Life Lessons with Steph: Dealing with a Stressful Job

Hey guys,

So currently I do not have a stressful job, which I am so thankful for! I absolutely love my job and the people I work with. Everyone is so amazing and kind and I could not be happier! I obviously wish I was making more money but it's okay. I honestly think that at this point in my life, my happiness is most important to me because I'm young and it's not like I'm planning my retirement anytime soon. Although, lets be honest, it would be totally amazing if I was haha!

Okay so if I'm being honest, I don't really have much experience for this particular topic but I do have some ideas and I also am the type of person that tends to get stressed out easily even though I try really hard not to. Also, I've really only worked 3 real jobs in my entire life so I don't really have that much to go on. However, I've done other things growing up such as teach dance classes, babysit, dogsit, and a few other things here and there over the years. As I've mentioned a few times on here, I did not work the entire time I was in college. After I graduated I took a trip to Europe for a couple weeks with my mom and sister and basically lived off of savings for the entire summer after I graduated. I really did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I think I was really struggling with this because my whole adolescence I basically told myself and everyone I spoke to that I was moving to New York City and that I was going to work in fashion and become this super amazing, cool person and then when the time came down to it, I chickened and totally said I am not moving to New York.

Looking back it was such a crazy idea! I don't know anyone there, I couldn't afford to live there, and most importantly I didn't have a job there. I think it would have been a completely different story if I had friends or a family member who already lived there then I definitely would have taken the huge leap of faith and moved out there but I literally knew no one! And I was running low on money so I had to get a job!

My first job was working for a radio station as a semi freelancer where I would work events and basically promote the radio station. The company had 3 different stations and depending on the event I would have to promote one of the stations. This job was a lot of fun and it surprisingly paid more than my more steady job which was retail. I got my second job at DSW and this was the job that I actually relied on for my income. The radio station was basically just extra money. So if I'm being honest, the reason I wanted to write this article is because I have and have had some people in my life who have experienced stressful jobs. I know working is not fun but unfortunately it's a part of life and we all just have to put in our time so we can earn our retirement and then settle down, do some last minute traveling all before we leave this beautiful Earth! Not to sound morbid or anything but seriously, that's basically the cycle of life!

Anyways, my retail job is what I will be basing most of this off of because this was seriously the most stressful job I've ever had. And when I say something is stressful I don't just mean like what you actually do for the company, I mean the people you work with and the company you actually work for. Also, if you work in a customer environment then that can definitely make your job more stressful as well. 

One thing I have learned about working so far is that you are not going to be able to make everyone happy and that's okay. You just need to learn how to manage that and work with everyone the best you can. My advice is that you absolutely do your best and try your hardest. I also recommend that you don't overthink or overanalyze everything. Getting and staying in your head will be your worst enemy. I also recommend that you don't really have a reaction when something happens. One thing that my boss does when someone comes over with a mistake she just says okay and fixes it. It really makes us feel like there is nothing that can't be fixed because in reality there isn't when it comes to most jobs. I mean if you're a doctor and you kill a patient then that's a different story but with most jobs almost everything can be fixed. Your best bet is to just stay calm and not overreact!

Something I recommend to help you cope with a stressful job is when you get out of work, try really hard not to think about work. Maybe find a hobby or a tv show that you really enjoy and just indulge yourself in that. Work should stay at work and not follow you home. You only get so many hours a day at home, especially if you work full time so you definitely need that mental block to help relieve some of your stress. One thing that my sister and I do when we get home from work is talk about our days and get our feelings out and then we move on! We make dinner, we watch a show or two, do some things around the house and then call it a night.

I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to reading more! I also really hope that if you have a stressful job that things either workout or you are able to find one that you enjoy more! Working is such a major part of your life and life is too precious to let something like a stressful job get in the way! Spend time with your family, friends, and other loved ones! And don't forget to enjoy all of the amazing moments that life has to offer!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

How to Make Work Days Seem Shorter

Hey guys,

Okay so now that I work a normal 40 hour work week job, this is such a huge thing for me. I am always trying to figure out new ways to make time go by faster. Yes, I love my job but obviously everyone would rather be back at home doing stuff that they need to get done around the house or spending time with their loved ones or even going out and doing the things they enjoy most.

My number 1 tip is to make sure you avoid looking at the clock as much as possible. My job is a computer job so I am always looking at a screen and my eyes always wander down to the clock. I try to avoid looking at it but I can admit it, it's very challenging. However, I have noticed that when I am focused on my work and don't look at the clock that time goes by so much faster. But I do have to admit that this only happens on some days. For example, Wednesday's and Friday's, time basically does not move and I feel like I am going to be stuck at work forever. The fastest days for me are definitely Tuesday's and Thursday's, these two days just fly by for me and it is absolutely wonderful. 

My next advice is to make sure that you are keeping yourself busy as much as possible. If you work off of a task list then just stay focused and get your stuff done. With that being said, make sure you aren't working too fast though because you don't want to finish with your tasks and there still be 3 hours left at work with nothing else for you to do. You also want to make sure that you are taking your time and not making any mistakes. Another way I keep myself busy is by interacting with my coworkers. We don't really have any rules that says we can't talk during our shifts and sometimes our supervisor will come over to us and tell us about her personal life for like 20 minutes. So if your work allows you to be social with one another then make sure you are engaging in conversations but also make sure you are still doing work. It's okay to turn around and talk to each other for a few minutes but you don't want to make it seem like you aren't working. You are getting paid to work not to talk!

Another tip is if your work allows two 15 minute break then you could definitely take them. They will go by fast but if you think about it, then that's 30 minutes total a day that you are doing something you enjoy doing or taking a break from doing something you might not love doing. I personally don't do this because I usually never know what to do during these breaks but there are quite a few people I work with that make sure they take their 15 minute breaks. 

I also recommend that you find a little joy in whatever it is that you do for a living. If you absolutely hate your job then your days are going to drag on! They will seem like they are never ending and you're just going to keep hating your job. Also, if you really hate your job then I highly recommend that you either talk to a supervisor and discuss this with them and see if you can come up with some kind of solution or if they have any advice. Most companies force their supervisors to have an open door policy so technically you are allowed to speak freely with them about whatever you want. If you guys can't come up with a solution then it might be time to start looking for another job. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and happy Monday! May your day just fly by so you can get back home to your family!

Talk to you soon!

XO, Steph

Things I've Learned Working in Retail

Hey guys,

So now that I am officially out of the retail world I decided to write this post about some of the things that I have learned. I have to admit that I may have done some of these things in the past but definitely not too many of them! Also, this is kind of supposed to be a funny post so I really hope you guys enjoy it and don't take anything too personally! 

1. People don't know how to listen

It's crazy how many people live in their own little world and barely pay attention to other people. We would always have to greet our customers whenever they walked through the front door and most of the time my customer's thought I was asking them how they were doing when all I was saying was welcome in! It's also funny when customers walk up to you at the register and you ask them a couple questions and they completely ignore you or they'll ask you the same thing you just asked them. With my store we had a rewards program where we needed to ask for the email or phone number and so a lot of the times, I would ask that and then 2 seconds later they would be like can I give you the phone number. It was was really frustrating but it definitely taught me to be very patient and to make sure that the customer was fully ready to listen before I asked them any questions.

2. People think that you will do anything for them

You know how you go to the some stores and they're like right on top off you and constantly asking you questions, making sure you don't need anything, well those type of places work off of commission usually. The store I worked for did not, so all we typically did was greet them when they walked in and then we would tell them our name and let them know that we were here for them if they needed anything. If we happened to be walking the aisles would also make sure to check on all of our customers in section. There were a couple times where people would basically want me to become their slave which didn't usually work for my position because I was usually the main cashier so if I got stuck with a customer that would mean someone else would have to ring and that usually ended up being a manager who technically aren't supposed to ring. It's really funny

3. People don't respect people in the service industry

One of our biggest pet peeves is when you come up to the register and you are on your phone! Like seriously people, get off of the phone and buy what you need to buy. Also, it is so extremely rude to be talking to another person when you are dealing with another person. It's like when your kid keeps interrupting you and you can't stand that. Yeah, that's how we feel as retail associates! Also, there is absolutely no need to give us attitude! We're human just like you and everyone else in this world, just because we can't always give you what you want doesn't mean you can treat us like crap!

4. I have more power than the customer

I love when customers would come up to me and tell me that I could do something for them like they were the ones that worked for the company and not me. It's like first of no I can't do that mostly because thats not something we actually do but also because I don't want to get in trouble or lose my job because of it! Also, if you don't have a coupon and we just so happen to have one back behind the counter which is not always something that we have! Stores don't always have coupons going on every day of the year, they'd make no money if they did. But either way it's up to me if I want to give you that coupon because it's not always something we're allowed to do. So don't act like it's something we do all of the time! Also, if an associate tells you something, it's probably because it's a policy and just because you ask for a manager doesn't mean the manager is going to let you do it, the manager will probably tell you the exact same thing. We don't make stuff up just because!

5. The customer is not always right

Companies have policies and the associates have to follow them because otherwise they can get in serious trouble! Yes I know this saying has been around forever and customers always think that they are right but they truly are not! Our store always had policy that said we can't take back worn shoes and customers would always fit and be like well no one told me that and we would be like well did you ask what the return policy was? Also we don't technically have to tell you every time we buy a pair of shoes, it's still a policy that we are required to follow. Yes some stores have a more relaxed policy than others and that's completely up to each store but every associate is still required to follow those policies!

6. How to pay extreme attention to detail

I would say this is more store specific! I worked for a shoe store that pretty much only sold shoes and we had a policy where we had to take each shoe out of the box then check the size on each shoe and then make sure there was a left and right and that they matched the box they were being sold in. We would also send out shoes from our stores that customers had ordered online and we had to make sure that the shoes were in a really good condition before we sent them out to our customers because we didn't want to send out a shoe would a scratch or a scruff.

7. Customers lie to get what they want

I honestly, can't even tell you how many times I would have customers come up to me and tell me some ridiculous story just so they could get their money back on a pair of shoes they only wore once for an event. Prom and homecoming are honestly the worst times of year. People don't want to pay all this money for something they are only going to wear once! My advice is to either rent something for prom or get a shoe you can wear to every single one of your dances because honestly, you're probably going to have to take them off anyways!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'm sure that some of you could relate to some of these things. Working in retail really is an experience and I honestly think that everyone should have to do it at least once in their life.

I feel like there is so much more I could add to this but I think that I came up with a good list. I think that working in retail has taught me a lot. I try to not make a mess whenever I go shopping and if I do then I try to put something back because cleaning a messy store late at night really sucks when all you want to do is go home and see your family! I also try to make sure that I treat all of the workers with respect unless they aren't giving me respect. There have been several times where I've been shopping in a store and an associate just gives me attitude from the beginning so when it comes to a situation like that then I tend to not care if I give attitude back.

Anyways, I'm super happy to be out of retail but I definitely think I am going to miss that job and my discount! I may or may not get a part time retail job after like 6 or a year has gone by. I haven't fully made up my mind but I will definitely keep you guys posted! I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend! I will be at Disney this weekend with my family as a last minute vacation before I join the real working world! 

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

Shoes I Want to Buy for My New Job

Hey guys,

So you some of you may know that I work for DSW which has pretty much always been my favorite shoe store even before I started working there. But I get an amazing discount and I told my mom and sister that we need to do a big shopping trip there before I lose my discount because I will be very sad when I can't buy super cute shoes at a much cheaper price but I'm sure I'll get over it eventually!

Anyways, since I will be starting a new job soon I wanted to do a post on the shoes that I want to buy for my new job because a lot of the shoes I currently own aren't really appropriate for an office setting  and so I picked out 9 pairs that I thought would be a good fit. Granted I don't technically know what the dress code is yet for my new job so this list may change depending on what I am allowed to wear but hopefully I'm allowed to wear all of them!

So here is my list of shoes that I have complied for my new job!

1) Lucky Brand Sandal
2 ) Kelly & Katie Sandal
3) Rock & Candy Sandal
4) Franco Sarto Sandal
5) Kelly & Katie Wedge Sandal
6) Mercanti Fiorentini Loafer
7) Naturalizer Sandal
8) Crown Vintage Platform Slip-on
9) Bandolino Wedge Pump

Yes, I know that number 6 is a repeat from my last post but I think it would be a good work shoe and a good casual shoe! It comes in other colors as well and it looks super comfy!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

Job Hunting 2018

Hey guys,

So I'm currently in New York right now, I flew in last night after my mom and sister got off from work! We are here until Monday August 6th and we fly back that afternoon! I absolutely love this city and I am so glad that for the last 4 years or so we have been able to take a girls trip up to the city to visit, check out new things and of course, shop! This is one of my favorite places to be! I plan to do a whole travel diary about the trip for each day that we are here so keep an eye out for that, granted I'm not entirely sure when it will be up! Anyways today's post is kind of a rant but hopefully like an inspirational one! I'm going be talking all about job hunting and finding a new job! 

I originally wanted to start off this series with this post but the other two were just so much easier to write that I was able to finish them first! I kind of have a lot to say about this topic since I've been job hunting for about 3 months now and the last time I job hunted, it took me about 3 months or so before I found a job as well. I also plan on giving you guys some more details about my back story and why job hunting can be a little challenging for me!

Honestly, finding a new job is very challenging and can be very discouraging! My number one tip is that you don't give up because it will happen, eventually! Two quotes that I would constantly tell myself were good things come to those who wait and everything happens for a reason! I honestly, am not looking forward to the next time I have to search for a new job but hopefully it won't be for the next couple years or hopefully I will be able to just get promoted from within if I really like my job.

To start off with, I'm going to say that everyone is different. You might find a job in a week or it might take you like 3+ months. I've been hunting since about May and I have applied to probably almost 50+ jobs in the 3 month period and I have gotten a lot of interview requests but after some more thought and consideration I choose not to go to a lot of them. I mostly applied to just get my name out there because you never know, you might apply for one job and then the company has a different spot that might work better for you. Honestly, when it comes to job hunting you really don't know what's going to happen. You might start the process thinking that you want to work in one field but once you start applying and interviewing you might end up in a completely different field.

Also, some of them I applied to thinking I might work a second job until I was able to find a full time position. Granted once I actually thought that through, I thought it was a bad idea because then I wouldn't really have that much time to actually find a job because I would probably be working almost 40 hours a week between the two jobs with completely random hours and a different schedule every week making it hard to schedule interviews. So I decided to keep my one job and switch my hours to closing shifts only so that way I would be able to scheduled as many interviews as necessary.

When I started this process back in 2016 when I first graduated college I knew that it would be hard. I like to try and prove people wrong and I like to try and overcome challenges, it's how I've always been. If someone tells me I can't do something then guess what I try and do it, and most of the time I can. I knew that when I chose not to work in college, I knew that I would have a really hard time finding a job when I graduated and people told me all the time that I should get a job because I needed the experience but apart of me didn't really want to because I had more than enough money to survive thanks to the my dad and the GI Bill and I wanted to be able to spend the rest of my youth not working because I knew that when I graduated college I would have to spend the next 30+ years of my life working hard to create a future for my family and for myself when I do finally decide to retire. I always hear people complaining about their jobs and how much they wish they could retire already and I really didn't want to start living my life like that until I had finished college.

Do I regret not working in college? Sometimes but most of the time no because I was able to go on family vacations and I had the freedom to pretty much go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted! I didn't have to request time off from work and I was able to spend more time with my family and focus on school. I graduated with two Bachelor's Degree's in four years and aside from my sister, I don't really know anyone else that completed two Bachelor's Degrees in four years. Every time I tell people that they are so impressed and honestly, so am I. It wasn't easy, I had to take extra classes and work a little harder and I pretty much worked through every summer except my very first.

I have two bachelor's degrees that I worked really hard to earn and I am very proud to see how far I've come! Yes, I have friends that have already started their careers and are making so much more money than I am but I honestly, don't really care about that! I know that in time I will make more than enough money to support myself and my family! I also do kind of want to be a stay at home for a few years anyways soooo I'm really banking on my husband to make enough money to support our family, at least for a few years until our youngest is in either preschool or VPK!

I think that's pretty much all I have to say for right now and I hope that this inspires and educates some people! Thankfully in life, everyone gets to make their own decisions so what you want to do with your life is up to you! Do what makes you happy but make sure you're smart about it at least! 

So I just wanted to end this weeks series of finding a new job by saying that I found a full time job! It took some time but I am very excited about this new opportunity and I can't wait to learn new things with this position! The location and the hours are wonderful! I will be working about 10 minutes away from my house and working 7:30 am - 4:30 in the afternoon which will give me plenty of time to still get so much done throughout the day. I will get an hour lunch which I am so excited about because 30 minutes just isn't enough time! I will definitely have to get on a better sleep scheduled but I couldn't be more excited to finally have a routine in my life again. I also handed in my two weeks on Wednesday at DSW and my last day will be the 16th of August and I start my new job on the 30th of August! Once I actually start my new job I will probably do a full post on it giving you guys more details!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph

Interview Advice

Hey guys,

Happy August 1st! I can't believe how fast this year has just flown by! It's absolutely crazy! To be honest, the last 3 months have kind of just dragged on but gone by really quickly at the same time, it's so weird! Anyways, the reason I wanted to write this post was because I have been interviewing a lot lately and I just kind of wanted to sum up some of the things I've learned and some advice I want to share with you.

Tip #1

Always dress professional! I don't care where you are going to work or what anyone else has ever told you but don't show up to an interview in anything other than dress pants, closed toe shoes, and a blouse or button downs. You can also wear a dress or skirt to an interview just please make sure that it hits at or below the knees and that it looks professional. Basically my advice is to dress like you are going to court! You want to make sure you look nice, clean and presentable. First impressions are everything and if you aren't willing to dress nice for the position then I can guarantee the company is going to think that you aren't willing to do most of the work they plan to ask you to do!

Tip #2

It's completely okay to be nervous! These people are only human and they are not going to hurt you. Yes they have the power to give you a job or not but in the end just remember to breathe and be yourself. If you aren't being yourself they might be able to tell and they might not like that. They might also be able to tell that you're nervous and that's okay too. I promise you that most of them don't care and to honest, some of them might be nervous as well. They might hate conducting interviews as much as you hate going to them. But it's apart of life and we all need to just relax and everything will be okay! The main reason I'm bringing up this topic is because this is something that I really struggle with. My last interview I almost ran out of the building and said I couldn't do it! But thankfully I didn't! I survived and in the end I think the interview went really well. 

Tip #3

Make sure to always prepare for an interview! I don't care who you think you are, it's always best to show up prepared. They might ask you a question that you don't know the answer to but if you come up with questions and answers then you might be able to create an answer really quickly based off the questions and answers you practiced. There is nothing wrong in being prepared and I don't believe there is such a thing as being too prepared. However, I do believe in overthinking things because that's what I tend to do!

Tip #4 

Always ask questions. Honestly, I hate this part of interviews they always ask me if I have any questions and then I freeze and I'm like "ummm?? no?". But you need to ask at least 1 to 2 questions. Asking questions is a way for you to get more info out of them and it also shows them that you are actually interested in the position. If you don't want to know more about the job then to them you aren't actually interested in the job and you probably will never hear back from them. However, if this is the case and you are just using them as interview practice then I probably would not bother asking any questions if you don't really want to hear back from the company.

Tip #5
For my final tip, if you really want the job, don't forget to send out your thank you emails within 24-48 hours of the interview. I had my last interview on a Friday and so I sent them out Sunday night so they would have them in their inboxes by Monday morning. I feel like a lot of people forget this step but honestly, I think it really helps! It's very important to thank the person for taking the time to consider interviewing you and actually interviewing you. Make sure that if you are interview by more than 1 person that you send out an email to everyone person that interviewed you and that you make each one a little different. Also just write a few sentences thanking them and basically telling them why you are perfect for the job! Don't make it too long but don't just say thanks.

I hope this post helps anyone looking for a new job! I think that all of these tips have really helped me and just remember that everything happens for a reason so if there is a job you really wanted but didn't get, it's probably because there is an even better one waiting for you around the corner!

Thanks for stopping by!

XO, Steph