Skirt: J. Crew (on sale!); Top: c/o ModDeals (only $10!); Boots: c/o Aeropostale
I don't discuss my actual work here on the blog very often (usually keep work at work and use my blog as a vacation), but its been on my mind lately, so I thought I'd share a bit.
I work in the technical recruiting space here in Portland for a staffing agency that defies all expectations of staffing companies - we're a bunch of nice, non-sales-y people that love their jobs. That much can't be said for most staffing agencies around. It's a notoriously slime-y and competition-fueled industry. I don't talk to any actual candidates or clients, so I basically head-hunt without ever speaking to anyone. I mine websites and databases for people, their contact information, their resumes, and little details about their life. It's weird and creepy and I love it. I usually spend my entire day reading resumes and job descriptions and learning the ludicrous ins and outs of the software and tech space.
I am astounded on a daily basis at what tech professionals (software engineers and architects, mobile developers, programmers, etc.) can demand if they're qualified. It is a constant reminder that having a degree in a niche field (computer science), being excellent at what you do, and being comfortable demanding a salary and perks can get you far in life. The other day we stumbled across a Bay Area developer making $275,000 a year. Hello! I thought that those salaries were reserved for doctors, lawyers and people in finance. The other day a guy told us that he wanted to work from home because it meant he could wear PJs and not shower. The offices around town have to compete for talent so hard that they offer kegs in the office, whiskey Wednesdays, kombucha on tap, dogs in the office, remote work, elaborate themed parties... it goes on and on and on. The tech space is absolutely blowing up right now and it boggles my mind daily.
I think a lot about my own skills and how they aren't very niched (English degrees are a dime a dozen) and that even though I work (really) hard and am quick to learn things, I can be easily replaced by another recent college graduate with a few years of experience and a similar degree. I pretty frequently regret choosing such a non-niched degree and not paying attention to the market before moving into the working world. If I only knew then what I know now. But isn't that always the issue? I think that one of the keys to succeeding is having an eye for what you're a) good at and b) what the world needs. If you're a brainiac that is great at coding, this is a perfect world for you. Everybody needs a mobile app or a website re-haul or their systems re-architected for emerging technology.
I think that so much more of college should be focused on entrepreneurship, identifying real world skills and capabilities and helping people get out there in the world and make something of themselves. My English degree certainly improved my grammar, my critical thinking skills, and my appreciation for literature, but it didn't help me gain something no one else has (or something everyone else needs). And I don't really feel like anyone but my older family members warned me of that. College rah-rah-ed my choices and sent me out into the world full of debt and lacking important and marketable skills. That piece, that missing part of my college education, is now up to me to figure out over the course of my career. And what a daunting, but kind of exciting, prospect that is!
Where do you all work and where are you trying to head in your careers?
I don't discuss my actual work here on the blog very often (usually keep work at work and use my blog as a vacation), but its been on my mind lately, so I thought I'd share a bit.
I work in the technical recruiting space here in Portland for a staffing agency that defies all expectations of staffing companies - we're a bunch of nice, non-sales-y people that love their jobs. That much can't be said for most staffing agencies around. It's a notoriously slime-y and competition-fueled industry. I don't talk to any actual candidates or clients, so I basically head-hunt without ever speaking to anyone. I mine websites and databases for people, their contact information, their resumes, and little details about their life. It's weird and creepy and I love it. I usually spend my entire day reading resumes and job descriptions and learning the ludicrous ins and outs of the software and tech space.
I am astounded on a daily basis at what tech professionals (software engineers and architects, mobile developers, programmers, etc.) can demand if they're qualified. It is a constant reminder that having a degree in a niche field (computer science), being excellent at what you do, and being comfortable demanding a salary and perks can get you far in life. The other day we stumbled across a Bay Area developer making $275,000 a year. Hello! I thought that those salaries were reserved for doctors, lawyers and people in finance. The other day a guy told us that he wanted to work from home because it meant he could wear PJs and not shower. The offices around town have to compete for talent so hard that they offer kegs in the office, whiskey Wednesdays, kombucha on tap, dogs in the office, remote work, elaborate themed parties... it goes on and on and on. The tech space is absolutely blowing up right now and it boggles my mind daily.
I think a lot about my own skills and how they aren't very niched (English degrees are a dime a dozen) and that even though I work (really) hard and am quick to learn things, I can be easily replaced by another recent college graduate with a few years of experience and a similar degree. I pretty frequently regret choosing such a non-niched degree and not paying attention to the market before moving into the working world. If I only knew then what I know now. But isn't that always the issue? I think that one of the keys to succeeding is having an eye for what you're a) good at and b) what the world needs. If you're a brainiac that is great at coding, this is a perfect world for you. Everybody needs a mobile app or a website re-haul or their systems re-architected for emerging technology.
I think that so much more of college should be focused on entrepreneurship, identifying real world skills and capabilities and helping people get out there in the world and make something of themselves. My English degree certainly improved my grammar, my critical thinking skills, and my appreciation for literature, but it didn't help me gain something no one else has (or something everyone else needs). And I don't really feel like anyone but my older family members warned me of that. College rah-rah-ed my choices and sent me out into the world full of debt and lacking important and marketable skills. That piece, that missing part of my college education, is now up to me to figure out over the course of my career. And what a daunting, but kind of exciting, prospect that is!
Where do you all work and where are you trying to head in your careers?