This is not a sponsored post! I swear!

I like earning money.
I also like giving away money.

Oh the conflict!
Which is why I'm (thus far) a big fan of Op4G.

Op4G is basically a market research company with an altruistic bent.
You take their consumer surveys, and they pay you.
What's interesting though, is that they "force" you to give at least 25% of your earnings to one of their non-profit partners.
I mean force in the best possible way of course. Perhaps "allow you to be generous automatically" would be a nicer way to say that. 

Now, full disclosure time: the non-profit where I currently work is one of the partners.
So the money is going to support a place with which I do have a direct connection.
But I work in anti-sexual violence advocacy, so I'm pretty confident that it's OK to shamelessly plug on behalf of my job.

So far I'm impressed. I've filled out 4 surveys, made some money for me and made some money for the Alliance.
Best of both worlds! Woo!

The take away?
Go check out Op4G.
Sign up.
Take some surveys.
Get some money and..
Perhaps donate to the Alliance (pretty please)?

Lemur vs. Lemming: AKA the Best Work Conversation Ever

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I had a real post ready. Or rather, I was going to write a real post. A serious one! And then I had this conversation with a co-worker (during personal time of course) and felt the need to share.

SS: I sometimes think twitter is a fad

SS: I do it--but only because i'm a lemur.

SS: or crap, lemming. I mean lemming

L: hahahah!!!!

L: a lemur! I love it

SS: my face is red

SS: thank goodness for online chatting

SS: you can't see!

L: hahah it's such a cute image in my head, of lemurs flocking to a cliff

SS: urg

SS: I was close

SS: they sound so similar

L: and to be honest i dont even totally know what a lemming is

L: not what i thought! http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2352349809_51b37bd708.jpg

SS: whhhat? no way!

L: I sort of always pictured something penguiny but not a bird

SS: I thought they looked more cat-like

SS: clearly no one has any idea what a lemming really is!

SS: they're rodents..ew

SS: I think we should change the phrase. lemurs are much cuter

L: lemurs probably have some senseless pack behavior we could comment on

SS: we should find out

SS: and then totally coin a new phrase

L: "The presence of female social dominance sets lemurs apart from most other primates and mammals; Female aggression is often associated with, but not limited to, feeding"

L: I think there's useful material in there

SS: Hmm.. feeding frenzy and female aggression. That does indeed seem like a good breeding ground for a new phrase

SS: And perhaps even semi-relevant to anti-violence work!

SS: Score!

L: there was something else about how scientists hypothesize that the lady lemurs get aggressive because they have more at stake than the men, what with the need to reproduce

SS: ugh. lets leave that one out of the pile

L: haha

L: GET OFF MY PIZZA I NEED TO HAVE A BABY!

SS: last thing we need to do is create another phrase that makes women sound like baby-crazed man eaters

Merging my work life & life work

A few weeks ago a friend at work helped me re-vamp my cover letter and resume (thanks K!).

Although I really like all of my current jobs, it's still my hope to eventually move into something a little more structured.

Working for 3 different non-profits in some type of part-time or freelance capacity is really interesting, but I (think) at some point I'll be ready to rejoin the daily grind! Not that working from home several days a week isn't really fun..but I think I just might be a little too type A to enjoy the flexibility.

Pretty sad, right?
I have a flexible work schedule and can do much of my work in my PJs and I really just want to be an in office!

Anyway, although I've clearly had a bit of success finding these small projects that I can string together I've had far less success with full-time offers. Or I suppose I could have been offered them and declined..perhaps that should be my blog 'party line' from now on!

I decided that despite several edits and help from others, it was time to really overhaul the documents that are supposed to represent me to potential employers. Work friend K is just a few years older, but has had really phenomenal success transitioning into new positions both here in NY and back in her hometown. I casually broached the topic, and she was kind enough to offer to help!

One thing that really struck me in the new cover letter she helped me conceptualize and write, was the idea of merging my work life with my life work (hence the title of the post). I made a conscious decision a few months ago to only pursue jobs that I find genuinely interesting.

I know that I am in an incredibly lucky position thanks to (a little) my part-time work and (a lot) to  Ben's support, because this type of 'choosiness' is an incredible luxury. But K's thoughts about expressing this in my cover letter were right on point--I've been (slightly desperately at times) looking to find a position that meets these needs.  Despite the low pay associated with both non-profit and gov't public health work, I'm really committed to doing work that represents my own passions and social justice interests.

Now I just need someone to pay me to hang out in the office all day..
And by hang out I clearly mean "work very hard" because hey..I am pretty type A!

Making Rejection Sting a Little Less

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I recently sent out a resume and cover letter indicating my interest in an open position at a foundation located in NYC.


I sent out the email at 11:32 am and received the following message at 11:46 am:



Dear Saskia,






Thank you very much for your interest in the role of ___(position) at the ___(organization). Although you do have an impressive background, we have decided to focus on applicants who are more closely aligned with our ideal profile as outlined in the position description.






I'm sorry that we won't be able to consider you for this role, but I will keep your resume in our active file in case I come across other opportunities that might be of interest to you.






Sincerely,


X



Based on the job description, I thought I was rather closely aligned with the ideal profile.

I’m more interested, however, in figuring out how the recruiter (X) came to their conclusion.

How exactly do you read a cover letter, examine a resume and craft a response in a little less than 15 minutes?
It’s possible that their ideal profile was simply not clearly explained in the job posting and I was missing an important skill that immediately removed me from consideration. Although there was no length of work experience listed, maybe they immediately nixed anyone will less than 5 years in the field.

Or maybe they sent rejection letters to anyone whose name started with the letter ‘S.’

No way to know really.

Luckily, the quick turnaround actually made me feel less upset about the rejection.

Since the recruiter clearly didn’t take the time to learn anything about me, I’m going to assume that I do indeed have an ‘impressive background’ and that the refusal is their loss.

Another thought on the job hunt..

Lately I've been wondering if I should have done things differently.

Perhaps I should have worked longer before starting a graduate program?
Perhaps I should have tried to do a dual degree program?
Perhaps I should still try to add a clinical degree to my (almost) masters?

I'm trying not to second guess my self, because I think ultimately this will all work out. If I had remained in STL, Ben and I might have been forced to endure at least 2 years of long distance. Considering how much we hated just 1 year/4 hours apart I'm not sure either of us would have remained sane during 2 years and 16 hours apart.

Or, if I had moved back East without an acceptance letter to a program, I might still be unemployed.

Or I might have been laid off in the last round of financial meltdowns in the non-profit and gov't sectors and facing the same predicament (needing a job) without the benefit of health insurance cushion due to school and an additional degree.

Right now though, it's all a little uncertain and it seems like I'm either under or overqualified for every single position in NYC.

As of now my goal is to send out a resume/cover letter per week and see what happens. I'm also trying to attend more work events for the networking possibilities and volunteer at a community event in April.

If that doesn't work, I'm going to move on to informational interviews and see what happens.
I know, however, that I'm still in a really good position. I've only been applying to positions that really spark my interest, which is really a luxury of sorts. If I don't feel like that's working, I'll start to broaden my search.

In the interim, I'm shamelessly self-promoting every chance I get @ work and trying really hard to remain upbeat.

Next step for blogging might be to create a 'places I would LOVE' to work @ list and see who has connections/wants to help!!

Feeling less than enthused by Federal Work Study Guidelines...

What’s the point of having a federal work study program if it’s actually limited to within a state?

Sorry if that’s confusing..but I’m rather annoyed.
I am finishing my degree @ Hopkins but am working in New York.
My program requires that we work as interns for at least 4 months.
They don’t care where you work, or really what you do (as long as it’s reasonably on-point).

So I picked up and moved to NYC to live with B.
Why would I stay in a city that’s 4 hours away by bus from my boyfriend, when my program is practically begging me to leave?
Anyway, I am 2 weeks away from finishing part 1 of my internship experience.

My supervisors here at internship # 1 seems to like me.
He offered me a part-time position for this fall.
I accepted, and will be working here 2 days a week. I’m also taking a rather large hourly pay cut due to budget constraints.
I also accepted a position at a local non-profit (internship #2).
I am very excited about this position, but less excited about the $500 stipend available (for 4 months of work).

I asked if they would consider crafting a work study agreement.
Work study has an organization put in ¼ of the funding, and they match the amount.
That way the $500 stipend would become $2000.
Not exactly a windfall (it works out to around $6/hour for 19 hours of work a week), but better than 500!

Well, it turns out that I’m back to $500 for the semester from internship #2.
Hopkins can’t approve a work study position in another state.
Somehow “federal” work study seems less…well…federal.

You’d think a nationwide program would allow students to accept positions outside of their geographic area.

So now, despite being more than 50% done with my master degree I’m starting to think about finding a 3rd job. Which, given the current economic climate, is unlikely to materialize.

I think I still have my tuxedo..anyone in catering need a server?!

Very scary report from the ACLU: Criminalizing the Classroom

Just finished reading a recent ACLU report on the NYC schools.
Yikes.
It’s some pretty scary stuff..and not scary in the “I’m so mind-numbingly bored” or “I wish I were way cooler” way.
Scary in the, there’s a serious police presence in too many NYC schools and schoolchildren are being terrorized by the very people meant to serve and protect.

According to the report, over 93,000 children have to pass through metal detectors each morning. This includes about 100 schools with permanent metal detectors, and those schools subjected to part of the roving program.

It seems really strange to be protesting police presence in schools.
People always talk about making schools safer. We all know why.
But this report presents a pretty compelling case FOR school safety while being AGAINST police officers and metal detectors.

For one thing, there seems to be a lot of confusion over the role of the police officers and SSA (School Safety Agents) within the school and general law enforcement context.
The report documents numerous occasions in which students have been arrested for breaking rather insignificant school rules.

There’s really no excuse for a 9th grade to be handcuffed and brought to the police station for cursing in the halls. That’s a minor school infraction, best ‘policed’ and punished by a school administrator.

The power dynamic just sounds awful.
Fully armed police officers patting down young students, with multiple reports of a flagrant disregard for policies meant to ensure student safety and security.
Male police officers are not supposed to pat down female students. Yet the report contains numerous personal accounts (from students, faculty, and parents) of this rule being ignored. Another male student reported that he is routinely humiliated by the police officers for being openly gay. He reported that they flip coins to see who will have to pat him down, something they do not subject his subjectively heterosexual peers to daily.

Worse yet, almost 1/3 of all the students polled in the study felt that an officer had touched them inappropriately or made them feel uncomfortable through verbal communication.

Since the officers (both NYPD and SSAs) are overseen by the Police department, students, their families and educators have to navigate a large and confusing system to lodge a complaint.

Even if a student believes that their rights are being violated, how are they going to protest their treatment?
Most people do not clearly understand their constitutional rights, and even if they do, are they all expected to have the knowledge and resources to navigate the legal system?
The report also highlights that paying for the metal detectors and other security measures has had a direct impact on the ability of the schools to provide educational material. While the city has been paying hundreds of millions of dollars to provide these ‘safety services,’ they have also been routinely cutting allocations for book and salaries. The report notes that in one large school (4,000+ students) there are multiple metal detectors and SSAs, but not nearly enough desks. The entire complex also lacks a single librarian.

The sad part about this situation is that all of the police officers, metal detectors and SSAs have not made the schools safer. The report points out that the decline in school violence is NOT statistically significant, a fact that is often obscured when the city is reporting on its progress.

Rather, police personnel get involved in more than twice as many non-criminal incidents at schools with permanent metal detectors that at typical similarly sized schools. So the children attending these schools are instead being forced to endure a police presence that does not increase their safety, but does increase their level of negative interaction with the legal system.


Getting back to safety, the ACLU proposes several measures that have been highly successful in other school districts across the country.

The Los Angeles school system has a police force, but it reports directly to the superintendent of the district. It also does not allow police officers to use the metal detectors, and allows school administrators to take over this role.

Another large school district, Miami-Dade does not employ any walk through metal detectors at all, and police officers again report directly to the school administrators and superintendents.

Educators and administrators in NY have expressed rather clearly that many of these matters are best handled within the school. They of course want safe environments for their students, but not by turning their schools into mini-penitentiaries.

There are other obviously other options.
We don’t have to have metal detectors.
Or police officers who pat down students, confiscate food, and terrorize students.
NYC should learn a lesson from this failed experiment, and change course before a generation of students learn that government officials would rather pay for handcuffs than books.

Why schools are failing children.. I have evidence!

I debated about posting this here.
I really did.

I’ll take you through my thought process.

“Ooh, an email.”
“Ooh, a rather frightening email”
“This explains so much about our school system”
“I should share this. It’s funny and sad. Mostly sad”
“Hm, email is kind of a private forum”
“Not really though. I think email is actually known to be kind of public”
“Hm. I should make it really anonymous though”“It might be bad since it is from work”
“I think it will be ok. I’ll make it very vague”
“Done”

That all went through my head.
Really.

So here’s the deal. I’m posting a line from an email I received this morning.
I’m not going to tell you who sent it to me for obvious reasons.
I will just say that I am currently working for a large gov’t organization in NYC.
The person who sent this is ostensibly in charge of educating young minds.
Also, I would like to point out that typos happen.
This is not a typo.
When in doubt, spell-check EVERYTHING before you hit send.

Enough said.

The email snippet:

Have a great week-end. I here the possibility of SUN.

My immediate mental response?
Oy vey.

Having some minor blog issues..but getting back on track

Overall, I'm pleased with the new look.

I'm not sure why the header looks so different though in firefox.

I might have mmmmaybe created it and uploaded it while @ work.

In my defense, most of creating/uploading occurred during my lunch hour.
Anyway, we don't have firefox at work, just explorer.

It's such an old version you can't even open tabs.
If I was going to be there longer than August, I would probably have a minor meltdown.

And I can't just download and run firefox.
Working at a big gov't organization means that all the computers are locked for personal preferences.
If I try to change anything it tells me I don't have admin privileges.
Very irritating.
And if you want to change anything, you have to actually call the IT guy and have him do the work.

Seems silly, but I guess they don't want people downloading anything and everything on their work computer.
They probably also don't want me to write blog posts.
Oh well.

Need to use social networking sites? Novel idea! Hire someone who uses them daily!

=

Teens Frequently Mention Risky Behaviors on Social Networking Sites

About half of teens reference substance use or other risky behaviors on social networking Web sites, such as MySpace, a recent study found. The study was published in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. A related study notes that developing online interventions using these social networking venues may be a cost effective way to reduce risky behaviors. Learn how to use social networking sites for prevention and intervention efforts during two workshops at CADCA´s upcoming National Leadership Forum XIX.

I am on several listserves for work. I get a lot of information about non-profit organizing etc and it's usually harmless and even occasionally interesting. So why am I posting about teens and social networking? Because I found it a mildly funny that CADCA is hosting multiple workshops on how to use facebook and mysapce. Not because it's bad idea. In fact, it's a great way to reach lots of teenagers and young adults (and some not so young adults too!) It's funny because people need to learn how to use these sites, when there is a whole generation of young, able workers who already have these skills. Novel idea: hire some of these skilled young people. Social networking is a valuable asset, not just a time wasting procrastinating activity. Why force entrenched staff members to try and compete against tech savvy 'kids' who have been typing since they could talk? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having staff learn new skills. But it's frustrating when so many organizations are reluctant to hire new graduates, or almost worse, hire them and then mock them for their mild facebook addiction or (horror!) ability to navigate online. It's really lucky (thanks Becky!) when you can find an employer who recognizes these skills as such and takes full advantage of their staff without being patronizing. Social networking is a skill people! Appreciate those who can text with ease, upload pictures, navigate notes & posting and give us jobs!

Biking for Justice

I've been really busy at work lately and haven't had time to blog. I realized that maybe this is something I SHOULD be blogging about though--it's definitely feminist related, and would be a disaster if I were involved directly! Luckily, I will not be doing any of the biking, I'm just helping with our fundraising efforts. Instead, by boss Becky will be riding her bike over 1800+ miles from New Orleans to New York this summer. A staff member from the Pro-Choice Public Education Project (PEP) is coordinating the ride and they will be stopping along the way to meet with other activists, and reproductive justice organizers. Anyway, I've been crazy busy trying to find sponsors for the trip and getting pledges for a mile/mile fundraiser. Since I'm shamelessly self-promoting a work event, you might as well check out the website:

www.2000miles4justice.org

:)

2000 Miles for Justice!

This summer my boss, Becky, will be riding her bike from New Orleans to New York! Considering my fitness levels hovers somewhere between 'pathetic' and 'ok,' I think it's pretty cool that Becky and 19 other people will be riding 50+ miles a day. Since part of my job between now and her return will be to help coordinate the fundraiser that we've built around the ride, I felt like this would be a great place to do some shameless publicizing!

Go visit the website the fabulous Kristy Blew created and feel free to pledge some of your hard earned money to a great cause!!