Saturday, October 22, 2011
Job #2 (continued)
I just wanted to clear something up after rereading my latest post: I will not be leaving Marriott for another job, I'm just going to be getting a second job in addition. Also, I interviewed at Sports Authority on Wednesday, and it was probably the best interview I've ever had. I should have a second interview coming up soon! So that means that as Marriott business is winding down (in the holiday season), something in retail like Sports Authority will be picking up, creating an ideal situation for me. I'm excited for the possibility of working with people my own age and with similar interests. Let's hope I get a call soon!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Job #2
As I've been told multiple times by both my coworkers and managers, the 40 hours a week I've been getting at the Marriott is about to go down. Not by 10, or 20, or even 30 hours, but by 40. As the holidays approach, there are going to be fewer and fewer banquets, meetings and events to set up for and with my level of seniority being at the absolute lowest, as well as the fact that I'm only a part-time employee, my hours should be cut down to 0 days, 0 hours by the last week of November, possibly up until January. This, of course, is not a favorable situation for me to be in, and that is why I'm now searching for Job #2.
Job #2, I've decided, is going to be fun. I want Job #2 to have me working with people my age who will maybe want to go out after work or who I can actually befriend and have things in common with. I also want Job #2 to cater to my own personal interests, so that I can have a passion for what I'm doing and the product or service I'm providing. Job #2 will be something I've never done before, and will probably never have the chance to do again, because I want to experience everything I can before I go full fledged into my career. So let's compile all of the components of Job #2 and see what we've got.
As you may have noticed through the blog, I've had a growing interest in health, wellness, fitness and exercise. Also, my current job offers little to zero customer interaction, which is kind of nice, but I'm a hospitality management major, of course I like engaging with customers, and I feel like I'm missing that aspect in my life. So, all that being said, I've been applying at places that require customer interaction and a knowledge and passion for fitness and health. So far, I've applied to the Nike store, Formula Fitness Club (a gym with multiple locations in Chicago, but not the gym that I go to), Columbia and The North Face. I plan on applying to more places like this, such as Lululemon Athletica, Running Away (a multisport store) and XSport Fitness (another gym). Whereas Marriott will be lacking in business during the holiday season, retail stores will be picking up, so I'm hoping that I haven't missed the hiring window and that I'll be a candidate for the open positions. I'm really excited about this, and I've never had two jobs at the same time, so it'll be kind of cool to work at two different places and break up the monotony a little. Let's hope my phone starts ringing soon!
Fun Fact: It turns out that application spree I went on a while back worked more to my advantage than I had thought! I got a call from Hyatt Regency today to set up an interview for the bellman position I had applied to way back when, but because the job was full-time and PM/Overnight, and I've been settling in to Marriott so well, I informed them that I had already received a position "but thank you for the offer"! It definitely helped my moral going into the search for Job #2.
Job #2, I've decided, is going to be fun. I want Job #2 to have me working with people my age who will maybe want to go out after work or who I can actually befriend and have things in common with. I also want Job #2 to cater to my own personal interests, so that I can have a passion for what I'm doing and the product or service I'm providing. Job #2 will be something I've never done before, and will probably never have the chance to do again, because I want to experience everything I can before I go full fledged into my career. So let's compile all of the components of Job #2 and see what we've got.
As you may have noticed through the blog, I've had a growing interest in health, wellness, fitness and exercise. Also, my current job offers little to zero customer interaction, which is kind of nice, but I'm a hospitality management major, of course I like engaging with customers, and I feel like I'm missing that aspect in my life. So, all that being said, I've been applying at places that require customer interaction and a knowledge and passion for fitness and health. So far, I've applied to the Nike store, Formula Fitness Club (a gym with multiple locations in Chicago, but not the gym that I go to), Columbia and The North Face. I plan on applying to more places like this, such as Lululemon Athletica, Running Away (a multisport store) and XSport Fitness (another gym). Whereas Marriott will be lacking in business during the holiday season, retail stores will be picking up, so I'm hoping that I haven't missed the hiring window and that I'll be a candidate for the open positions. I'm really excited about this, and I've never had two jobs at the same time, so it'll be kind of cool to work at two different places and break up the monotony a little. Let's hope my phone starts ringing soon!
Fun Fact: It turns out that application spree I went on a while back worked more to my advantage than I had thought! I got a call from Hyatt Regency today to set up an interview for the bellman position I had applied to way back when, but because the job was full-time and PM/Overnight, and I've been settling in to Marriott so well, I informed them that I had already received a position "but thank you for the offer"! It definitely helped my moral going into the search for Job #2.
Defensive Driving (a.k.a. One More Reason I'm Glad I Don't Have a Car)
So, way back in June or July (it's been a while now) I got a ticket speeding through Austin on my way back to Denton. Well, two tickets, but that's extraneous information. The point is, I had declared that I would take Defensive Driving to make up for some of the price of the ticket while also avoiding any rise in insurance. Well, I have until the 31st of October to get the class done and the information turned into the court and, well, let's just say... I just started.
Now, that's not to say that I had completely forgotten about it until now, no way. I've thought about it multiple times since I've moved to Chicago, it's just that it wasn't a thought that stuck. It would drift up out of memory whenever someone would mention getting a parking ticket or having a deadline and I would think "oh yea, I have to do defensive driving soon" and then the thought would slip back into my subconscious mind until once again awoken by some key word or phrase, like the way people remember that they're going to have to start buying Christmas presents soon in late October and November.
So here we are, or, I should say, here I am, rushing to get this defensive driving over with and into the past as quickly as possible. It's an online class called "Comedy Defensive Driving", although there's nothing remotely funny about it. Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of a defensive driving course because it allows the student to take as much time as necessary to complete it, and knowing that you can leave it alone and start up again tomorrow is helpful. I got through about 3 hours of it tonight (which is partially why I'm up so late) and I plan on finishing it tomorrow. Luckily, the tests are easy and the videos are at least semi-interesting. It has caused me to miss driving the highways and streets of Texas, but also reminded me that the roads are dangerous, and that texting or reading a book is perfectly acceptable on a train, but not in a car. I'm still happy I don't have a car but, at the same time, I miss my little '97 Cavalier that gave me a lot of crap but got me through high school and college anyway.
All that being said, wish me luck as I forge my way through the rest of this class tomorrow. I think I can make it, despite the terrible impersonations of Christopher Walken, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean. Let's hope I can, anyway.
Now, that's not to say that I had completely forgotten about it until now, no way. I've thought about it multiple times since I've moved to Chicago, it's just that it wasn't a thought that stuck. It would drift up out of memory whenever someone would mention getting a parking ticket or having a deadline and I would think "oh yea, I have to do defensive driving soon" and then the thought would slip back into my subconscious mind until once again awoken by some key word or phrase, like the way people remember that they're going to have to start buying Christmas presents soon in late October and November.
So here we are, or, I should say, here I am, rushing to get this defensive driving over with and into the past as quickly as possible. It's an online class called "Comedy Defensive Driving", although there's nothing remotely funny about it. Nonetheless, I would definitely recommend it to anyone in need of a defensive driving course because it allows the student to take as much time as necessary to complete it, and knowing that you can leave it alone and start up again tomorrow is helpful. I got through about 3 hours of it tonight (which is partially why I'm up so late) and I plan on finishing it tomorrow. Luckily, the tests are easy and the videos are at least semi-interesting. It has caused me to miss driving the highways and streets of Texas, but also reminded me that the roads are dangerous, and that texting or reading a book is perfectly acceptable on a train, but not in a car. I'm still happy I don't have a car but, at the same time, I miss my little '97 Cavalier that gave me a lot of crap but got me through high school and college anyway.
All that being said, wish me luck as I forge my way through the rest of this class tomorrow. I think I can make it, despite the terrible impersonations of Christopher Walken, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean. Let's hope I can, anyway.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
New Email Address
I meant to say this awhile ago, but I changed my email. So if anyone wants to send me an email or ask me a question, my new email is:
austinbondesen@gmail.com
That's all!
austinbondesen@gmail.com
That's all!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Working Life
Since the beginning of this week, I've been working in my actual position at the Marriott. It's been fun! The shifts are supposed to be 8.5 hours long, but sometimes they go over. Monday, my first day, we worked from 4 PM to 2:30 AM. That was quite a shift. The train line I would usually take to get home closes at 1:30 AM so I had to go with a coworker to the red line, which is 24 hours. I haven't had a shift that long again, but they've generally been over 8.5 hours.
Anyway, the work is good and the people are nice. It's a very physical job, which is something I thought I wouldn't like but it's actually kind of nice. I don't really have to deal with any customers, which is different from anything I've ever done before. You just kind of go in, get your work done and go. After three shifts in a row, I still haven't worn myself out but, then again, that's not very much. Hopefully I can keep up this momentum for the next, say, 6 months so I can change positions! I definitely did not see myself moving to Chicago to work in a position that was, essentially, the most entry level position possible, but hey, I've got my foot in the door with a great company, and I can still continue to look around if I feel like I can find something better. I can see myself moving up in the company, but at the same time, I don't know that I'd want to work as an event planner in a hotel, working with the same meeting space every day and essentially just moving things around. Working for an event planning company unaffiliated with a hotel would probably offer more creativity and flexibility.
Anyway, I should probably get to bed now, I have to be up at 8 tomorrow for my last day of orientation. Sorry if I ramble sometimes, it's just good to get my thoughts out every once and a while. Goodnight family and friends!
Anyway, the work is good and the people are nice. It's a very physical job, which is something I thought I wouldn't like but it's actually kind of nice. I don't really have to deal with any customers, which is different from anything I've ever done before. You just kind of go in, get your work done and go. After three shifts in a row, I still haven't worn myself out but, then again, that's not very much. Hopefully I can keep up this momentum for the next, say, 6 months so I can change positions! I definitely did not see myself moving to Chicago to work in a position that was, essentially, the most entry level position possible, but hey, I've got my foot in the door with a great company, and I can still continue to look around if I feel like I can find something better. I can see myself moving up in the company, but at the same time, I don't know that I'd want to work as an event planner in a hotel, working with the same meeting space every day and essentially just moving things around. Working for an event planning company unaffiliated with a hotel would probably offer more creativity and flexibility.
Anyway, I should probably get to bed now, I have to be up at 8 tomorrow for my last day of orientation. Sorry if I ramble sometimes, it's just good to get my thoughts out every once and a while. Goodnight family and friends!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Aqua Building
This is the Aqua Building. Apparently it is a residential building in downtown Chicago, but I have yet to see it in real life. It's designed to look as though water were cascading down it. One day I will live there.
Things I've learned at Trivia
I know I talk about Trivia quite a bit, but it's the only routine thing I've done since I got here! So here are some interesting and useless facts I've learned while attending:
-The DeLorean in the Back to the Future series has to go 88 MPH to go back in time (which I said but I didn't feel confident enough in my answer to overrule everyone else)
- In Illinois law, when a tree has a purple line spray painted on it, it means no trespassing.
- In 101 Dalmatians, the human dad's name is Roger.
- The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006.
- Denzel Washington's highest grossing movie worldwide was American Gangster.
- In Monopoly, the four railroads are: Short Line, B&O, Pennsylvania and Reading.
I feel like I've learned so much more, but that's what comes to mind right now. I'll have to ask my friends for more random questions we've answered.
-The DeLorean in the Back to the Future series has to go 88 MPH to go back in time (which I said but I didn't feel confident enough in my answer to overrule everyone else)
- In Illinois law, when a tree has a purple line spray painted on it, it means no trespassing.
- In 101 Dalmatians, the human dad's name is Roger.
- The Nintendo Wii was released in 2006.
- Denzel Washington's highest grossing movie worldwide was American Gangster.
- In Monopoly, the four railroads are: Short Line, B&O, Pennsylvania and Reading.
I feel like I've learned so much more, but that's what comes to mind right now. I'll have to ask my friends for more random questions we've answered.
New Jobs and Those Kinds of Things
So I've started my new job at the Marriott. Well, I haven't begun actual work, but I've had two days of orientation, which is primarily paperwork, followed by Marriott's core values and a tour of the facility. I've always loved Marriott as a company, and finding out about the JW Marriott in particular was really interesting. Also, as a part-time employee, I don't receive all of the benefits, but I do receive reduced prices on my stays at other Marriotts. I cannot wait to start using that! The hotel itself is really cool and has a lot of history, as the building was built in 1912 or 1914, I can't quite remember. It's been recently renovated and the hotel opened last November. I also learned some facts about Chicago, like I had no idea that the Chicago River's flow had been purposefully reversed so that the trash that was flowing through it wouldn't be carried into the lake. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm starting next week and probably working all week, which is fine with me. My friend Anthony is coming back this weekend though and we're going to see some friends of ours from Dallas finish the Chicago Marathon, which is a really big deal here!
Tonight I saw Carrie Fisher's one-woman show "Wishful Drinking". It's basically a comedy show where she talks about her life: famous parents, playing the role of Princess Leia, handling alcoholism, drugs, and bipolar disorder, and her marriages. It was hilarious. I'm so glad I went to see it, and it was nice getting to go to one of the theaters here, because there are so many and I hadn't gotten a chance to see any shows yet. Other than that, in the "fun" department, I've been going to Trivia on Tuesdays still, and I've really started working out hard this week, which I'm putting in the "fun" category because I'm tricking myself into loving it. Really though, when I work out and eat healthier, it makes me feel so much more productive and accomplished, and I've been taking vitamins regularly which I've never ever done before. Geeze, how boring has this blog become if I'm talking about taking vitamins? Just kidding, there's still good stuff to come on this blog!
This one's for Moppy, but anyone else is welcome to read: I started getting back into reading! I had only read one short story in Stephen King's "Full Dark, No Stars" but now I've read stories two and three and I'm halfway through the last. They're all really good and diverse, and it's hard to put the book down sometimes! I'm excited to start reading a novel though, because sometimes reading short stories gets old because you keep having to switch characters and situations and they all get mixed up in your head. I'm thinking about reading "It" again because I've always listed it as my favorite book and it's probably been since middle school when I last read it.
What else is going on? I've been getting a little homesick lately but I think that's to be expected. I miss all of y'all and I can't wait 'til the next time I see everyone! I even miss the Gaylord Texan (being at the Marriott has reminded me a lot of it). But, at this point, moving back to Texas is not even an idea of a thought on my radar. There are so many opportunities for me here, both socially and career-wise, and I couldn't possibly see myself leaving them all any time soon. I have absolutely no idea what my Chicago life expectancy is, but right now I'm loving it and living it up.
Tonight I saw Carrie Fisher's one-woman show "Wishful Drinking". It's basically a comedy show where she talks about her life: famous parents, playing the role of Princess Leia, handling alcoholism, drugs, and bipolar disorder, and her marriages. It was hilarious. I'm so glad I went to see it, and it was nice getting to go to one of the theaters here, because there are so many and I hadn't gotten a chance to see any shows yet. Other than that, in the "fun" department, I've been going to Trivia on Tuesdays still, and I've really started working out hard this week, which I'm putting in the "fun" category because I'm tricking myself into loving it. Really though, when I work out and eat healthier, it makes me feel so much more productive and accomplished, and I've been taking vitamins regularly which I've never ever done before. Geeze, how boring has this blog become if I'm talking about taking vitamins? Just kidding, there's still good stuff to come on this blog!
This one's for Moppy, but anyone else is welcome to read: I started getting back into reading! I had only read one short story in Stephen King's "Full Dark, No Stars" but now I've read stories two and three and I'm halfway through the last. They're all really good and diverse, and it's hard to put the book down sometimes! I'm excited to start reading a novel though, because sometimes reading short stories gets old because you keep having to switch characters and situations and they all get mixed up in your head. I'm thinking about reading "It" again because I've always listed it as my favorite book and it's probably been since middle school when I last read it.
What else is going on? I've been getting a little homesick lately but I think that's to be expected. I miss all of y'all and I can't wait 'til the next time I see everyone! I even miss the Gaylord Texan (being at the Marriott has reminded me a lot of it). But, at this point, moving back to Texas is not even an idea of a thought on my radar. There are so many opportunities for me here, both socially and career-wise, and I couldn't possibly see myself leaving them all any time soon. I have absolutely no idea what my Chicago life expectancy is, but right now I'm loving it and living it up.
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