Work Isn't Supposed to Be Fun...

Right? Not exactly. While work is not meant to be "fun", there is a group of individuals that genuinely enjoy what they do despite the lulls of boringness that accompany their job. 


In fact, a study released by Salary.com suggests that the majority of workers (65 percent of respondents in the survey) claimed to be “somewhat” satisfied in their current position. What about the remaining 35 percent who are unhappy and unsatisfied?


According to the report, Working Retirees and those in the Healthcare and Internet industries are the most satisfied in their careers, while Millenials (those under 30) and those in the Financial Services industry were the most unhappy (DUH!). 


Amid a gloomy economic backdrop, it's no surprise that older workers with tenure and employees in stable industries (like healthcare) are the most "satisfied" with their careers. For the rest of us, it's a different story. Teachers worry about cuts in government funding, engineers fear that clients will pull out of multimillion dollar projects and small business owners complain that their Groupon deal did more harm than good (Joke).


As my dad (a surprisingly optimistic real estate broker with every reason in the world to complain about his job) always says, "Work is called Work because it's tough."


I've been described by many as hardworking, so the hard part of work doesn't scare me. I'm frightened by the feelings that roll in every morning during the moments before I emerge from my blanket cave. This probably puts me, a Millenial, in the remaining 35 percent, or the "Unhappy Bucket."


My above mentioned fear led to my resignation a few weeks ago. Over the course of the last year, I've admittedly had more days of waking up with that "impending doom at work" feeling, than not.


Those. Mornings. Sucked. They've even forced me to question my career path (and surely I'm the only person in the world who's ever done that?!?)


So what happens when one is not only unsatisfied, but also extremely unhappy? If we look at past studies, we'll see that those lumped in the "Unhappy Bucket" just don't perform as well the Happy Bunch in the work place.


Research from the University of California, Riverside suggests that there is a relationship between happiness and workplace success. In fact, according to those findings, happiness is actually the driving force behind some employees' successes. A number of factors (such as salary, favorable reviews and responsibility) play into workplace satisfaction, and happy people engage in more behaviors paralleling success than their less happy counter parts.

So... because I was so unhappy in my job, does that mean I'm slated for a career filled with failure? I hope not. 

Oddly enough, this unhappiness has motivated me to search for a career that will make me more happy and, if the UC Riverside study holds its weight, even more successful. 


The intelligent move would have been to find a new job first, then leave my position. I know that. But what if I got myself into the same rut?


I'm not afraid of being unemployed and I'm not afraid of having a gap on my resume. I'm afraid of all the questions that will come from my family and friends.


"Sooo....You just left your job?" "What are you going to do next?" "What's the plan now?" "Don't you have something lined-up?"


I've always sought approval from others in all of my decisions, so the thought of being bombarded with questions makes me nervous.


Truth be told: My decision to leave may have been dumb and I'm scared.


Truth be told: This morning, for the first time in a long time, I woke up smiling.

If the economy didn't suck, I'd be a better hostess...

Well, maybe I'd be a better hostess. 


I love to entertain. I think it runs in my blood. 


My grandparents, Frank and Ang, ran a Czech restaurant in the Chicago suburbs for a number of years, but shut the doors in the early nineties. While I remember obscure decorative items in the building- such as a swordfish nailed to the wall-  most memories are limited. I was too young to people watch and, armed with the vernacular of any respectable five-year-old, had an arsenal of confined conversation topics. 


Still, when I look back at photos of my grandparents at the restaurant they look to be in their element. They seemed very comfortable and extremely skilled at making people feel at home in their restaurant. This is how I feel when I am entertaining or cooking for people.  As silly as this may sound, I get great satisfaction from making people feel at home in my home. In fact, I often get annoyed with guests who nervously congregate near the kitchen rather than sitting down and relaxing in the common area. That drives me nuts! 


Anyway... I invited the girls over for an apéritif on my roof top Friday evening to escape the unbearable Chicago Summer heat. Sangria is one of my all time favorite Summer drinks, and I thought it would be the perfect beverage to cool off my friends. I had a few bottles of white wine left over from earlier in the week, so I decided to take a stab at making some White Sangria. 


I figured I had most, if not all, of the ingredients needed to create the concoction. I'd made Red Sangria the previous weekend and had some left over orange juice, pineapple juice and brandy. While googling the recipe, I found myself fantasizing about wearing an apron and floating around the rooftop serving an abundance of flowing white sangria to my guests, who of course, were asking for a second and third glass. 


My dream was quickly deflated when I came across a recipe by Ms. Rachael Ray. According to said formula,  one needed apple liquor, soda water and a white Spanish wine. I found myself at a disadvantage... could I substitute White Franzia for the white Spanish wine!?


If the economy didn't suck, I probably would have marched my way to the liquor store a block away and picked up the necessary ingredients. But since it does- and I work in PR- I made a conscious decision to "wing it." 


The end product did not resemble your typical Cafe Iberico White Sangria, or anything close to the foodporn found on Rachael Ray's website. My version was opaque and clouded by the addition of the orange and pineapple juices. 


The fact that my friend, Christy, brought a bottle of pre-made, translucent white sangria as a hostess present probably should have left me with a tinge of embarrassment... but I don't embarrass easily. I thanked her for her thoughtful gift and quickly hid the bottle in the fridge before any of my other guests would notice. 


Regardless, everyone seemed to enjoy the unique white sangria I served, and I learned the following lessons from the experience:


1. There are a few instances in cooking where I would actually discourage following the recipe... sometimes, if you're lucky, the end result will work?!?


2. If a guest should bring a dish or beverage that looks more attractive than the one you've prepared, thank him or her and quickly hide the evidence before your other friends have a chance to comment


3. Don't let Rachael Ray's recipes intimidate you... ever.


Happy hosting

Two Six

After several failed attempts at blogging, I've decided to give it another shot. The irony of the situation is part of my job consists of monitoring, evaluating and rating blogs and the influence of bloggers. I am by no stretch of the imagination a social media maven, but I can honestly say my cubicle at the office is strategically placed in, what I fondly refer to as, Social Media Central.

I work for a full (sorta) service public relations firm.

Since the first day in in the office, one of the skills I've been required to master is social media monitoring- and yes, that actually exists.  Essentially, if a blogger posts something, positive or negative, about one of the accounts I work on, it is my responsibility to find it, evaluate it, report it and then, if appropriate, figure out how to respond. It's not the most thrilling part of my job, but I will say it's interesting.

However, sitting in Social Media Central, it's become painfully obvious how mundane the issues I monitor for are in comparison to the issues some of my colleagues monitor for... I monitor for stories about executives... a few weeks ago my cube mates were monitoring for coverage pertaining to a major fashion icon. Fashion is not a huge interest of mine, but these girls are so passionate about what they do, that I often feel envious, not of their work, but of their passion for their work. This experience with social media monitoring has inspired me to monitor my own life. In fact it's even caused me to take an audit of my career choices.

Did you know that the average American spends 85 percent of their lifetime working? No, you didn't because that statistic was made up due to Google's failure to generate the answer on the first two search pages. While the average American may or may not spend the majority of life at work, we certainly spend a significant amount of time working.

This begs the question, should we love what we're doing? If you're anything like my father, you're answer to this question is this: Work is not supposed to be fun... Guess what Dad... I disagree.


A preconceived notion of mine has always been that in order to write a blog, one needs to be a foodie, a fashionista or a mom... I am none of those things. I am twenty-six (and a half) and I am desperately seeking something that will spark my interest. My goal with this blog is to explore that and learn something along the way. Read on if you'd like, but please remember my thoughts and opinions are respectfully my own.