My job, and why I love it.

While I was busy being a lady of leisure this summer, I kept an eye out for job openings that seemed too good to pass up. I had just a few criteria for the new gig: 1. In Town--I didn't want to drive more than 12 miles one way to get to work. 2. After bad experiences with financial companies (Hedgefundieland and Ernst & Young) I would avoid financial firms. 3. The job posting could not hint that it was a high-stress position with the words: "prioritize" "multitask" or "upbeat, energetic & positive." It also had to be something of interest to me.

In July, I saw a posting for an admin assistant at the local YMCA. It said that previous experience in fund raising was preferred. I thought, "Sure! I've worked in a gym before, and it was great. This is a job at the main office, so heck, what have I got to lose?" So I applied. I sent off a resume and a little cover letter about the fund raising events I'd worked on for Ex-Boss. When I didn't hear back from them for several weeks, I shrugged, figuring that they'd found someone and just never contacted me. (This was typical of my job hunting experience.)

Six weeks later, I got an email from the boss, who apologized for being too busy to spit, much less interview, and was I still available? I interviewed with her, and then again with some of the other senior staff at the office. A week later, I was hired. Hooray!

I was surprised to find out that no, this isn't "just a health club." There are a ton of things going on in my city that are sponsored by the Y. Community development, programs for teens, after-school care for kids, and a big push to organize a community center on the "bad side" of town. My job is to assist my boss in getting grants and fund raising to pay for it. I am still laughing to myself that I bailed from private finance, only to land in non-profit finance.

The list of things I love about my new job will certainly grow, so here's the short list. Of course there's a health club, where people can work out. That's the part that everyone sees. I get to raise huge scads of money, not to enrich the rich, but to enrich the lives of the people who live in my city. The work I do helps people by giving them a computer lab, after-school care, tutors for their kids, sports programs for little kids, and late night basketball for big kids.

I also love it that I get to trail my boss to events and meetings with the movers and shakers of my city. (aside: I went to a ribbon cutting on my third day of work, and wound up making small talk with the Mayor. How cool is that?) Of course, I'm coordinating meetings and taking notes and preparing minutes and fielding phone calls - I am a worker bee, after all. It's not glamorous but I'm feeling more in touch with my community, and that's a good thing.

Another thing worth mentioning is that this YMCA doesn't take the "C" from the name and beat you over the head with it. One of my long-time internet.friends uses a tagline that reads, "Don't tell me you're a Christian, let me figure it out." I was a little paranoid that I was about to land in a nest of Christianists, but am delighted that this is not the case.

The only down side is that I'm making less than half of what I made a year ago. I'm so glad I got so much of my debt paid off - I would never have been able to take this job otherwise. Granted, I'm going to have to adjust my ends to fit my means, but who isn't doing that nowadays?

Lastly, Can you say, "Free gym membership?" "Full Hour for Lunch" and "Five miles from home?" Yeah, baby!