Crunch, crunch, crunch...

One thing that has definitely changed during my time away from waged work is my perspective on our family's budget. When I was still working for wages, I had a pretty good idea of what our monthly income and expenses were, but now I REALLY know. Something about watching the dedicated "stay at home with Mr. D" savings account dwindle down over these last two years made it all seem so much more real. Today I spent some time sitting down with old paystubs and current expense reports, trying to figure out how much money we need me to be bringing in, as distinguished from how much money we would LIKE me to be bringing in. It was an interesting excercise, and at least now I have some ballpark ideas. Although of course roughly 30% of the value of a typical compensation package is derived through benefits. Which are looking a little more important, now that Gov. McGreevey has signed S2820 into law.

I Can Do THIS

Had a meeting with my first private college search client of the year this afternoon, and I think it went well. There were a few points at which the mom in question had to ask me to re-clarify something I'd said, which I think was mostly a reflection of my tendency to unwittingly slip into admissions-speak. Have to work on that. Still, it feels good to keep my hand in a bit (I'm doing some alumni interviews for Brown as well), and good to be reminded of the body of knowledge all those years of work helped to build.

Rethinking Rider

Had a nice mid-morning chat with TG today, yet another person who actually got a job via a job posting (guess I'd better start reading the Chronicle of Higher Ed on a more regular basis)! She asked about whether I was considering Rider, and I answered from a mostly admissions perspective, forgetting for the moment that my next job is likely to NOT be in college admissions. Felt bad about it afterwards, although I think I did a decent job of explaining my thinking to her in a post-visit email. Still, the whole thing reminded me of how hard it is to be "on" in the way that actively seeking out employment requires you to be. More motivation to do this well and quickly.

Get Me Rewrite!

Already helpful, FS launched herself into the "can't do this without you" category today by making a terrific editorial suggestion on the copy of my resume I sent to her via email. Terrific!

Friends In High Places?

This just in... BC knows the head of one of our local-area private schools. Could come in handy, down the line...

Apples In My Future?

Reconnected with RW today after not having spoken with him in a long time. He was very gracious, and we both spoke about the ways in which parenting can change your sense of time and what is achievable. He offered to talk with me about working at his school, and we also want to get the families together at some point. When I mentioned that several friends have asked me if I'd consider teaching, he asked what grade levels I'd be interested in, and I said, "Secondary, I guess," because that's the age level I've had the most experience with. What I should have said, I think, was, "I have no idea! How does one make that determination other than through trial and -- hopefully not too much -- error?"

Miss Manners

Finally managed to send out a thank-you note today to FS. Rooting around in my stationery box for the appropriate card made me remember how important this kind of follow-up is; the next time I schedule a meeting with someone, I should mentally schedule the thank-you note as well.

Have You Met My Friend....?

Met ES today, the girlfriend of a friend. ES works for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, about which I know little, but at least now I have someone I could start with.

Good Food and Good Advice

Had lunch with Quaker friend FS today, after having played "connect-the-calendars" for a few weeks. She shares my fondness for the "right hand gal" spot, so we had a good talk about the advantages of working from that position. She also encouraged me to expand my search to include Rutgers, and swears the commute isn't half bad, especially if you're into books an tape. It was great to talk with someone whose job search experiences are still fresh, and also interesting to talk with her about her first job in NJ, which ended up being a poor fit. Told her that working within a Quaker context might feel like a dream come true; we'll see about that.