Adrienne Jenkins My Resume

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Adrienne Jenkins Employment History

What sets superstars apart is their ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused when it counts. Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt - until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. - Seth Godin

Looking back at my resume, I seem to have made major career changes about every 7 years which makes me due for another doozy. So as I head into 2009 with new resolutions, hopes and dreams, I thought I'd write a list of all the jobs I've ever had thinking about the times I've quit & times I've persisted.

Right now the challenge ahead of me is find a reliable seasonal job with enough income to save for retirement and allow extra money for travel and a few luxuries while allowing the flexibility to take extended time off. I love my job in gardening retail. Supplementing this seasonal job with income writing for Associated Content and Squidoo would be ideal.

But there are times I feel stuck or procrastinate when it comes to writing which has a built-in learning curve where it seems you're only making pennies per hour. Looking back at what I've done helps to give myself permission to quit chasing dead ends & that rather than berate myself for being unfocused or lazy recognize I'm being smart about cutting my losses and quitting when appropriate. Plus it's helpful to look back and know the dips I've overcome before with sheer determination, dogged persistence and sticking when it really matters.

I AM: A Seasonal Garden Merchandiser 

Basically, I get paid to do what I love. I've been gardening for a living for the past 7 years. I can't believe that someone pays me to push around flowers and plants all day. How cool is that? I'm a total plant geek. When I used to have a real job working in an office, I couldn't wait for the weekend when I would go hang out at a garden store for hours on end. Even in the winter, I would still visit, oogling seed packages dreaming up imaginary garden plantings.

My latest job allows me seasonal flexibility. I get laid off in July & August when it's way too unbearably hot and humid to garden in Washington, DC and November through January when it gets too chilly to garden. Right now I spend my months off summering and wintering in Vancouver so I have a chance to hang out with my parents, aunts and cousins. 5 months off a year! I get to live part of the year in two great cities. But before that...

I WAS: A Garden Department Manager 

I used to love my job. I absolutely adored it. In fact, I was a workaholic. If it wasn't for my husband, setting his foot down about keeping some sort of balance and reasonable hours, I would work 7 days a week -- plucking pansies at 6 am before the store opened -- rearranging plants till 10 in the evening just to make the store look like a lush paradise when shoppers stopped in the next day.

My employer, even though it was a small business, compensated me well for the retail industry and I was making a decent salary. It fit my ideal job criteria on many levels: minimal commute -- only a 15 minute bike ride away, great co-workers, a local business, a good management level job with a fair amount of autonomy doing what I love.

But regretfully I had to eventually leave because I did not agree with the way some of the senior management team treated our employees. My core value is about treating people with respect and without their support it made my job difficult. My team was less effective, less productive and ultimately, I became curse, irritable, overworked and unable to protect and nurture the people who became like family -- my fellow employees and customers who I got to know over the years.

I kept thinking that things would get better if I just kept pushing. But I realize, according to Seth, the situation was not a Dip but "really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try." So I quit. But before that...

 

The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk

The Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk

by: Lois Beckwith

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 12/19/2009)Buy Now

An A-Z Lexicon of Stupid, Enraging and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk.

I WAS: A Director of Marketing 

I used to be a corporate hack. I had worked my way up over the years from titles like supervisor, assistant manager, manager and finally I had a director title. But that feeling of delight lasted barely a year when I started to crave being called a V.P. I realized how stupid it was to want a title because once you got it, there was no end to wanting that next fix. Plus the higher you get, it's like a pyramid, with fewer opportunities to advance once you get near the top.

Plus you don't get paid a lot for nothing. What started off as a carefully negotiated, 4 day compressed work week with no direct reports, eventually came added responsibility with people to supervise and ultimately more headaches. I couldn't stand it anymore. So I quit. But before that...

Photo Source: AMG Media

 

Classic Red Swingline Stapler As Featured in Office Space

Swingline Collectors Edition 747 Rio Red Business Stapler (S7074736E)

Swingline Collectors Edition 747 Rio Red Business Stapler (S7074736E)

Amazon Price: $18.07 (as of 12/18/2009)Buy Now

With its bold, head-turning design, classic, retro-look and legendary performance, the Rio Red from Swingline is a distinctive, premium stapler that is bound to make you the envy of all your officemates. As fun as it is functional, the Rio Red is a conversation starter especially for fans of the movie "Office Space", colorful accent and high-performance tool all in one streamlined model that fits easily on a desktop or in a drawer.

I WAS: A Dot.com Analyst 

I used to work for washingonpost.com. I joined the organization a couple of years after they had launched. It was at the edge of the dot.com heyday. Hip furniture, ping pong tables, sushi, free soda, birthday cakes. It was fun. Plus working at such a prestigious organization had a certain cachet. At parties or when I met new people, they would always have a question or two.

I was brought in to analyze business case scenarios and usher in an era of fiscal responsibility. But it wasn't easy. I'd come into a young organization with a business culture that favored risky bold ideas with paper-thin business justification and wild assumptions. I resented my voice of reason being ignored. So I quit. But before that...

Photo Source: AMG Media

 

One of the Greatest Communication Revolutions Of Our Time

Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business & Market Online

Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business & Market Online

by: Warren Whitlock, Deborah Micek

Amazon Price: $12.90 (as of 12/18/2009)Buy Now

This book is designed to help show everyone from the small business owner to the CEO of a large corporation; from work at home moms to politicians in Washington, DC how they can participate in the fastest growing social network and micro-blogging revolution taking place right now.

I WAS: Stuck Working At the Yellow Pages 

Middle Management. Cubicle hell. Velvet Handcuffs. On the other hand there were exciting business trips to Manhattan on the Delta Shuttle, decent pay, regular salary increases and good retirement. This was back in the day in the 90s when they were still doling out generous performance bonuses -- one year my bonus earned us enough to buy a baby grand piano.

My husband and I never ate at home. We could afford to eat out at restaurants whenever we felt like it. We could travel whenever we wanted. But I felt stagnant and unfulfilled. The work was boring, the product was boring. The Yellow Pages were on the mature end of the product cycle and my job was to come up with new products for our Yellow Pages advertising sales people to sell. I wasn't inspired to innovate. Couldn't do it. Hated going to work. So I quit. But before that...

Image Source: Si1very, flickr.com

 

Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams

Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams

by: Pamela Skillings

Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/18/2009)Buy Now

Journalist Skillings aims to rescue Americans from corporate tedium in this entertaining and informative guide to walking away from an established-albeit stultifying-job and forging a more rewarding career. Escape from Corporate America inspires the cubicle-bound and the corner-office-cornered to break free and create the career of their dreams-without going broke.

I WAS: Briefly a Freelance Writer 

I worked in the Yellow Pages industry in audiotext or digital voice recordings for over 12 years. You could call and get soap opera updates, the ski report, consumer tips, movie reviews and more. That was fun. I would attend movie premieres and see around 3 movies a week.

At some point, in between working for GTE and Bell Atlantic, I dabbled with the possibility of being an industry consultant. I failed miserably trying to set up an industry conference. I supported myself writing audio scripts for about a year. I think my income that year was a little over $6,000. I was miffed when I found out I would have been more successful if I had made a little less that year because then I wouldn't have had to pay any taxes.

But I discovered something about myself. I was not motivated to sell my services. I was not much of a self-starter and spent hours napping and procrastinating. So I quit. But before that...

 

Office Space Box of Flair

Office Space Box of Flair

by: Jennifer Leczkowski

Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 12/18/2009)Buy Now

Our Office Space(TM) Kit was an immediate sellout when it reached the multitude of office drones. Included are fifteen flair buttons printed with fun sayings and designs, and a 32-page book that recalls the many hilarious moments in the film.

I WAS: A Top 40 Radio Disc Jockey 

Now this was a fun job. I was barely 21 when I moved an 8 hour drive away from home to a small town in the interior of British Columbia to get paid to play music. It was the 1980s when the music was an eclectic mix of pop delights like the Bangles, Mister Mister, Pet Shop Boys, Billy Ocean, Bananarama, Wang Chang. Nirvana & Seattle grunge were penetrating the music scene juxtaposed with country artists like the Judds crossing over to mainstream radio.

I loved the job but was terribly homesick and phoned home a lot. I had to call home to ask how to use a laundry machine, I had never done my own laundry before. I think I was paid something like $800/month. But I didn't care. I was getting paid to play music for a living.

I got my start at a middle-of-the-road station working evenings and weekends where I read the news as well as played everything from oldies to country to rock. A year later I busted out to a rock station then made it back to my home town of Vancouver reading traffic reports on the morning show and running promotions. It was great. I went to free concerts and movie premieres several times a week.

But I was getting tired of making low pay and knew that I didn't have the chops to be more than a "time and temperature" DJ -- someone that just simply announces "It's 4:29 in the sun, here's Wham". I found a job at the phone company writing and producing audio commercials and information services instead. So I quit. But before that...

Image Source: Allposters.com

I WAS: A Wedding DJ 

This is one of the best part-time jobs I ever had. It was another job that I couldn't believe I was getting paid to play music. I would go to weddings and company parties and play the music. My job was to pick the right type of music to match the mood of the occasion and to make sure that I didn't rock too heavy and offend any of the older folks. At the same time I had to carefully gauge their response to ensure that I wasn't playing too many big band sets as to imply they were over the hill.

Playing Your Song: Confessions of a Wedding DJ

Ahhhh. Those were good times. I loved it when I picked the music just right so that by the end of the night people would get worked up into a powerless frenzy where they felt they couldn't leave the dance floor, because they didn't want to miss back to back party pleasers like Old Time Rock 'n Roll, Footloose & Shout. Then I'd take them over the edge with Devo's Whip It. Too much fun.

I was single and didn't have a boyfriend so it was nothing to give up my weekends to play gigs. It was decent pay and I did it for a couple of years while I went through school. I would have kept it up but I eventually had to leave town to pursue a career in radio. So I quit. But before that...

I WAS: Supposed to Be a Teacher 

My Mom had this scrapbook album called "School Days". It was a large scrapbook with expandable pockets for each year of school from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Every year, my Mom faithfully saved the best stories, artwork, papers and report cards.

Horrid school pictures mark each chapter. This was before digital cameras. My Mom got gypped. LikeTyra on Top Model, she accuses me of being less than photogenic "Why didn't you notice your hair was sticking out?" or "Why the droopy eyelids?" where I look like a stoned out 10 year old.

You could also write down "I want to be a..." Every year "teacher" was penned in. I had always done what was expected of me so I went to university. But after a restless year, I thought what's the point as there was a glut of english and history teachers and teaching science or math was out of the question. Plus the thought of "class room management" terrified me. Flash forward -- kids are pelting me with spit balls behind my back. Not the future for me.

I had enjoyed being in a radio club at school and that got me thinking of a profession other than teaching. I figured why not just go for it despite my parents concerns and try radio broadcasting. So I quit. But before that...

Image Source: School Days Memory Keeper

I WAS: A Good Student 

Bright But Not Smart

My Mom's ranking order for professions was doctor or lawyer and any profession that requires a university degree like a teacher but to her being a secretary would be a decent back-up career. Pursuing a career in radio threw her for a loop. But actually radio school was not as risky as it seemed because with a typing speed of 66 words per minute, I had the same back-up profession to count on whether I pursued teaching or broadcasting.

I was not naturally intelligent like my brother. I had to work twice as hard just to get Bs. So rather than compete academically, I participated in a lot of clubs. But I dutifully selected extra credit courses like geometry, to ensure I had enough academic credits to get into university. In retrospect, I wished I had taken more home economic cooking classes, music and art. Instead of fulfilling my Mom's wish for me to be a teacher, I at least married one.
School Days Memory Keeper: Preserve Your Childs School Memories Forever. (K - 12th grade).

In retrospect, I recognized what competencies I was willing to exploit, where I felt the payoff in time and energy would be worthwhile. The content of what I've done is irrelevant except for being passions worthy of fueling their pursuit. What's especially meaningful to me is that the people around me, my parents and husband, have been willing to support me in trying something new despite uncertainty and the potential consequences -- to give me a boost when I need to get over the dips.

I'm a Quitter Not a Loser 

According To Seth Godin, It's a Good Thing!

Failure As a Learning Event
At times when I'm feeling insecure and unproductive, I not only question the task at hand, I start to doubt my previous decisions about past jobs and projects. I wonder am I really more of a quitter? Have I quit when the going gets tough?

"I feel like giving up" confesses Godin in the opening sentence of his book, The Dip. Almost every day, in fact. Not all day, of course, but there are moments."

This is surprising because on the surface, our fearless leader here at Squidoo has published many books which have made it to the New York Times bestseller list, his blog is consistently among the most widely read according to Technorati, he is a well sought after speaker and his team have created a vibrant, viral community on Squidoo.

But part of Godin's success is also due in part to knowing when to quit and knowing when to stick to get over "The Dip". Godin outlines some of his biggest failures on his blog here which include The Boston Bar Exam, The Internet White Pages, MaxFax and he estimates he's had at least 20 career-ending failures. I kinda like that Godin is a quitter like me.

Winning Through Strategic Quitting 

Get Seth's Primer For Less Than Ten Bucks

Godin's book "The Dip" has allowed me to put the past behind me. Quitting feels like defeat and while we are quick to celebrate our successes, it's rare we celebrate the times we've quit. Through Godin's prompting, it got me thinking and writing about the times I've quit, to allow myself a little pat on the back for having the courage to do so.
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)

by: Seth Godin

Amazon Price: $9.76 (as of 12/19/2009)Buy Now

"Is the goal is even worth the hassle?" asks Godin. "Can you can become number one in your niche, where you'll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security?"

You'll find out "how to identify and quit your "Cul-de-Sac" and "Cliff" situations, in which no amount of work will lead to success. Godin provides tips for finding your Dip, taking advantage of it and becoming one of the few (inevitably valuable) players to emerge on the other side; he also provides guidelines for quitting with confidence.

Quick, hilarious and happily irreverent, Godin's truth-that "we fail when we get distracted by tasks we don't have the guts to quit"-makes excellent sense of an often-difficult career move.

Who Is Seth Godin? 

Seth's Riffs on Marketing, Respect & How Ideas Spread. Seth Godin's Blog
featured lens The Dip

THE DIP is a little book about quitting. This lens tells you what you need to know before you buy a few dozen copies for everyone you know.   It's a mind grenade, a little bit of insight that will help you see what's causing your organization (...

featured lens Seth Godin!

WRITER of bestselling books about marketing. SPEAKER with a unique style and great reputation. ENTREPRENEUR with a track record. Seth's blog just reached its 3000th post. It is currently ranked by Technorati as the #1 blog in the world written by a...

Text Format Inspired By 

Cynthia Waring in "The Masseuse" essay, page 20

Writing for Your Life: Discovering the Story of Your Life's Journey

Writing for Your Life: Discovering the Story of Your Life's Journey

by: Deena Metzger

Amazon Price: $13.25 (as of 12/18/2009)Buy Now

Excerpt: "I wasn't always a masseuse. Before that I was a waitress. Before that I worked in the Complaint Department for a condominium management company. People would call me when the lawn men mowed their welcome mats, when they found a frog in their toilet or their roof leaked. Before that I was a Sister in a New Age Order. Before that I was a hippie in a commune. Before that I hitched a ride from Madrid to Istanbul on $5 per day. Before that I married a man I had no business marrying."

My Next Career Becoming A Writer 

With Help From Writing Mentor Natalie Goldberg

Thunder and Lightning : Cracking Open the Writer's Craft
Thunder and Lightning : C...
Wild Mind: Living the Writer's Life
Wild Mind: Living the Wri...
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
Writing Down the Bones: F...
Long Quiet Highway
Long Quiet Highway

Daring to Write 

Excerpt Deena Metzger in Writing For Your Life

"The unwillingness to accept the actuality of our creativity or to accept the necessity to speak is often a great barrier to expression. Feared, creativity atrophies. Distrusted, it shrivels. Refused, it slinks away. Even when we know that we are to pursue a life of the imagination, we often cannot find the means to do it. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the desire to create without any evidence of our ability to do it. Sometimes we simply feel awkward and flat-footed.

Whenever someone has determination, has a clear intuition or belief that he is 'meant to write' or that she 'has something to say' there is substance to it. Still, if the intuition or determination is there, it is probably a reflection of inner knowledge. The task, then, is to find the way." Or as Godin encourages, to channel the resources necessary to get over The Dip.
Bodies Unbound: Transforming Lives Through Touch

Bodies Unbound: Transforming Lives Through Touch

by: Cynthia Waring

Amazon Price: (as of 12/19/2009)Buy Now

In Cynthia Waring's case her inner voice insisted that it was not only possible but necessary. She eventually writes this book that was then turned into a play. Waring attests it took 10 years to write. Because of her persistence it was eventually published.

You will discover what it is you're living through writing; what it is your soul came here to express. - Cynthia Waring

Cynthia Waring Interview Transcript
Cynthia Waring Radio Interview Audio

Lens Format Inspired By 

I AM "Kimberly Dawn Wells"

Lens format lifted from Kimberly Dawn Wells.
featured lens I AM: Kimberly Dawn Wells

I AM: too many things! This started as a resume lens and expanded to a resume of a resume of a resume lens.  Each module represents a different part of my life that is important to me.  To learn more, click on the links to view other lenses...

I'm A Sticker 

And That's A Good Thing Too!

When I get a chance I will either update this lens or create a separate lens on all the difficult times I've come up against challenges and obstacles and what I did to get over The Dip.

This is a reminder to myself to refer to the Natalie Goldberg essay from Thunder & Lightning where she talks about students being delighted with her preliminary drafts including less than perfect prose and cross-outs from her editors. Also include images from the Library of Congress & from the New York museum that my husband and I visited that had manuscripts and music scores complete with cross outs and scribblings from great writers, poets and musicians.

Please favorite this lens or join my fan club if you'd like me to keep you informed of updates.

Would You Live Your Life Differently? 

When I look back on my life, I wouldn't change a thing because every blemish and bit has led me to who I am today. But there will be flickers of self-doubt that sometimes lead me to be unproductive by revisiting some of my previous decisions wondering if I should have stuck out a certain situation. Would things have been any different? But those moments are fleeting and soon pass when I remember the excruciating details of why I choose to move on. What about you?

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I challenge you to put together a lens about quitting and report back in the comments with a link about the times you've quit and/or the times you've gotten over the dip.

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by AdrienneJenkins

Call me a dilettante, a renaissance woman, a thousand distractions capture my attention at any given moment and I feel compelled to write about them.... (more)

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