Last Friday I had my 6 month work review for ZooFriends, and it went really well. It was nice to get a confirmation that I'm doing a good job. We did talk about things I needed to improve on, as well, but many of them are things that I'm already working on anyway. One thing that will be harder for me to do is speak less in the style of "Yeah" and "Uh-huh" and more like "Yes, ma'am" and "Of course, sir." I've never been big on cussing, but my speech in general is very casual. I tend to say "yep," "you guys," "kinda," and use lots of contractions. I really don't use ma'am and sir very often. When talking on the phone, however, I can see why it would be appropriate to use more formal speech, since body language and facial expressions aren't a factor in the conversation. It may take a little time, but I think I can get used to it.
Thinking back on the progress I've made at ZooFriends overall, I realize just how much I've grown with this job. I'm much less shy around strangers than I used to be. I tend to be a bit anxious around people I don't know because I don't like to give bad or wrong impressions, and I hate the thought of people not liking me. Dealing with tons of strangers on a daily basis has helped me realize that there are some people who are just determined to be rude, no matter what the situation is, and there are some people who may seem annoyed, but they're most likely bothered by something going on with them, not by me in particular. In the past, if I had to deal with a rude store clerk or bus driver, it would bother me for a while and I would feel uncomfortable with the thought that the person didn't like me. Now I know that it most likely had nothing to do with me--the person was either in a sour mood because something in her life was stressing her out, or because she was determined to pick a fight, or both. Working for ZooFriends has definitely taught me that many people feel very self-entitled. They expect to get more by giving less, and if they don't get it soon enough, they feel they ought to be compensated. It's really quite ridiculous how little patience so many people have. I used to think I was an impatient person, but compared to these people, I'm like freaking Buddha! It's mind-boggling.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I've gained much more than money and work experience from my job at ZooFriends. My interpersonal skills have sharpened, my anxiety over strangers has lessened, and I'm no longer thrown off-kilter by rudeness. I work really well within my team of coworkers and I consider them all my friends. We are as efficient as possible, which makes me feel constructive, and yet we still have lots of fun, which makes me feel happy!
My overall self-confidence has boosted quite a bit in the last few months, and I'm sure working at ZooFriends as been a large reason for that (another would be Colin). I never before thought I could enjoy a customer service job, but I'm SO glad I found this one!
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Guard and the Wrong Guy
A couple weeks ago I went to see The Guard with Kristine, a library coworker. It's an independent Irish film starring Brenden Gleeson and Don Cheedle, and I loved it! It's very typical Irish dark humor (hilarious!), and the acting, of course, is brilliant (my favorite baddie, Mark Strong, is in it too!). It's nice to see a non-Hollywood, non-American film every once in a while to keep me from getting bored with movies. Especially after a summer full of mostly conventional blockbusters (which is pretty much every summer, to be honest), I like to refresh myself with a little odd indie film like this one. In fact, I think this is probably my favorite film of the year so far! It's the first feature from director John Michael McDonagh--I think I may have to keep an eye out for what he produces in the future.
I checked out another book from the library on a whim. It's called How Not to Marry the Wrong Guy by Anne Milford and Jennifer Gauvain, MSW, LCSW. It has the subheadings of "Is He 'the One' or Should You Run?" and "A Guide to Living Happily Ever After," with a picture on the cover of a wedding cake with a little bride and groom on top, and the bride dashing away. I laughed when I saw it and read the first few lines. They intrigued me! I decided to check it out just to see what it ridiculous things it might say, but now I find myself actually reading it through. It's quite interesting! The authors interviewed numerous women from varying backgrounds asking them to give advice to other women on how not to make the mistakes they did. So the book is filled with snippets and stories from women who have been through bad relationships and marriages, giving the reader a good idea of how to recognize "red flags." It also serves the purpose of letting the reader know she's not alone in her situation. The book's objective is to help women recognize unhealthy relationships, and to realize that although it is hard to break it off, it will only get worse if it's allowed to continue. I personally am in a very satisfying relationship, but I still feel as though I'm learning from this book. At the very least, the various anecdotes given within have helped me realize why it's possible for so many women to stay in relationships they know aren't good for them. (It also helps confirm for me the healthiness of my own relationship.) Regardless of one's relationship status, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the psychology behind bad relationships, or anyone who wonders why the divorce rate is so high in this country.
The Guard trailer:
I checked out another book from the library on a whim. It's called How Not to Marry the Wrong Guy by Anne Milford and Jennifer Gauvain, MSW, LCSW. It has the subheadings of "Is He 'the One' or Should You Run?" and "A Guide to Living Happily Ever After," with a picture on the cover of a wedding cake with a little bride and groom on top, and the bride dashing away. I laughed when I saw it and read the first few lines. They intrigued me! I decided to check it out just to see what it ridiculous things it might say, but now I find myself actually reading it through. It's quite interesting! The authors interviewed numerous women from varying backgrounds asking them to give advice to other women on how not to make the mistakes they did. So the book is filled with snippets and stories from women who have been through bad relationships and marriages, giving the reader a good idea of how to recognize "red flags." It also serves the purpose of letting the reader know she's not alone in her situation. The book's objective is to help women recognize unhealthy relationships, and to realize that although it is hard to break it off, it will only get worse if it's allowed to continue. I personally am in a very satisfying relationship, but I still feel as though I'm learning from this book. At the very least, the various anecdotes given within have helped me realize why it's possible for so many women to stay in relationships they know aren't good for them. (It also helps confirm for me the healthiness of my own relationship.) Regardless of one's relationship status, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the psychology behind bad relationships, or anyone who wonders why the divorce rate is so high in this country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)