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psyche29As I'm sure I've made clear several dozen times, I am by turns content and completely frazzled by my job.
It's not the job itself, really - cash is details, and details are most definitely my thing. I am loyal and reasonable and punctual, and I believe that getting the details right will make the big picture fabulous. I'm careful and accurate and learn quickly, I find shortcuts that not only allow us to work smarter, but are also correct, and I keep a light but firm grip on the reins of my coworkers and the things for which they are each responsible. I am well-versed in each component of the cash application area of my department, and the go-to girl for answers, be they questions asked by my team or by other people outside my team. There are two managers, two supervisors and ten or so people urging me to apply for one of the open supervisor positions because of what I know and what I can do.
However, I've been wanting to get out of here for quite a while now. I've been here for over ten years, and I've put up with a lot - A LOT - of garbage that other people in other workplaces don't generally put up with. Sure, everyone has bad days, there are always difficult (and even really fucked up) customers, be they internal or external. Everyone deals with petty ridiculousness in the workplace on a fairly regular basis; I'm aware of this, I acknowledge that I'm not the only one.
But my head is brushing the ceiling of my limit. I've been open, I've been willing to make changes, to roll with them and to find a way to replace existing procedures and thought processes with new ones. I can't stand the atmosphere here anymore, though, and am loathe to put any real effort into what I'm doing when I just don't care. I want something else, someplace else.
Last Saturday I went to a jewelry party. It was girly and fun, as it should have been, and I enjoyed myself. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was being held as a fundraiser effort.
There's an organization called Children's Lighthouse, and they offer child- and family-focused respite, transitional and end-of-life care to children with life-limiting conditions. There are something like 40 or so hospice homes for children in the UK alone, two in Australia and Canada each and many others around the world. If I correctly remember what Katie said, there's only ONE of these types of homes in the US. There are several hospice homes for adults, but none for children.
And my first thought was, "Here's something I believe in. How can I be a part of it?"
The foundation is being built right now, so it's still in the early stages; they are currently applying for non-profit status and searching for the right place for the home, which will be able to house six to eight children as well as room for their parents/families. There will be an end-of-life suite, and I forget the rest of what she said. It's so incredibly sad to think about, children with terminal illnesses - but I believe in the idea strongly enough to know I'd be OK with the realities of it.
OK, maybe not the needles and doctors stuff, but you get the picture, right?
Anyway, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I learned of it, and while their website (linked above) is still super basic, I still want to know if I could work for them from an accounting standpoint. It's what I do, and I do it well. I could learn the things I need to know that I don't already, and I could actually make a living doing something I believe in.
But...I don't know where to begin. The website is so basic that only their mission statement and privacy policy are on it, and a place to donate to the cause. I have Katie's card, but while we have finally met each other, we're hardly more than acquaintances.
A little background - Katie is one of Mikey's numerous cousins. I've mentioned his grandparents, John and Bunny, many times before. John has four brothers and two sisters; Katie is the daughter of his sister Mary. I knew Katie was Mary's daughter, and Katie knew I was Mikey's mom, but we only actually just met each other on Saturday - so seriously, the barest of acquaintances.
And she's the only person I know who's involved in this. I wish I knew how to approach it, because I am completely adrift, here.
Ideas? Thoughts?
Could you work for a place like this? Even if you don't have any sage words of wisdom for me, I'd be interested to see what you think of the organization, the purpose, and whether or not you think you could do it, and why you feel the way you do about it. :)
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
It's not the job itself, really - cash is details, and details are most definitely my thing. I am loyal and reasonable and punctual, and I believe that getting the details right will make the big picture fabulous. I'm careful and accurate and learn quickly, I find shortcuts that not only allow us to work smarter, but are also correct, and I keep a light but firm grip on the reins of my coworkers and the things for which they are each responsible. I am well-versed in each component of the cash application area of my department, and the go-to girl for answers, be they questions asked by my team or by other people outside my team. There are two managers, two supervisors and ten or so people urging me to apply for one of the open supervisor positions because of what I know and what I can do.
However, I've been wanting to get out of here for quite a while now. I've been here for over ten years, and I've put up with a lot - A LOT - of garbage that other people in other workplaces don't generally put up with. Sure, everyone has bad days, there are always difficult (and even really fucked up) customers, be they internal or external. Everyone deals with petty ridiculousness in the workplace on a fairly regular basis; I'm aware of this, I acknowledge that I'm not the only one.
But my head is brushing the ceiling of my limit. I've been open, I've been willing to make changes, to roll with them and to find a way to replace existing procedures and thought processes with new ones. I can't stand the atmosphere here anymore, though, and am loathe to put any real effort into what I'm doing when I just don't care. I want something else, someplace else.
Last Saturday I went to a jewelry party. It was girly and fun, as it should have been, and I enjoyed myself. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was being held as a fundraiser effort.
There's an organization called Children's Lighthouse, and they offer child- and family-focused respite, transitional and end-of-life care to children with life-limiting conditions. There are something like 40 or so hospice homes for children in the UK alone, two in Australia and Canada each and many others around the world. If I correctly remember what Katie said, there's only ONE of these types of homes in the US. There are several hospice homes for adults, but none for children.
And my first thought was, "Here's something I believe in. How can I be a part of it?"
The foundation is being built right now, so it's still in the early stages; they are currently applying for non-profit status and searching for the right place for the home, which will be able to house six to eight children as well as room for their parents/families. There will be an end-of-life suite, and I forget the rest of what she said. It's so incredibly sad to think about, children with terminal illnesses - but I believe in the idea strongly enough to know I'd be OK with the realities of it.
OK, maybe not the needles and doctors stuff, but you get the picture, right?
Anyway, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I learned of it, and while their website (linked above) is still super basic, I still want to know if I could work for them from an accounting standpoint. It's what I do, and I do it well. I could learn the things I need to know that I don't already, and I could actually make a living doing something I believe in.
But...I don't know where to begin. The website is so basic that only their mission statement and privacy policy are on it, and a place to donate to the cause. I have Katie's card, but while we have finally met each other, we're hardly more than acquaintances.
A little background - Katie is one of Mikey's numerous cousins. I've mentioned his grandparents, John and Bunny, many times before. John has four brothers and two sisters; Katie is the daughter of his sister Mary. I knew Katie was Mary's daughter, and Katie knew I was Mikey's mom, but we only actually just met each other on Saturday - so seriously, the barest of acquaintances.
And she's the only person I know who's involved in this. I wish I knew how to approach it, because I am completely adrift, here.
Ideas? Thoughts?
Could you work for a place like this? Even if you don't have any sage words of wisdom for me, I'd be interested to see what you think of the organization, the purpose, and whether or not you think you could do it, and why you feel the way you do about it. :)
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-17 09:18 pm (UTC)The trouble, of course, of working for charities and similar is that you will often not make much money, and you will usually be asked to go far above and beyond what other jobs will ask of you. I can't say that that's uniformly true, but my experience (in animal rescue) was really a negative one... I was overworked, incredibly underpaid, and slowly sliding into debt while my employer exploited my love for the animals and passion for the work. IMO, it doesn't matter how well or thoroughly charities take care of others if they don't also take excellent care of their own employees. Unfortunately, the ones that do seem to be thin on the ground. I'm sure this place is excellent, but most non-profits barely make enough money to keep themselves running, much less to hire staff. It's all immaterial if they don't have a place for you. Are you aiming to be employed by them, or just to volunteer your services? If the latter, I'm sure they'd be delighted; if the former, it's probably less likely, and probably not a good move until you're much more familiar with the place. I'd say the best course, if it's possible for you and the org, is to spend some time volunteering, even if it means doing things that are not necessarily your specialty, and seeing how you and the org fit with each other. If it leads to employment later, that's great, but you definitely want to know more before you make a huge change in life.