The new girl

The unthinkable has happened. A Wessels went to work today, and it wasn't Taylor.

That's right--I have a job!

I interviewed for an Office Assistant position with a local property management firm on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Forty-five minutes later I was filling out payroll paperwork, and less than 24 hours after that I was fielding calls and navigating my computer screen like a pro. Yep, today was my first day.

I can't honestly say I set out five years ago to become a receptionist. With a Bachelor of Science degree and a year in national service under my belt, I would have preferred something with a little more influence, and a little more pay. But jobs are scarce, especially when you require more flexibility than the average bear to go back to school. So I'm grateful for the opportunity to work, gain more experience, and contribute financially to our household.

I probably won't blog much about my job, but what I will tell you is that the company has about five employees (six now with me!) and is located about as many minutes away from my house. They manage rental properties and help people get into affordable housing. According to the president of the company, about 60% of their tenants receive some kind of housing subsidy, such as Section 8. I'm still learning about this program, but one thing that took very little time to learn is how important each and every one of the tenants is to the company, no matter how much they personally pay in rent. The property managers know every tenant by name and they pride themselves on providing responsive, quality customer service. This service-minded perspective makes me feel right at home, even outside of the non-profit sector.

I look forward to many more days at my new job. I look forward to having a purpose everyday, to helping people find good housing. And I look forward to having a paycheck again--weekend renovation projects, here I come!