My Fancy New Job

I wanted to give a quick update about my new job, since I know this is something that many of you have been wondering about.  Many of you walked through the long journey to find a job in higher education. And many of you celebrated with me when I got the job offer in early June to be a Career Counselor at Penn State Behrend (Erie)! It was such a relief as there were aspects of my previous job that were really taking a toll on my physical and mental health.  Phew!




Even before I started, I set up a time to meet with my supervisor because I wanted to inform her of my diagnosis and that I would be needing 4-6 weeks off after surgery. I came to this decision because I wanted to give her a head's up that I would need time off, and I wanted her to have all of the information about me.  I realized that I could do very little in regards to how she reacted, so I might as well get it over with.  I was very nervous about this conversation.




Well, as many of you know, she reacted in the best possible way.  She was amazingly supportive, consoling, and reassuring.  She had someone very close to her that had been diagnosed at a young age with breast cancer, so she had personal experience with the complexity of this.  She also is just an amazingly supportive individual.  I cried with relief when I left her office.  She had given me exactly the kind of support that I needed from a boss.  She had reassured me that they would support me through this whole process, that I could take off as much time as I needed, and that my job would be here when I returned.  Wow.  Thank you.




Craig and I moved up to Edinboro, PA in early July and I started my job here at Penn State on July 14th.  I was eager to start, and my coworkers were so sweet.  They showed me to my (big!) office and within 10 minutes they had my name on the door.  They even gave me a cubbie in the bathroom to keep personal belongings!  My coworkers trickled into my office to introduce themselves.  Overall, the feel of the office is supportive, healthy, student-focused, and hard-working. I told the rest of my coworkers during our staff meeting that Friday morning.  It was difficult to share, not because I didn't want them to know, but because I feel the weight of it whenever I share it for the first time.  I recognize that it is a little traumatizing to hear someone tell you that they have cancer, and the images that flood your mind are horrible.  Although it was difficult to share, they were very supportive, and I have not doubt that they will continue to support me through this process.  They have given me the freedom to take time off for ANY appointments that I have coming up.  Some will check in with me occasionally to get updates.  Overall, the word I would use to describe this office is supportive. What a gift.


Starting a new job is like being in a foreign country.  Simple tasks take twice as long, you trying to figure out the nuances of the culture so you don't make a fool of yourself, and the most important thing is knowing where the bathroom is. Check. Check. Check. While I am tired at the end of the day, there are aspects of starting this job that are different from any other job I have started.  I realized that this is my first job where I have done something very similar before.  Since I was at CMU as an intern in their career office, I have done many of the tasks that I do here.  It is so much easier to adjust when the learning curve isn't crazy steep!  While I am a girl that loves a challenge, as displayed by my past job choices, at this point in my life I can appreciate a little more sanity on the job front.


Overall, I am really happy with my job and think that it is a great fit.  I feel very thankful for it.  It was a difficult process to get here, and I know that a lot of things fell into place for the job and me to match up.  I feel settled in this career move.  I feel excited about all that I will do and learn.  I feel hopeful that I will ground myself more as a counselor.  And I feel thankful for the livability that this job offers.  One of the best parts about this job?  My sanity! 


Finally, I would like to add that I do miss aspects of my previous job.  I miss some of the kids that I was working closely with in therapy, and I miss a few really great coworkers (you know who you are, EHS!).  I can say confidently, though, that this job is a good fit for me at this point in my life.  For a lot of reasons.  And I am thankful.