Saturday, January 26, 2013

Oh! Mama's a radio operator!

So one other thing that's been keeping me busy the last few weeks?  The new job I started in early January.  :)

I've spent the last several months dissecting what I did and didn't like about my two stints as a corporate litigator, and trying to think through potential alternative career paths.  I figured I would start looking in earnest again after the new year, and I wanted to get a sense of what my options might be.  (Because much though I really, truly love being at home with the kids, there are financial considerations that mandate my going back to work in some capacity.  And I've been thinking a lot about what constitutes productive and satisfying work, inside and outside of the home, and in traditional and non-traditional fields.  That's a whole other very long-winded and philosophical blog post that I do eventually want to try my hand at writing...)

Anyways, in December, I reached out to a recruiter I had worked with in the past, just to see what openings there might be in the area.  And I mentioned in passing that I would also be open to more non-traditional legal jobs as well.  The recruiter wrote me back with a few law firm options, and then spent a couple paragraphs gushing about how much she loved her job as a legal recruiter.  Intrigued, I had a phone call with her where she set out all the pluses of her job -- extreme flexibility, ability to work remotely from home, the highly people-oriented nature of the work, and the very real potential for bringing in a nice income.  She noted that the typical successful recruiter is someone who loves talking to people, is extremely organized, and is motivated enough to take control of his/her career.  All of which sounded very, very attractive to me!

So I interviewed with her firm in early January, and ended up accepting their offer to join their ranks as an independent contractor.  The scary part is that my income is entirely commission-based -- I'm entitled to a sizable fee with every placement I make, but I have to make those placements.  I'm encouraged, though, by the firm's very strong reputation with law firms all over the country, and by the excellent support staff and business model as a whole.  And after doing this for a couple weeks, I'm optimistic that this could actually work out.  And I'm really enjoying the day to day work so far!

I had several days of training in the office in New York, and now we've set up a nice little home office for me.  For the first time EVER, we actually have a landline.  ;)  I'm working from home on the days when David isn't on campus (2.5 days a week), plus at least a few evenings after the kids are in bed.  So far, this balance and flexibility is really working out for us!

Oh, and the title of this blog post comes from Joshua's reaction to my home office setup.  :)  I showed him my headset, telling him that this is what I get to wear for my new job.  He clapped his hands with glee, and shouted, "Oh!  Mama's a radio operator!"


Given that this is a reference to one of his current favorite books, I'm taking this as a sign of approval.  :)

So thankful for this new line of work, and praying that this will indeed end up providing the work/life balance we've been seeking for so long!

2 comments:

RBQ said...

Christina! So blessed to hear this. Praise the Lord!

Anonymous said...

You make a great looking radio operator! :)