Jobs, Trip Recap, and VDay

OhMiGod.

Remember that job interview I had way back when in December? I thought they’d already hired someone to fill that position since I didn’t hear anything after the feedback I got for my ideas (also in December), but yesterday someone from the HR department called me up, and now I have an interview with the head of HR tomorrow after work! I really want this job. Reasons?

1. The location – it’ll take me 15 minutes to get to work and back every day, and I’d only have to take one minibus as opposed to 2. Currently it takes me anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour and a half to get home after work (terrible traffic).
2. I hear they pay pretty well, which means more money for my move to NY, AND more spending money!
3. It’d be great for my resume – it’s a really well known magazine, at least in the UK and around Asia (it’s all English, btw), so if I move it’d be pretty impressive.
4. The job responsibilities are much more interesting than what I do now – a LOT more fashion-related things, and I’d be styling photo shoots again like I used to do. This, versus sitting at work wanting to stab myself in the eye writing about wedding traditions or giving advice to grooms on what kind of tux to wear for a daytime wedding.

Eek! Wish me luck…!

Btw, have any of you ever been on an interview with an HR person? What do they ask? My parents and I suspect they’ll be asking about how much salary I want, and also maybe figure out whether I’ll fit in with the people in the company, since I already had an interview with the big bosses about job responsibility and my previous experience, so they must at least think I am capable…

Ugh, speaking of job hunting – I have to start setting up interviews for when I’m in NYC in March – I really really really need to find a job or at least have a few leads! Need to start contacting people as well, although unfortunately I don’t really know anyone who does writing/publishing, or at least not well enough to not feel weird about asking them…but I guess it doesn’t hurt! Really need to get on with that…

Anyway, trip recap: all I did was shop, eat, and lay by the pool. I’ve really gained weight though – noticed in all the pics my mom took. UGHHH need to start watching what I eat. haha But, shopping-wise, I did quite well! Got a brown leather belt from Gap, a tshirt + 2 pairs of footless tights (grey and black) from Topshop, a clubbing dress from Forever 21, and a purple tank from Guess. Plus my parents paid for everything except for the dress, which was nice. haha

So – Valentine’s Day. My friends convinced me to go to this party happening Thursday night, for a charity for kids with AIDS in China. My gay friend is being auctioned off, which is pretty funny. LoL So guess I’ll be doing that, since the boyfriend’s 8000+ miles away!

I ended up also getting Colin some roses as well for VDay – I realized all the presents I got him kinda suck in the sense that he needs me around for them. LoL Nothing was solely just for him to enjoy! Plus, in my opinion, boys don’t get flowers enough. So I sent them to his office (found his business card, which I thought I’d lost, in my wallet!) so it’ll surprise him and make him feel special cause all his colleagues will know he’s loved Hope he likes them…we’ll see!

What are everyone’s VDay plans, if any?

New job, new layout

That’s right, I am finally, finally employed again!

I had my second interview Saturday morning, with the Managing Director and the Head of Marketing, and they basically wanted me to sign a contract right then and there. They changed the title from Assistant Fashion Editor to Project Editor though, just cause they said they want me to be involved with all the departments, not just fashion. Fine with me!

I start Tuesday, but am going to their Christmas party Monday afternoon. (I couldn’t start Monday cause I have to meet with the woman I’m freelancing for – the new job doesn’t allow for freelancing so I have to either wrap it up super quick, or I’ll just let her have what I’ve already done for free.)

Anyway, YAY! I have a job again! I’ll have money coming in at the end of the month! Woooo! haha It’ll be nice to not be seriously poor anymore. The pay isn’t bad, although what sucks is that I’ll have to work 2 full Saturdays a month. So there goes my weekends…:(

On the other hand, I managed to get the dates between Christmas and New Year’s off as well, since that’s when Colin’s back and I just want to be able to spend all my time with him…or as much as our schedules allow, anyway. And there are 2 more vacation days than I got before, so that’s nice. Ah, how precious vacation days are…!

On a totally different note, how cute is my new layout?? haha It’s from Suck My Lolly’s Free Blogger Designs, although I customized the header a bit and made some minor changes myself (it took SO long, but it was so worth it), such as the favicon, order of the side content, font/post title color, etc.

OMG, nearly forgot to mention – Colin was telling me that a Bvlgari store opened across the street from him, and that he was gonna ‘check it out’, hinting at my Christmas present! I fully don’t expect anything though, especially once he finds out how much everything is, even though he CAN afford it. haha Well, we’ll see…another reason to be excited for Christmas!

I need to start channeling Bob Marley:

“Don’t worry be happy, everything’s gonna be all right”

…blah blah blah. Easy for him to say – smoking pot all day would be easy enough to not worry and be happy and be sure that things will turn out all right.

My horoscope for the week in the Sunday magazine is:

If you fail to get what you want this week it can only be because you are not meant to have it. With the sun, your ruler, energising Saturn, planet of restriction, what appears at first to be an obstacle will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Any efforts or sacrifices made now will pay off in the long term. Trust your judgement.

Charming. To me, it can only apply to one thing: my job hunt.

I am so. sick. of job hunting, it’s ridiculous. I started job hunting at the end of August, which is 3 months ago, and still don’t have an offer. I am meant to be hearing about that PR/marketing job ‘within this month’, so that should be by the end of this week, and I really want it. REALLY want it! Ah.

I don’t know what I’d do if I don’t get this job, because I don’t even really want to be in Hong Kong anymore. Only problem is, I currently don’t have the funds to move to NYC. But I feel like if I don’t get this job I’d wanna move – what would be the point in hanging around?

At the same time, I don’t have the energy to keep looking for jobs, either here or in NYC. It’s so tiring! Constantly sending out cover letters and my CV and then not hearing from about 90% of the ppl I email…it’s so disheartening, and I just feel consistently discouraged.

My friend earlier asked what I was going to do today. My answer:

• edit my sister’s paper
• gym it, if i can be bothered
• be depressed about my life.

UGH. I am such a downer!! Hate this crap, and I hate feeling crappy even more. Because I’m not. (a crappy person, I mean.)

No boy, no job, no money…no wonder I’m depressed.

Quarterlife Crisis, Version 2.0

I am
disheartened.

I’ve applied to over 40 jobs since the end of August, and aside from that interview a few weeks ago, I haven’t had any responses whatsoever. I am itching to get out of here and to return to New York. It’s gotten to the point where one of my friends doesn’t want me to talk about NY to him anymore, and where my mom rolls her eyes at me whenever I tell her I’ve applied to more jobs in NY, because it’s ‘unrealistic’. Is it really, though?

Yes, I get that competition is tough, and even though I haven’t heard from anyone I still have this hope that someone will come through with a job offer, or at the very least some sort of interview.

It’s not like I’m a fresh grad – even though I’ve only worked for a year, I’ve done a LOT more than more entry level people my age have, especially in my industry/field. Not only do I brainstorm and write articles, I proofread, check blues when they come back from the printer, coordinate people to contribute to the magazine, attend various events for the magazine, interview a wide variety of people, travel (Fashion Week & various shoots), organize photo shoots from scratch, and even style them at the same time. Fresh out of college, most people would have been Editorial Assistants.

So why am I so unemployable? This job search is totally disheartening, and the fact that my own mother doesn’t seem to believe in me doesn’t help at all. It makes me desperate, desperate to prove her wrong, that it IS possible for me to find a job in NY and move there.

And I do believe it’s possible. I’m not sure how, and trying to prove someone wrong when not knowing how is proving to be quite difficult. But the point is – I don’t see why I wouldn’t be hired. Like I said, I’ve done a great deal in the past year for work, plus I have a law degree and I’m a US Citizen, so it’s not like I need a work visa…

I want it so badly, but no one seems to want me. I’m even considering switching fields, maybe do advertising or something…I have no idea. All I really want to do is write. And create something beautiful. While being in NY so that I can soak up the energy and the culture while I’m still young.

Sigh.

I am
tired, but
reluctant.

When There’s a Will, Is There ALWAYS a Way?

On the phone yesterday with one of my good guy friends, I was telling him that I wanted to move to New York, and when he asked me, all I could come up with right then and there was that I feel like there is so much more to see and do, such as museum exhibits that I didn’t get a chance to fully explore when I was there. His response? “You want to move to New York for museums??” incredulously.

I’ve applied for a few more jobs today, and while updating the spreadsheet I have on my job applications (yes I’m a nerd, but it’s just so much easier to organize my life with spreadsheets!), I realised that I’ve applied to 25 jobs in the past month. And so far I only have one, singular interview, on Monday, for a job that I don’t even really care about that much (although to be fair, I don’t exactly know what the job entails yet).

I feel like shouting to the world: find me a job (that I’ll like and that will pay me enough to afford to live) in New York! It almost feels impossible. But then again, I remind myself that ‘when there’s a will, there’s a way’…right?

I am so New York obsessed right now. Aside from the museums, it’s also the fact that:
–there are still so many restaurants I haven’t tried
–there are so many neighborhoods I have yet to explore
–it’s where Broadway is!
–Bloomingdale’s has the best frozen yogurt
–that burger place on Park Ave(dammit, what the hell is it called?) has the best burgers
–Underbar has the most awesome Long Islands. Ever.
–shopping is awesome
–I love my friends there, and find myself missing them a lot. (I love my friends here too, but it’s been so long since I’ve spent time with my friends in NYC that being with them again reminded me of how much fun we have together!)

Simply put, there is so much more going on there than there is here, and there is so much more stimulate any kind of curiosity.

Hong Kong feels so small after experiencing New York. It’s always the same old shit all the time – the same bars, the same people, the same restaurants, the same things to do. Movies, shopping, drinking. That’s about the extent of the ‘culture’ here. Maybe I’m just bored of it because I know this city so well, and feel ready for a more exciting place, a challenge even, to finally get up on my own two feet. (Although I don’t ask my parents for money anymore, I still live with them at home.)

My mom, needless to say, is all skeptical about me actually moving there. I had a feeling that she wouldn’t be like “Yeah! Go to New York!”, and I was right. It’s more like “Yes, New York is a great place, but you will need a LOT more money than you earn now to be able to have fun. And the only jobs that make money are law and finance related.” (Both of which I am not interested in.)

Ah. I hate this restless feeling…good thing I’m going to the gym soon – will be pounding it out on the treadmill!!

A New York State of Mind

My plane landed this morning at 5-something, and needless to say I am still tired.

I can’t believe my trip is over, that I’m back home and that I’m now back to ‘working’ from home and searching for jobs online, hitting the gym, and hitting up the usual drinking spots with friends. I think I had a little too much fun while I was away, because now I feel like nothing will compare to how much fun I had abroad, sadly.

I am counting on seeing my friends to cheer me up – I have the post-NYC boo-hoo-lues. Luckily, I already have plans to head over to my best friend’s place for dinner and drinks tomorrow night, and I haven’t seen her in ages.

Anyway. So much happened while I was away: I rekindled a friendship with my high school boyfriend, and after being reminded of how well we got along I now really miss him; I fell in love with NYC and am now looking (almost desperately) for a suitable job so I can move; I saw both Wicked and Legally Blonde (loved both, but I think I like Wicked more!); I had the best burger/pizza/Long Island Iced Tea ever; I saw quite a few celebs at the fashion shows (Demi Moore, Mischa Barton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Hilary Swank, Ashlee Simpson, Brittany Snow, Sophia Bush, and Nigel Barker)…I could go on, but it would probably be quite boring. Needless to say, I’m in a ‘New York state of mind’…!

Plus, with my two really good friends telling me they want me to move over there, with one saying her mission is to bring me over by January and the other saying he’s going to kidnap me in January regardless of whether I wanna go or not, it makes me want to go back even more! I also spoke to my godmother and my mom’s ex-boss about it when I was in San Francisco, and they were both like “You should definitely move there if you can! It’s such an exciting place right now, I wish I’d done it when I was your age.”

Now if only I could find a job to afford it…