It's official, according to the internet

So most you know that I recently started a new job at UA. For the last two years I had been working at the School of Music in sort an office job with only a choice few opportunities to use my knowledge and skills as a writer/photographer. It was a fun ride, but something needed to change.

So anyway, I heard about a communications position that opened up with the Dean's Office for the College of Arts and Sciences. I checked out the job listing in October and knew I had to go for it. For October and November, I didn't hear anything about the job. I assumed that someone else had gotten the position, and I was already to resign myself to another few years working in Music Services. But lo and behold, the week after classes were over, I get a phone call asking me for an interview. I later learned that there were 130 applicants for the job, and they were only interviewing seven people. Yikes!

If you know me at all, you know that I get nervous/anxious over just about anything, and especially anything that has to do with my own personal abilities. I spent most of Christmas in disbelief that I actually got the job. I was excited to tell people, but I was really unable to fully express to them how big of a deal it was for me. Also, I think I tend to hold back when I know that others are still struggling to find jobs. The state of this economy has left many of my dear friends in a kind of job limbo, and I know all too well how tough that is - I went through it myself when we moved from Demopolis to Tuscaloosa in 2008.

The thing about getting a job is, it is one of few times that you willingly and knowingly put yourself up for scrutiny. You even prepare an entire page (or more) of information for people to judge you on. If you're like me, you have spent years on a path of success, doing every little thing to make that piece of paper stand out from all the others. Also if you are like me, job hunting is the only time you are willing to put yourself out there for all to see and pick apart.

I guess I say all of this to say that although it is tough to put yourself out there, sometimes it is worth the risk. Two years ago, I was happy to have any job. But now, I dared to looked outside of my safety net and go for something I really wanted. I would encourage all of you out there to do the same.

So if you are ever bored and want to know what is going on in UA's College of Arts & Sciences, then head on over to the UA News site and look me up. You may just get to read something awesome like this (totally sarcasm):
http://uanews.ua.edu/2011/01/immunology-researcher-to-address-mccollough-medical-scholars-forum-at-ua/

Also, here I am on the A&S website - it's official!