Changing, Girl Friday

Posted on March 22, 2007 by Girl Friday

Last week was quite exciting for Girl Friday. She had three people encourage her to apply for two different jobs. Maybe being an assistant really is temporary…

I spent the weekend updating my resume, cover letter, and application.  I’ve been dragging my feet, however, to actually apply.  Good news is always suspect.
This morning I got another call from one of my supporters, Anne, telling me that she acidentally called me last week when she meant to call someone else.  Le sigh.  It’s the hazard of sharing a name with about eight other women who are all awesome.  We’re constantly getting mixed up.  Maybe I should change my name to something really distinct like Zooey or Uma.  You know those girls never got mistaken for someone else!  I know I can’t take it personally, but it still sucks.  Sadly, this has happned before.  I was asked to sit on a selection committee and then the offer was nixed two days later when they realized they had the wrong Friday.

Anne told me I should go ahead and apply if I was interested in the position, but now I think I might make a fool of myself since it wasn’t me that she had in mind anyway.  I told Anne that I had been encouraged by two other higher-ups to apply for an analyst position in the Vice Chancellor’s office.  She waffled.  She invited me to lunch.  Apparently she has much to say on the topic.

I like Anne and I respect her opinion, so if nothing else I’m going to have a great time getting away from the office, but I think she’s going to caution me about the other departments on campus.  I hope that no matter what she says that I’ll at least have the guts to apply to the other job.  I think it will be good for me to put myself out there and go through the experience.

In other news:  I am alone in the office today.  Joy!  Everyone is out “sick.”  I fully intend on listening to Placebo and putting on makeup.  I think it’s an excellent use of my time!

I’d also like to thank Weltsie for giving me a kick in the pants.  She told me I needed to post an update.  So here I am.  I don’t know why I’ve fallen into really bad blogging habits of late.  I’m actually working on some fiction right now and trying to enrich my life in other ways like keeping up on housework, cooking instead of microwaving dinner, watching classic films, reading those paper things called books, and sticking my nose in other peoples’ affairs.  It’s all rather satisfying.

The Ever-Changing Diary of Girl Friday:  The BF installed a lovely polling plug-in, so please vote.  Maybe if I have an idea how often you’d like to read about the whimsical life of Girl Friday, I’d be more inclined to post regularly again.  I plan on posting a greeting message up top again so that you can give me a nudge if needed, suggest topics, etc.  Do feel free to leave me comments or e-mail me.  You don’t need to register to leave a comment, but your comment will go into moderation before I approve it.  Blame Viagra for my need to filter!  Also, I’ve been playing around with the idea of starting another blog or adding seperate pages.  I love writing how-tos, and it seems people like reading them, but that doesn’t mean all inquiring minds necessarily want to read about my random anectodes.  What do you think?  Lastly, since I’ve updated my real resume, I probably should update Girl Friday’s, too.  I hope to do that soonly.

Posted in Announcements, Life, Office Stories | 4 Comments

Girl Friday and Her Hot Stuff

Posted on March 5, 2007 by Girl Friday

Girl Friday got to meet up with an organizational specialist last month.  I had high hopes that I’d transcend my messy state of mind and being and all my clutter would disappear, but it turns out I didn’t meet with a magic genie.   Oh, damn.

An Office Organization How-To

Miss Tidy Pants, as I will call her, suggested that things be organized into three categories: Hot, Warm, and Cold.

Hot stuff should be kept handy, sorted, and stored in the file cabinet nearest your work space.  Make tabs for general topics, and label file folders with individual projects and assignments.

Designate one place for new assignments–an inbox if you will–but most literal inboxes can become too cluttered so consider what will work best for you.  I have a seperate file folder just for incoming projects.  I have a few desktop organizers for projects I’m working on throughout the day, but I try not to let the pile grow.  Once it becomes unmanagable I’m more likely to drop the ball on a project.

Warm things should be kept in cabinets or drawers, but not in your immediate reach.  I utilized a shelf and a lateral file cabinet behind my desk.

Cold stuff should go into storage.  Cold items are things you haven’t needed or looked at in a year, but you think at some point might be needed.  Remember that many office documents must be retained 5-7 years.  Place like items in bankers’ boxes and label the boxs clearly with a description of the the contents, the year in which they were produced, and the year in which they should be destroyed.
Personal items should be stored in an area that is not accessible to others.  I used to keep my stuff on the tabletop and then later in a filing cabient.  Miss Tidy Pants said it’s a common mistake, but that the closest filing cabinet should be used for Hot stuff, not personal stuff.  I emptied out an overhead compartment (too bad I’m not flying anywhere…).

Helpful hints for purging your environment:  Remember that you work stuff is not personal.  You shouldn’t hold on to things if they aren’t absolutely essential to your everyday job.  If you can easily access another copy of something–either a hardcopy or an online version–chuck it.  In two hours I got rid of 90% of the paperwork in my workstation.  I saved important financial and personnel records, but the useless manuals, forms, and directories went straight into the recycling bin and the other more sensitive things went to the shredder.

Getting organized feels overwhelming, but if Girl Friday can do it, then so can you.  Set aside two hours and work to clear your Hot and Warm areas.  Move key items into the right places.  Make piles for Cold storage, shredding, and recycling.  It’s really as simple as that.

Happy Organizing!

Posted in How To | 4 Comments

I Call Do-Overs

Posted on February 22, 2007 by Girl Friday

So, I am not terribly original and for the past week I’ve been trying to come up with a way to spin my organizational how to into something interesting. Since that isn’t happening I’ve decided to steal an idea from a far wittier gal. Sarakastic wrote a letter to her eighteen year old self with bits of advice and I found it HI-larious. I decided to do the same. My letter is to my post-college graduate self. Enjoy!

Dear Girl Friday,

I know moving home and living rent free sounds like a good idea, but remember how hot the valley gets in August—now add in a house in the midst of a remodel, a brother who has dropped out of college, a cousin who needs a place to crash for a few months, and two nagging parents. Get a job and your own apartment. Go straight to the temp agency. You might as well get a jump start on being an embittered assistant. Holding out for a good job doesn’t really pay off. You may be broke and a little miserable, but I promise it will be better than becoming your parents’ appointed foreman, whipping girl, and a nanny to two teenagers who will forget your name in nine months.

Save yourself the year of trying to decide what you want to be. You’ve always known. Just say it. Saying it out loud still doesn’t mean anyone will listen, but I know how big that step will be for you. Stop downloading episodes of Smallville—it is really awful in season 4 and you will abandon watching it anyway. Use the time to write instead. Skip that whole first story idea you come up with. Even after 250 pages it’s still not interesting. No amount of editing will change that.

Move somewhere. Pick a place on the map and go. It will be your one chance to really be on your own. You can decorate your place with girlie stuff and eat cereal for dinner. No one will tell your mother that you can’t cook.

For Notorious M.A.G.’s wedding order one dress size up. The dresses are defective and you will spend 5 months living on unsalted saltines, non-fat lattes, and poached eggs simply to spare yourself the $60 alteration fee on a $100 dress. You’ll look great, but even after starving for 5 months the dress will still be too tight. At the wedding drink water. It turns out you don’t like whiskey.

When a sundry group of friends invite you out for your 23rd birthday, remember you don’t like whiskey. You will only get hit on by boys you rejected in high school. Oh, and a girl will dance with you too, but you won’t mind that so much because she has manners at least. Your cousin will see this and think you’re a lesbian. It’s really funny to see her squirm. But your boyfriend will laugh when you tell him.

You’re going to have so much fun in New York City. Skip dinner at Vela—Bruce Willis and fancy California rolls aren’t worth the back ache. Skip Tavern on the Green as well. It’s over-priced and you will leave hungry and cold. Don’t let Lucky 10-Key eat the cannoli or drink the gimlet. Hang out longer on Staten Island. This will be your most reasonably priced meal and entertainment. When you buy that really cool Lulu Guinness purse don’t forget to have them remove the security censor. Make Lucky’s sister buy her fake designer bag on your first trip to Chinatown. You don’t want to make that second trip in the sweltering heat.

As bad as everything seems, as broke as you might be, you’re going to learn a lot and have some really great stories to share.

*smooches*

Future Girl Friday

Posted in Life | 2 Comments