As I mentioned in a previous post, my life is in a state of transition right now. I have been back in Minnesota for more than a month and I am deeply entrenched in the world of job-seeking. I have come across some very exciting prospects, so keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted!
Since returning to Minnesota, I have also returned to my orchestra. Despite two major orchestra lockouts, the Twin Cities still has a love of classical music and my orchestra put on a concert before Thanksgiving for a very strong audience. It was wonderful to be rehearsing and performing again and I look forward to getting back to more of that after our holiday break. In the meantime, I decided to take lessons again and really work on my technique to become a better violist and reach some specific goals I've set for myself, musically.
I have also secured myself yet another non-paying job since returning home. Yes, it is frustrating to work hard for the past several months, both in Utah and Minnesota, without getting paid. However, this current job is paying me with large sums of experience gained. I am a Policy Associate for Minnesota 2020 (mn2020.org), a progressive public policy think tank in St. Paul. I brainstorm, research, and write articles on health and education policies in MN. The work environment is different from anything I've experienced in the past and my learning curve has been huge. I've not only been learning about policy issues, but I've learned more about writing for an organization, deadlines, word counts, editing, and promoting articles via social media than I could ever have learned in a classroom. It is keeping me busy and adding to my skill set while I continue to seek a full-time job.
The most important thing I look for in a career is how I will be contributing to the world each day. Can I go to work and feel like I've done good for somebody? Have I advocated for someone, given someone a voice, educated someone? Ultimately, have I helped? I feel great about my work at Minnesota 2020 and the careers I'm pursuing all share the helping aspect. I know that my own personal happiness rests in part on how I feel about my work each day. If I enjoy it and come home feeling like I made a difference somehow, I have a wonderful sense of gratitude and contentment. I learned that from working at Best Friends. I am excited to see where I end up next!
Best wishes and safe travels to everyone during this holiday season!
