#work including covering a 9+ hr day for my coworker | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

raisinghellonstarbug · 3 years

Text

Stumbled Into Laughter, Stumbled Into You - A James Acaster x Reader Story

Basic plot: The year is 2019, and life has been quite dull for you since working in a job that you hate for the past two years after graduating from university. You used to do stand up comedy at uni, but you’ve been putting off pursuing it due to lack of confidence and motivation. Your best mates decide to encourage you to try a comedy mic night for the first time ever and while there you incidentally run into an old mate of yours, comedian Rhys James. That’s when your life gets turned around as you end up diving into the world of the comedy circuit and becoming close with other famous British comedians. In the midst of it all, you end up meeting a particularly distinctive red headed fellow who might end up being the very thing that brings meaning to your life again.

A/N: Hello Acaster fans!

So this was an idea I have had in mind for the last few months and I finally finished the first chapter of my story!

Just so you know, the first chapter does not include James, but be patient as he will appear soon (but maybe not quite as soon as you hope). I do reckon it will be worth the wait for his appearance, or at least I hope the story is still enjoyable! It is a slow burn so if you are an inpatient person, then this story might not be for you ;)

You can read this chapter below or if you prefer, there is also the link to the chapter posted on Ao3 right here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33748507

Rating: M

Chapter 1 word length: 2326

Characters: James Acaster (duh), Original Female Characters(s), Original Male Character(s), Rhys James, Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar, Josh Widdicombe

Relationships: James Acaster x Reader/you, Original female character/Original Male character

Story tags: Romantic comedy, domestic fluff, slow burn, fluff and smut, British comedy, eventual relationships

Tagging: @laurabeech @rilannon @jasclearwaters @marklily @queensantiagoofthe99

Chapter 1 - Summer 2019

You were sitting at your desk at your mundane job, practically ready to blow your brains out on the usual, dull Thursday afternoon. It was really warm and stuffy inside the fifteen story office block building situated in Canary Wharf. This was a place you found yourself five days a week, doing the typical 9 to 5 hours. A usual day for a usual person.

Your job wasn’t a particularly riveting one. As an underwriter for an insurance company, some days could get especially boring. You knew how to do the job well, but it was not something you really loved. It involved all kinds of clients and claims in paperwork and it sometimes felt tedious and unfulfilling. But hey, it still paid your share of rent and bills. At least you could say you could manage in the hustle and bustle of the London lifestyle.

It was nearly hometime and you were itching to get home and relax. But before that could happen, there were those last set of insurance cover forms you had to copy to get sent to the HR department. And so you typed away on your laptop, clickety clack, clickety clack… the minutes went by like a chalk on a blackboard, scraping away at a snail’s pace.

You put your full force of concentration on the documents on the screen until it was finally done. A sense of achievement was necessary in these moments despite your lack of enthusiasm. It was in the little victories you reminded yourself. You rubbed the sweat from the July heat off your forehead.

* * *

The last 2 hours eventually passed by and it was soon the rush to get out of the door before you got held up by your colleagues. They were nice enough, but sometimes they could hold you back for half an hour chatting when you just wanted to get home, or your manager might try and get you to stay an hour overtime.

Thankfully you did get out promptly, and as you ran and dashed out of the office building saying brisk goodbyes to coworkers, you managed to make it to the tube with the train just arriving on time. But not without being moderately sweaty and hot though. Bloody stuffy platforms.

As expected it was still a busy train with plenty of 5pm finishers getting themselves situated on the half crowded carriages, but as it was only 10 past, it wasn't the worst time of day for commuting yet.

You perched yourself on one of the tube’s seats and let your shoulders drop, having held the tension in your body from sitting at a desk all day. You placed your head slightly back, balancing it on the window of the train. You looked up momentarily above you and then lifted your head back up to look at your phone and choose a song to listen to on Spotify through your wireless earphones.

The streams of sound from one of your favourite songs began to play softly in your ears and you smiled, knowing that the song gave you a little bit of wistful joy. You started mouthing the words.

Call it all for nothing, but I'd rather be nothing to you. Than be a part of something, something that I didn’t do (Best to You - Blood Orange).

The words half mean something but not necessarily anything. You began to wonder about being part of something that you’re not.

I just wish I could float away from my unexciting existence… you thought to yourself.

It sometimes occurred to you that you might have wanted something more out of life, but weren’t entirely sure what. It doesn’t make you dreadfully sad, but you know that life for you hasn’t exactly been the best it could be, and that perhaps something was missing. You wish you knew what it was.

You sighed, ignoring the feeling of sorrow wash over you momentarily and propped yourself back up in the uncomfortable seat of the train. You tried to keep yourself awake so that you wouldn’t miss your stop. The music continued through your ears.

* * *

You opened the door of the three bedroom flat that you had been residing in for the last two years with your flatmates and sighed with relief that you had finally reached home. You hurried to get your handbag off your shoulder and your shoes off, placing them on the rack next to the front door and walked through the hallway.

The minute you poked your head through to the lounge, bellowing a faint hello to whoever was around, you were suddenly greeted by one of your best friends and flatmates, Grace.

“Ahh Y/n! You’re home. Thank christ!”

She grabbed you and reached her arms around to embrace you tightly. You were perplexed by this gesture as it was so random and unusual given that Grace lived with you and saw you everyday of the week. You frowned and reluctantly placed your arms around her to return the hug.

As she then let go, she looked at you with urgency in her eyes and shrieked with excitement, “Oh Y/n guess what? It looks like I’m up for a promotion! Can you believe it?”

Now processing the reason for such an embrace, you raised your eyebrows in glee and smiled proudly, gushing back to your best mate who was obviously chuffed by the matter.

“Oh wow Grace, that's fantastic! I mean, finally. It is about bloody time!”

She smiled, “Yes I guess it is. But I mustn't get too excited. I haven’t officially got the promotion yet.”

“Ah but no. I’m not having any of that. You will get that promotion. It is a guarantee. They would be idiots to not give it to you.” Grace rolled her eyes and bit her lip. She reluctantly nodded and agreed.

The smell of food distracted you momentarily from the conversation. It was a particularly appetising smell.

Grace uttered, “Yes that smell is good isn’t it? Theo insisted on cooking us a nice meal for me as a celebration.”

You smiled knowingly, having known about how Grace and Theo had been in relationship limbo ever since you three became close friends at university. You knew they both had feelings for each other but often danced around the subject, completely oblivious to one another’s obvious attraction to the other. You reckoned they had to do something about it one day.

“Thank fuck. I wasn’t prepared to make dinner tonight. I am too tired for that.”

Grace then had her worried face on. She instantly knew, as she knew you too well, but funnily enough never picked up on Theo’s emotions despite constantly wondering about them, that something was wrong.

“Are you ok babe?” she asked with a look of pity that you scornfully resented.

You sighed, half lying, “Yes. I’m fine. Just tired is all.”

You made a beeline for the couch knowing full well that you were going to talk about it whether you liked it or not. You knew that Grace would see right through your dishonesty and insist that you told her the problem.

So you waited until Grace inevitably sat next to you and gave you that sympathy look she always gave you before coming out with the concerns that were floating around your brain.

“OK fine. I know you won’t leave me alone unless I tell you.”

“Ahh, you know me so well…”

“Yes, just as you know me. I’m just- I’m fed up. Work was slow. I don’t really feel like I’m associated with my life. I feel... disconnected, I guess.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

You shrugged and looked down at the floor and then back at Grace smiling sheepishly, “I don’t know. Maybe I’m not- not fulfilled? I just don’t thoroughly enjoy my life right now.”

Grace nodded and put a hand on your leg. You twitched your face in slight discomfort. You hated it when you were given sympathy for something that seemed so miniscule. It wasn’t like you were dying.

It was times like this when you just wanted to curl up in your bed, eat a tub of ice cream and watch your favourite comedy programmes. 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown sprang to mind.

As you sat in momentary silence for a bit, Theo came waltzing through from the kitchen with his silly apron on that had a naked man’s body printed on it, and a spatula in his hand. He smiled at you.

“I thought I heard your voice. I hope meatballs for dinner are good tonight. Not mine of course,” gesturing to the apron as he said it.

You shook your head at Theo’s poor dad joke and stood up to hug him. You realised that you must be really down in the dumps to be hugging Theo. It was his turn to be confused. He looked towards Grace wide eyed.

“She’s had a particularly tough day. But mind you babe, you’ve kinda been like this for weeks now.”

You let go of Theo and turned to Grace, frowning and feeling slightly defensive. You placed a hand on your hip.

“Been like what? I’ve just been a bit fed up, that's all.”

“Yes but it’s not just a bit fed up. You said so yourself you feel disconnected. We’ve been waiting for you to say it.”

You looked to Theo and he nodded gently in agreement.

“Ok… but, nothing is really wrong exactly. My life is fine.”

“Fine, yes. But not amazing. We know it’s getting you down. And the job is the problem.”

“But I’m good at it. And it pays the bills. What else am I supposed to do?”

Grace then looked away from your eyes then, twitching her lip and looking as though she was holding something back. She then sighed and began to admit something you had not been expecting.

“OK look. We know what you can do. Theo and I have figured it out. We can manage money wise. It will be tight, but if you quit your job we should be able to help you out for a little bit.”

Your eyes grew wider than large saucepans. You were totally bewildered and your mouth slightly agape.

“What? Quit my job? Why? What work would I get instead?”

“Well, maybe you won't quit your job yet. Maybe you’re right, that's too hasty. Perhaps what I’m trying to say is-”

Theo then chimed in, “-what Grace is trying to say is…”

You smirked to yourself. How do they not realise that they’re already a couple but without the sex? They’re practically married for christ sake.

“...we reckon that you need to pursue your passion. Perhaps stop wasting your talents in an office job that you hate.”

Grace continued, “yes exactly. We have had an idea in mind. See, we want you to go to this thing… it’s no biggie but well, we’ve already booked it for you.”

Your mind was racing. You couldn’t understand anything that they were saying to you. It was all too much for you to manage.

“Booked what for me? What the hell are you both going on about?”

They both looked at each other with reluctance, pondering the moment and whether to tell you the whole truth. They both shrugged and Grace was then pulling her phone out, this whole conversation beginning to appear as though they had been trying to practice it.

Suddenly Grace’s phone screen was wavering in your face. You moved your head closer to see a photo on the screen. It was a comedy club night poster. Incidentally, it was an open mic night event happening on Saturday night. You began to then put the puzzle pieces together. You folded your arms and frowned heavily.

“What the fuck have you two done now?”

Theo softly spoke, “We… booked you a slot to do that comedy open mic event thing, on Saturday night.”

“Wait. As in to perform? You can’t be serious-”

Grace tried to reassure you and grabbed your arm.

“Look, we know it might seem daunting, but we just wanted to see you happy again. It’s been two years since we graduated and you haven’t performed since then. We thought it might be good to encourage you to perform again. You were always funny to us. And people at uni thought so too. You have the stand up talent, Y/n.”

You could not process anymore. You shook your head in disbelief and placed your head in your hands, rubbing your eyes from sudden exhaustion. You then threw your hands up in exasperation. It was not possible. You could not do that again.

Fucking no way. I can’t be on stage again! It’s too scary. University pub nights are one thing but a comedy club?

You shook your head again and placed your hands on your hips. Grace tried to speak up again seeing the frustration painted across your face. In fact it was anger that your friends chose to do this without your say so.

“Y/n…”

“No. Nope. I’m not doing it. No.”

“But Y/n, we were also going to tell you that Theo is also thinking of doing the same thing! He wants to do his music again. What harm would it be for you to rejuvenate your comedy skills? Surely you can write a quick couple of gags. Nothing strenuous. You have your old material from university, right?”

You had to get out of the room. Nothing that they were saying to you could be fully accepted at that moment.

You then gave them no choice but to let you go with your head in a flurry. They both watched you leave the room, mumbling something along the lines of I’m not really hungry anymore, I’m going to bed. Soon after, you darted across the other end of the hallway, ill-tempered and almost seething, and slammed your bedroom door shut.

#james acaster #james acaster fanfic #james acaster x reader #james acaster x you #original female character #original male character #original story #off menu #eventual romance #slow burn

105 notes · View notes

regretsdelusionstoughluck · 6 years

Text

PART 3

WEDNESDAY MORNING

While Damon was online looking for odd jobs he noticed an add for dancers needed. He’s had a stripper license since he was 19 and used this as a means for extra money when not deployed. He sent this to Oliver in an email prior to calling him on his way to the pharmacy.

“Morning”

“Check out the email”

As he pulled out his iPad, he saw the email

“What the fuck is this?”

“Strippin....you already do way more, plus a bachelorette party would get you a killing. I used to dance at a few of them when I was home”

“Got anything else?”

“Banquets, I know a lot of companies. I can send you a list of catering companies you could do work for. What you got going on right now?”

“Laying on the couch, going into the office”

[Really? That’s the best you got? What part of “I want out of this life do you not understand?]

While he wasn’t thrilled about it, he took some time to think about t and he realized that bachelorette parties are for the entertainment value and he did keep his body in shape. However, didn’t want his current situation to mirror that of “The Players Club”.

Oliver got up from the couch to fix himself an omelette while continuing to talk. “Yo, I got you on speaker phone, doing some stuff in the kitchen”

“Man, remember when we were young and we would see vacationers out here, we vowed that one day it would be us taking trips with our families?”

“I do, and when I look at where I’m at, I think to myself “What the actual fuck?”

[We were lied to. In 2008, when we were in high school, we were told to go to college. That it was the ticket to a successful life. What they didn’t tell us is that the economy would tank. They didn’t go cover any alternatives. They never went over the cost of living and the fact that people here are working three jobs. I should have seen this with my own parents. Dad worked for the state and then worked as a janitor in the evenings. Mom still works as a financial aid officer at a state college. The preparation sucked. What the fuck am I gonna use creative writing for? Why was that in school?]

He cut the conversation short to eat his breakfast and get a shower in before work. Afterwards, he ironed a pair of pants and a golf shirt and heaved to the office where the direction informed him and Claudia:

“I have a project for the two of you. Our event is coming up at the mall. You two are going to be drawing outlines to these animal pieces on the construction poet right there. We’re expecting about 200 kids”

“No problem” Oliver said looking at the green construction paper in front of him

“It’ll be a breeze” Claudia assured him as she took a pair of scissors and the elephant trunk and demonstrated.

“So it’s like build a bear type of think but with other animals but they’re decorating their bags with them. That’s cute”

“Yeah, so are you gonna go to the career fair next week”

“The one at the convention center?”

“Yea, I heard there’s going to be several companies there.”

[Resume-FEMA, fucking, and non-profit]

“I plan on it. Do you know if any government agencies are gonna be there? I couldn’t find a roster anywhere”

“Not sure”

They continued working while talking about goals and aspirations when he noticed an alert on her phone. Knowing the conference due to getting the same alert an hour earlier, he asked her how she knew about it? Somewhat embarrassed, she snapped “What are you doing looking at my phone?!”

“I merely glanced over!” he exclaimed before taking her aside and confessing to being involved in the worlds oldest profession “I hate it. One would think attractive people and pleasure but there’s no real live and frankly it feels like a modern version of slavery. I can’t get a decent date to save my life”

After a moment of silence, she admitted that she was a phone sex operator and that she worked in evenings. “I have a friend who also is in high class escorting”

“High class?”

“Let’s talk about it later? How about we meet for a drink after work? We need to get a bit more of this done.”

Meanwhile, Damon was scouting on the web when his eye caught the attention of a webcam modeling website.

He though about his current life and how he’d mange to file his taxes. He normally got a 1090 at the end of the year. He also though about the repercussions of this and the thought that the clientele could be from his local area. He had a flashback to being deployed in Germany where he and some buds where in a night club, partying surrounded by beautiful women. “We are like royalty!” He thought about a conversation he had with his peer about wanting to serve for eight years and then retire and start college. Little did he know that half way though that time frame that he’d suffer a back injury along w/ PTSD from witnessing the death of a friend at the hands of a grenade.

He applied for work with multiple agencies and thought about how he could sporadically work vs checking in daily. With webcam modeling he could set his own schedule. With that in mind he decided to text Oliver.

“Who was that?”

“My friend Damon”

“So about how long have you with with this company?”

“About six months. I’m trying to start grad school”

They chatted while filing paperwork. They talked about politics, racial issues, economic issues, and the like. Claudia made for good company. She graduated with two degrees. She majored in English Education and Journalism and worked as a teacher’s aide for a period. She was tired of the work with virtually no pay. She responded to an add. Currently she works for a phone sex. One has seen the commercials late at night. She’s one of them. Definitely more conventional than Oliver’s current job.

As he was getting ready to eat lunch, she Claudia asked him if he wanted to eat while they worked. “Sure” he said as he went to grab his lunch out of his bag.

“We work with several schools in their special ed departments”

“What do y’all do?”

”We will be finalizing contracts for events mainly. But we do outreach and after school programs on social etiquette and speech practices our goal is to help those with autism be as integrated into society as possible” Noticing Oliver’s garden salad, she asked him “you health conscious?”

“Yep. Grew up like that. My parent’s rarely fried anything, but they didn’t ban them from the house. My mom was always big on vitamins and drinking plenty of water. I practice that today, to keep things under control. Being a diabetic, I have to watch it.”

Shocked at the revelation she asked him when he was diagnosed. He was diagnosed at 6 years old.

“I’m trying to lose weight, but I find myself emotionally eating more than I should”

Trying to avoid saying anything that could be interpreted as offensive, he simply said that he had his days too, hence the reason he goes to the gym six days/week, doing a combination of cardio and weights. After they finished eating lunch, they cut more construction paper and bagged it. They filed folders away for about an hour when Oliver signed out.”See you tomorrow?”

“You’ll see me in a couple of hours.”

The sun was beaming as Oliver drove home. He rolled down his window and plugged his phone in to have some music playing. He checked the mail and saw the electric bill was in. “Shouldn’t be this much” he said “I’m never home”

He checked his email as well as his escorting profile receiving three request including one overnight stay. Booking these trips back to back, he thought about his weekly check at $8.75/hr at 25 hrs per week along w/ the money from the three client’s that he’d earn. He’d have enough to pay his final payment on his only student loan and to pay his car note.

He kicked off his shoes to give his feet some air and called his mom.

[I’m being nice. This place is a shithole, in fact the only reason my unit isn’t laden with roaches is because I frequently buy those foggers and then I have to open the damn windows and door risking my shit being stolen. Also, Bengal and Boric Acid along the cracks and corners have done wonders.]

He looked up and realized that it was time to meet Claudia. He traded in his work outfit for a pair or black cargo shorts, a zero-nineteen tank top from K-Mart, and a pair of flip-flops and headed out. He got in the truck, turned the air on and arrived to the bar 20 minutes later. Locating Claudia at a table in the bar area we walked in to meet her when the waiter took their drink order.

[She’s a pharmacy tech and she still needs to be a lady of the evening by night? I’m fucked-literally and figuratively]

She advised him to update his profile to include massages and casual dates at a lower rate. While they were talking, A woman walks up, dark skin, about 5′9, in her mid 20s. She spotted Claudia and walked in the sit next to her.

“Hey chick!”

“Hey!”

“Hello, I’m Aya, how are your doing?” she said as she reached out to shake Oliver’s hand

“Oliver, I’m good. How about you?”

“So this is the guy? He’s cute”

“He’s taken”

“Actually I’m very available”

After ordering a drink, she begin to explain to Oliver how she got into her current part time job. “I started off escorting however a client of mine introduced me to a coworker of his that owned a matchmaking service. I showed up to a mixer I went out on one date. I never saw the guy again afterwards. That said, he did mention to me that he had utilized services where one would rent a dates for events. I eventually branched off and begin advertising on craigslist and the like.”

“So do you still...….you know?”

“Sporadically, but that’ll cost extra.”

Later that night, he decided to update his profile w/ additional services offered. He decided to try out a couple of speed dating events himself. He might even snap a client or two. Perhaps, he’d been looking in the wrong places, maybe it was time for more upscale social functions. His current evening work was not a glamorous job and frankly it was quite dangerous.

[Prostitution can be traced back as far as biblical times. Not a new profession and it’s a profession that’s always been available for the money. Sometimes, we use it to pay off a loan or some sort of debt. For others, it’s the love of sex. Some just like the temporary luxury that comes with being one’s bitch. Me? I’d like nothing more than to settle down. I know there’s a way. It may take a while to find it, but I refuse to have THIS be my stop.]

STORY SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS

PART 4 TO FOLLOW

#BROMANCE #SEXTRADE #BISEXUAL #TUMBLRFICTION #TUMBLR-FICTION

1 note · View note

austinpanda · 3 years

Text

Dad Letter 041821

18 April, 2021

Dear Dad--

Very busy! Much excitement of the new job variety! Happy weekend, and I have survived my first grueling day and a half of work; my orientation is now complete. I would probably have other news about small insignificant shit too, but the job news seems to be consuming pretty much all of my thinking this morning.

It began at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. I was in a training class of about seven people and one ebullient trainer, the HR woman Gabby. She explained the dress code and attendance policy, and played a video of the CEO welcoming us. Everyone is very sweet here! (Sweetness is kind of required, it seems. I shall have to be conscious of being sweet to everyone.) Nevertheless, we still had training on dealing with gambling addicts and how really, really important it is that we not serve alcohol to drunk people. I have a hard time thinking of a system to address how drunk a customer is that would be accurate all the time. Everyone’s different, right? I suppose the idea is that we won’t serve alcohol to people who are VISIBLY intoxicated, and I assume that’s interpreted to mean anyone who’s a little drunk and an asshole about it, or anyone who’s really drunk, but they’ve been nice about it up till now; it’s just that they can’t stand up any more.

None of this comes within a hundred miles of what I’ll be doing, even though I still have very little idea what it is I’ll be doing. I start work on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., and for the moment, I’m only working Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I’m part of the “compliance” department, and I will do “audits,” and have a report I’ll be completing every morning about the previous day’s money movements. I get the impression that a LOT of money moves through a place like that, even though it’s a casino located in Bangor, Maine. I think a lot of the customers are retired. Beyond that, I probably shouldn’t comment further on the customers, because one thing we learned over and over: we don’t talk about the customers on social media. Protecting the customers’ privacy is a hugely big deal, and if someone famous visits, I’m not allowed to bother the famous person for a photo and post it on the internet.

One more thing about the day and a half of orientation I just completed: I figured it would be a day and a half worth of stuff I already know, like: Sexual harassment is bad! Stealing is bad! Physical fights with coworkers are bad! Here's how to use a fire extinguisher! And because I knew it would be a lot of stuff I knew already, I figured my main job would be to remain awake. I was correct in my assumption! There were some surprises during the orientation online training. I had to watch a video about Hepatitis, for some reason. I now know a lot more about our precious bodily fluids than I ever did before, and the differences between the few varieties of Hepatitis. I actually had to politely refuse, in writing, their offer of a hepatitis vaccine, in case I happen to come into contact with a customer’s bodily fluids, and it has hepatitis in it. I thought the chances of this happening were too small to warrant protecting against, so...now I’m Little Ricky Hep Sponge, just waiting for someone to throw a bodily fluid at me and give me hepatitis. Perhaps I should have accepted the vaccination, but I would have had to drive to a place, and it takes a total of three different shots on different days...screw that. I’m an auditor, and you can’t catch hepatitis from checking someone else’s math, no matter how bad the math is.

A few things about life behind the scenes of a hotel casino: A lot of space is dedicated to storing the tons and tons of shit that they need, just not right at this moment. The hallways are packed with stuff they’re going to need some day, just not today, like covered pianos, partly disassembled slot machines, pallets full of new linens, and pallets of bottled water, which included a sign saying the water was for customers ONLY, so none of the employees take water without authorization. They also have a jeans day every week, but if you wish to participate in the jeans day, you must donate two dollars to the casino’s preferred charity. (I think I’ll just wear non-jeans. Don’t tell ME how to philanthropize. And the fact I have no jeans that fit had no bearing on this decision whatsoever.)

So...there seem to be many elements of this job that are similar to elements of my Progressive job, things like: working for a company, having an attendance policy, having a cubicle, working at a computer near a phone, and having to be conscious not to say things like, “You’re wrong, cocksucker!” to anyone while I’m there. I’m trying to think of a few things that will be different: I won’t be dealing directly with customers all day. That’ll be nice. I have to be kind to everyone either way, but if I only have to interact with my own coworkers, they have to be kind to me, too. And it’s not a casual dress environment, like the call center. (People did, in fact, come to work in pajama bottoms and flip flops.) It’s business casual. This means I have to wear actual clothes, and as it happens, I enjoy that. I wear actual trousers and iron my shirts and everything. I look sharp, and I’m going to look even more sharp once I no longer have to wear a mask at work all day. Then they will see the salt and pepper that’s taking over my otherwise unimpressive beard and swoon with desire. Swoon, I say!

You know, they had so many guidelines regarding employees gambling at the casino that I came away not knowing whether employees are permitted to gamble in the casino. I mean, I’m guessing we’re not allowed to gamble while we’re in uniform or wearing anything identifying us as an employee, but I’m only guessing that because it seems logical, not based on anything the orientation said. I’ll have to ask my immediate coworkers about this once I start the job. If I want to play $5.00 in a slot machine on my way home after a work shift, can I do that? If I can enjoy the gambling in moderation, perhaps it could be an enjoyable diversion. Slot machines are unrecognizable now, by the way. You don’t feed in quarters, and there’s no slot machine arm to pull down. They’re giant computer screens, and you have a dozen buttons you can press, and they all seem to do the same thing: make your bet bigger, except for one small, no-account little button that says “SAME BET,” which they sincerely hope you’ll never use, because look at all these other buttons--better buttons!--that increase the size of your bet!

I have been experiencing sciatic pain in my left leg! It sucks. I assume it’s another signal my body is sending me to exercise more, though I’ll be doing a lot of walking in the casino.

My drive to work is gorgeous, and will be even more gorgeous in the spring, and will be downright picture postcard beautiful during the fall.

On days when I work, I tend to sleep better, and I smoke a lot less.

Zach figured the place would be red carpeting, with red wallpaper, and we’d have to wear red vests and coats. I think he thinks I’m going to work in a bordello.

I’m enjoying The Pacific. It is very very good!

More next week! All my love to you both!

0 notes

justsomebucky · 7 years

Text

The Only Exception (Part 1)

Summary: AU. Reader is given the task of running a popular love advice internet show when her coworker is fired. Her cynical attitude toward love makes her offer some harsh advice, and more than a few hearts are caught in the aftermath. Will hers be one of them?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word Count: 3,442

Warnings: language, fluff, wishful thinking, hot firemen, sarcasm, cynicism, bad jokes

A/N: Okay, so I saw a movie a long long time ago that was terrible, but it inspired the ‘bad’’ love advice and the firemen. I’ve been dying to have fireman!Bucky in one of my AUs.

And yes, the title comes from the Paramore song. I felt like it’s how reader feels throughout. Hope you guys like it. I had some writer’s block, and some house guests, so this is a little late being posted.

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

So far, your day was a total bust, and it was still early morning.

Your umbrella had blown away in some pretty ridiculous wind gusts, leaving you to get soaked in the rain as you made your way from the subway to Stark Tower for work.

Once you were inside, the elevators were so full that you were forced to squeeze in beside some people who ought to really reconsider the deodorant they were wearing (or buy some at all).

Then you got to your desk, and a post-it note was stuck to your laptop, asking you to go to the conference room beside your boss’ office.

Dammit.

You ran your fingers through your soaked hair, trying to seem presentable as you opened the door to the conference room.

Your supervisor, May Parker, sat at the head of the table, with her assistant Maria and your assistant Natasha on either side of her. There was no one else in the room except the HR person from upstairs. He was standing in the corner, flipping through some documents in his hands.

Oh, crap.

Were you being fired?

Why else would you be called here with HR present?

Your mind started reeling with all the different bills that lay on your kitchen counter, including two student loan bills. Your rent was due soon, too. What the hell were you going to do? You couldn’t afford to stay in Brooklyn if they fired you. What kind of monsters would fire you on a Thursday morning? They could at least-

May cleared her throat, interrupting your anxiety-ridden thoughts. “Y/N, do you know why we called you in here?”

You shook your head. “No, ma’am.”

She sighed, glancing between Nat and Maria. “We had to let Leah go today.”

“Wait, what? Leah?” Your brows furrowed in confusion. Leah was a coworker of yours. Well, she used to be. “You mean you aren’t firing me?”

“No. In fact, HR, we’re good here. You can go.”

The man nodded and gathered his things, leaving without another look back. May gestured to the empty seat next to Natasha, and you sat down obediently.

“We have a little project for you until we find a replacement,” she informed you.

What the heck kind of project could they have for you from Leah’s team? She was into social media, the star of her own little YouTube show. Surely they were looking for another Leah to lead this. There’s no way they would want you to cover her show in the meantime.

“We want you to cover her show in the meantime.”

Oh.

Wait, what?

You blinked. “I have no experience with any of that.”

“No experience with love? Come on now, Y/N, even I’ve seen you reading those trashy romance novels on your lunch break. Plus, aren’t you seeing someone?” May laid her palms flat on the table. “Look, we’re in a pinch here, and you write advice articles all the time. I’m asking you to transition for a short while to also doing a little YouTube show here and there.”

You had a degree in psychology that hadn’t paid the bills after graduation, so you signed on to be a part of the team at September Media, a section of Stark Industries, writing a little column online.

Sometimes your column was based on reader questions, and sometimes it was just about something that was plaguing you that day. May was your boss, and she typically stayed out of your way when it came to work.

The advice you gave was more along the lines of life advice; ways to cope with stress and anxiety, how to find the silver lining, don’t give up on yourself…that sort of thing. Plus, you never had to appear in any videos or speak on podcasts or anything like that.

Leah, on the other hand, dealt strictly in love advice. She had a popular show on September’s YouTube channel that got millions of hits every week. You suspected half of it was because she was a former model, though you didn’t want to insinuate that she wasn’t good at her job (because you’d actually never watched her show).

Who had the time for nonsense like that? Nothing ever worked out as smoothly as in those romance novels you liked to read. There was no hot guy with loads of cash waiting in the wings to save you from your drab life. Fiction (and Disney) had ruined your hope of ever finding someone to sweep you off your feet.

And really, you didn’t even need to be swept off your feet. You simply needed someone who wasn’t going to live on your couch with no job while they watched anime porn all day. You needed someone who didn’t have a weird affinity for both their own mother and people’s toes. You’d heard these horror stories from your coworkers, and yes, people like that apparently existed.

Where had all the good ones gone?

Dating was so awful, and no amount of advice would ever make the experience better for you.

In fact, the last date you had been on was a total disaster. Your friends and coworkers had insisted that you try online dating, so you did. You actually put yourself out there, despite all of your hesitations.

It turned out, online dating was mostly a weird mix of lewd propositions and dick pics, but on occasion you’d get a message from a decent human.

Even so, the last guy you’d actually met for a coffee date had left with another woman while you were in the restroom.

“I’m so completely under-qualified to offer advice for romantic relationships, May. I’ve only had one recent date, and it didn’t go well at all. I’m not sure what I could possibly have to offer a program like this.”

May nodded, staring at you (and kind of making you uncomfortable) as she appeared to completely ignore this information. “I’m sure you’re a quick learner, Y/N, and I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice here. You’re the new romance advice person until we find a replacement.”

“But I’m not good at lovey-dovey bullshit,” you pressed on, trying to get her to see your side of things. “I don’t have it in me!”

“Then pretend,” May replied, turning to your assistant-slash-friend. “Nat, I know it’s not really your job, but you’re going to have to help her with whatever her hair is trying to do, and get her in front of the camera ASAP.”

May stood up and quickly made her way to the door, pausing for only a moment. “You’ll do great, kiddo, I know it. It’s just temporary. One, maybe two weeks tops!” With a small smile, May left the conference room, putting some finality on your fate.

You sat back in your chair, feeling a little numb. “This cannot be happening.”

“Oh, it’s happening. I suggest you get ready. Leah had an episode already scripted for today, but we’ll just have you read the questions, and you can answer as you see fit.” Maria gave you a small smile of encouragement. “You’ve got the training, Y/N. Time to use it for some lovey-dovey bullshit.”

About an hour later, after giving yourself a pep talk in the mirror of the women’s room, you were sat in front of a low-tech, camera-and-laptop situation, in what used to be Leah’s huge, beautiful office. “Why the hell did she get an office like this, and I’m stuck out in the bullpen?”

You frowned up at Scott Lang, your camera man for this temporary gig. He’d always helped Leah with her episodes, so now he’d been assigned to help you. His regular job was to write about advances in technology, especially the strides that Tony Stark and his team were making.

Scott merely shrugged. “She brought in a lot of ad revenue.”

“Yeah, I bet she did,” you muttered, looking out the window to the New York skyline.

That’s what you did when you felt your anxiety trying to take a hold of you, and the city you loved never failed to calm you down. You took a deep breath, letting the air out slowly as your eyes scanned the familiar skyscrapers.

“Look, Y/N, your advice is helpful to a lot of people, but so was Leah’s. It’s hard to make a relationship work these days. If she helped even one person, it was worth it.”

Your eyes flickered back to Scott’s face as you studied him. He was staring down at the camera, messing with some of the settings, but you could tell his mind was a million miles away to his ex-wife and daughter.

He had a point. If Leah could provide some comfort to people, then she was doing something good for people. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Scott.”

“It’s fine.” Scott offered you a sincere grin. “You ready?”

“Just a minute. This has been bothering me all day…I’ve been wondering, why did Leah get fired?”

“Oh.” Scott rubbed the back of his neck. “She got caught accepting vacations and jewelry and stuff from some of Mr. Stark’s clients. It’s a breach of contract.”

You burst out laughing. “Ah, geez. No worry of that happening with me, trust me. I can’t even get a free drink. Let’s get this over with shall we?”

“All right, I’m going to count down and you will have to introduce yourself, okay? Then you can just dive right into the selected viewer questions.”

“Got it.” At least, you hoped so.

“In three, two…” Scott held up a finger to signal one second, then pointed at you.

“Hi everyone, my name is Y/N, and this is Love Advice with…Y/N. Really? That’s the name of this show? Very original. Anyways, Leah is no longer going to be hosting, but never fear, I’m here temporarily to offer you vague advice and false hope in love.”

Scott made a face at you over the camera, but you pressed on, figuring your cynicism would help you through this ridiculous situation. Maybe if you were bad enough, they would find someone who actually wanted to talk about romance on YouTube.

“Let’s just get to the first question! Dear Leah – and again, I’m not Leah, so please address next week’s questions to the Love Therapist, because that’s my new show name. Anyways, dear Leah, I’m supposed to be getting married to someone this weekend, but I’m having second thoughts. I’ve only known him for seven months – is that long enough to know you want to spend your life with someone? I’ve been worrying all week, and I’m not sure I’m ready. I’m not sure he’s The One. Sincerely, Confused in Brooklyn.”

You made a face at the question as you read it off of the laptop in front of you, then you made a face at the camera. “Oh, confused is right. You sound utterly lost, my friend. Listen, if you are even remotely unsure of this relationship moving to the next level, the worst thing you can do is legally commit to this man. Seven months might be enough for some people, but is it right for you?”

Scott made a motion for you to wrap it up; apparently you were not only supposed to answer dumb questions, but you were supposed to offer short, bad advice. No way. If you were doing this, you were going to do it right.

You weren’t Leah. This poor person needed help.

“Confused, you need to take a good look at your own wants and needs, and figure out if that guy meets them, because if you aren’t sure about him and still go through with the wedding, it’s on you. You’re going to make yourself unhappy, and he will eventually be unhappy, too. Neither of you deserves that. Be an adult, assess your relationship, and then decide. Okay, our next question comes from Lonely in Astoria…”

“I heard you were brutal in every episode,” Nat laughed, snapping a selfie with her coffee cup in view. “First week on assignment and you really didn’t hold back.” You watched from across the table as she posted the picture to her Instagram account. It wasn’t anything new to you to see her doing that; she was always on the lookout for the perfect selfie.

Maybe she should be doing this show instead of you.

The two of you were getting coffee on the corner near your apartment before heading to see a movie down the street. It was some much needed vegging-out time. You didn’t want to have to think too hard today.

“Smile!”

You didn’t even have time to react as she snapped your picture, posting it with the hashtag #grumpyneedscoffee and tagging you.

“You know, it’s not safe to always post your location so blatantly like that. Or mine…especially mine.”

“Oh yeah, we’ve got loads of stalkers. Maybe I wanted to invite them, what do you think about that?” Nat stuck her tongue out at you, then took another selfie. “Hashtag: come stalk us.”

“You’re so hilarious,” you muttered, looking away. Your eyes scanned the faces in the crowd outside, and you couldn’t help but wonder if any of them watched your stupid little show.

You hoped not.

Saturday had finally arrived with a reprieve from work, and you were thrilled that your stint of being the Love Therapist was almost over. May had promised to find a replacement after two weeks.

You hadn’t bothered to ask for feedback, because you just didn’t care.

“I was not brutal,” you added. “I was merely being honest. Just because Leah told people what they wanted to hear, it doesn’t mean that she was giving good advice. Wasn’t I right about Dan the Jerk? The one who lied to you and said he was visiting a sick uncle in Hartford, when he was really sneaking out to see his other girlfriend?”

“You were right,” Natasha relented. “He was garbage, but I just got unlucky that time. I’ve also had plenty of decent dates. Not every man is like that, Y/N. Why can’t you just be hopeful for once? Other people have love and you haven’t found someone yet, so what? You’re gonna find an exception to the rule. You’re gonna find someone soon, and I just hope you don’t push him away just because you’re suspicious and cynical.”

You were about to reply with something a little less-than-nice, but before you could, two firemen walked into the coffee shop in full gear, and you found yourself unable to look away. God, it was just like one of those horrible romance books you adored. A fireman walks into a coffee shop…

“Earth to Y/N,” Natasha said, waving her hand in front of your face. She followed your line of sight to see what caught your attention. “Are you really into firemen or do you know one of them?”

“So what if I have a thing for guys in uniforms,” you said sheepishly, raising an eyebrow at her. “I’m allowed to look. What does it matter? They always have hot girlfriends or wives, anyways.”

The two of you glanced back over at the two men. One was blond with blue eyes, and one had brown hair with blue-grey eyes. Both were over-the-top attractive.

“Which one do you want?” Nat whispered.

“I think I like the brunette,” you replied, chewing on your lip thoughtfully. It wasn’t like you to objectify someone, but you let yourself have this one indulgence.

“Good, because that blond has an ass on him that I want to bite!” Natasha rested her chin on her hand with a dramatic sigh.

“Stop,” you exclaimed with a laugh. “Just stop.”

You must have laughed too loudly, because you found yourself locked in a staring contest with the hottie brunette fireman.

His eyes widened, and he turned back to say something to his buddy, which made the other guy turn and look, too. The blond fireman shook his head, as if he was protesting what the brunette was saying.

That’s when the brunette fireman began walking over to you with a determined look, and the blond man trailed behind, looking like he was completely against the idea.

“Oh, shit, Y/N! You got their attention! See?” Natasha sat up, putting on her best flirty look. You felt like a potato next to her. “Be cool. Don’t mess this up for us.”

There was no time for a comeback, because the men were suddenly right beside your table.

“Hey! You’re that Love Therapist, aren’t you?” the brunette asked. “Y/N, right?”

“Right,” you said nervously, offering a smile. “It’s just a temporary stint, though.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “I’m Bucky Barnes, and this is my best friend Steve Rogers. We’re both based in Brooklyn here.”

“Hi there, I’m Natasha. Why are two handsome fellas like you watching a love advice show on YouTube?” Natasha smiled at them, laying it on thick. “I’m sure you don’t have trouble with the ladies?”

Bucky’s expression darkened a little, and he offered no reply, so Steve answered for him. “Uh…we used to watch because the old host was pretty hot. The guys got a kick out of it at the station.” Steve looked back at you. “No offense, I mean, you’re a sight too, it’s just that…”

“Hey, I completely get it.” You held both your hands up jokingly for a second. “Leah brought in the viewers, that’s for sure. But like I said, it’s not my real job, I’m just filling in.”

“So you’re offering advice that you aren’t really qualified to offer, then?” Bucky’s expression was now more like a glare, and a chill rolled down your spine.

“She’s qualified, she has a degree in psychology,” Natasha supplied, finally noticing the change in Bucky’s demeanor. “What’s it to you, anyway?”

“Nothing,” Steve answered again for him. “It’s nothing. It was nice to meet you ladies, but we should be getting back to work.” He tried to pull Bucky away from the table, but his attention once again fixed on you.

“Can I call you sometime?” The corner of his mouth lifted a little.

Your eyes widened in surprise. Was this guy nuts or something? Three seconds ago he was giving you a death glare, and now he was smiling. “Me?”

Bucky’s blue-grey eyes sparkled; now he seemed to be flirting with you, of all things. “Yeah, maybe we can go out sometime.”

“Um.” You looked at Natasha for help, since your thoughts were a little muddled. The attractive fireman, the one you would have picked out for yourself if you could, was asking you out after seeming a little put-off by your line of work. What the hell were you going to say?

“She’d love to go,” Natasha answered, looking to Steve. “In fact, maybe we can make it a double date?”

Steve’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea. What are you girls doing tonight?”

The movies now seemed a little too intimate for some reason. The darkness, sitting beside one another…that would be too much for a first date in your opinion.

“We were going to a bar,” you blurted out. “You can join us if you want.” Where was this newfound ability to get yourself a date coming from?

“Here,” Bucky said, reaching for your phone that was sitting on the table in front of you. You stared in total shock as he plugged his number in, then sent himself a text. “Now we have each other’s numbers. We’ll meet up later after our shift is over, okay?”

“Okay, see you later,” you replied meekly.

This was all a little surreal; did being on a popular internet show really nab you a hot fireman just now? Leah must have been rolling in attention from hotties! Who needed a dating app and creepy dudes messaging you, when you could be recognized in a coffee shop?

Once they were gone, you turned to look at Natasha. “What the hell just happened?”

“You’re internet famous now, cupcake, and we’ve got a double date with two of the hottest guys in Brooklyn!” Natasha did a little happy dance. “I’m definitely going to need to go shopping, and since I’ve seen your closet, so are you.”

“But-“

“No buts! Firemen, Y/N! Hot firemen! We are definitely going shopping!”

“Fine,” you agreed, pretending to be miserable. “But only because I think I read about this in one of my trashy novels once, and I wanna see if it ends with me getting to see a fireman’s pole, too.”

“I wouldn’t bring that up later if I were you.” Natasha laughed, hitting your arm. “Come on, weirdo. Let’s go.”

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Perma tags (updated, closed):

@sprinkleofhappinessuniverse @alurea-actually @smkunz613 @marvel-fanfiction @bluebrrn @simplyme8308 @cleanslates @ailynalonso15 @jaydenval @imnoaingeal @miss-jessi29 @kittthekat @crownie-sr @indominusregina @wonder-carolina @captain-ros3ann3 @amrita31199 @tatortot2701 @melissalovesmusicyay @kcsavege4134 @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @lilasiannerd @hardcorehippos @buckyswinterchildren @hello-sweetie-get-the-salt @cosmic-avenger @mirkwood—princess @neverbeforgotten @minervaem @givemethatgold @assbutt-son-of-a-bitch @decemberftw @widowvinter @nolaimagines @notsoprettykitty @dracsgirl @hollycornish @feelmyroarrrr @ancchor @seeyainanotherlifebrotha @aenna-4 @kithlin @heytherepartner @polkadottedpillowcase @johnmurphys-sass @aeillo @winterboobaer @kaaatniss @whyisbuckyso @super-daryl-dixon @wishingtobelost @capdanrogers @gallifreyansass @rockintensse @minaphobia @vaisabu @rchlnwtn @imamoose @ria132love @sofiadiaz04 @actual-bucky-barnes-trash

Story tags are open!

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes AU #AU!buckybarnes #au!bucky #bucky barnes reader insert #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #james buchanan barnes x reader #james buchanan barnes #modern bucky barnes au #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes drabble #just-some-drabbles

802 notes · View notes

itsjessicaisreal · 6 years

Text

Changing On-Page Behavior with Sticky Navigation and Data-Driven Design

As an optimizer, there’s nothing that excites me more than using design to change on-page behavior. By “change”, I mean to positively influence visitors to achieve their (and your) goals more effectively, and sticky navigation is a great way to increase your odds of driving behavioral change.

.single-post .card-system-page.section-lib-post.container .lib-container {max-width: none; width: 100%;} .single-product-marketing .card-system-page.section-lib-post.container .card-system-sidebar {display: none;} hr {margin:70px auto 80px auto !important;} a img {cursor: pointer !important;} .ub-emb-iframe-wrapper .ub-emb-close {visibility: hidden;} .exampleTitle {padding:20px 5% 20px 9% !important;margin-top:50px !important;} pre {font-size:12px !important; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, Lucida Console, Liberation Mono, DejaVu Sans Mono, Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, Courier New, monospace, serif; margin-bottom: 10px; overflow: auto; width: auto; padding: 5px; background-color: #eee; width: 750px!ie7; padding-bottom: 20px!ie7; max-height: 400px;} .single-product-marketing .navbar-static-top.navbar-default .navbar-collapse.navbar-menu.fixed {position: relative !important;} .navbar-static-top.navbar-default.navbar {position: relative !important;}

The best way I know to design experiences that change on-page behavior is to use my Data-Driven Design (3D) framework to gather and observe available data, and use the Micro Metrics Method (3M) to guide design exploration.

This is what I’ll be showing you today by using sticky navigation on a long landing page and also on this blog post.

Click here to add a sticky nav to this post

It’ll help you move around the content while secretly showing you the cool things you can do with Unbounce ;)

What is Data-Driven Design? (3D)

Data-Driven Design is an 8-step collaborative optimization process designed to help your marketing team work together to increase conversions, but more importantly, to develop empathy for your customers and your coworkers. It begins with The 3D Playbook, which is an interactive lookup table that helps narrow down the data types you should be looking at when trying to optimize your landing pages, websites, and more.

It looks like the screenshot below, and you can check it out at this link. The process for using it needs more explanation that I can give in this post, but I am doing a webinar at Marketing Optimization Week where I’ll cover it in depth.

One of the most important steps in the process is taking the observations we make looking at data (analytics, heatmaps, usability tests etc.), and working as a team to design solutions to each of the problems you observe. Measuring the impact that these design changes have is called the Micro Metric Method (3M).

What is the Micro Metrics Method? (3M)

When you make observations as a team (I recommend you include a designer, copywriter, and marketer), not only are the solutions better, but the collaborative nature helps with team/client/executive buy-in for the changes you’ll propose. You can see a session I ran recently below. We watched usability test videos and took notes about the observations we were making in a shared doc that is created for you as part of the 3D Playbook (when you choose a page element from the menu it will create a series of worksheets for you and your team – the instructions on the first page of the sheet explain how).

A marketing team following the Data-Driven Design process

A definition of micro metrics

A completed worksheet with observations, severity ratings, and those assigned as micro metrics

The design solution sketches the team came up with to solve the problems identified by the micro metrics

Watch Me Give the Data-Driven-Design Talk Feb 23rd

I’m actually giving my Data-Driven Design for Marketing Teams talk for Marketing Optimization Week, so you should definitely register for that and I’ll run you through the whole process. MOW is a 4-day event from Feb 20-23 and I’m on the last day.

How to Use Sticky Navigation to Change On-Page Behavior

I’ve set up a demo page that shows a long landing page with a sticky nav that I created using an Unbounce Sticky Bar with some CSS to hide the close button. The goal of sticky navigation is to increase the level of engagement with your page by presenting persistent options that explain what’s available on the page.

I really love this approach to landing page design, where it’s standard – and recommended – to not have navigation (that takes you away from the page). In particular, it’s great because it’s persistent. It scrolls with you so the opportunity for behaviorally interesting clicks doesn’t go away. What I mean by that is that there’s so much more data to collect when the navigation follows you down the page. When it’s fixed to the top of the page, you have very few opportunities beyond the very first click, to get a sense of which items trigger intent.

According to The 3D Playbook, for sticky navigation, we should first look at heatmap data and the click-through rate of each navigation link, as well as the primary call to action you have on your page.

In the Unbounce app, I used a sticky bar to create a navigation bar, assigning each link to the ID of a page element on the landing page that it would reside on.

Below is a screenshot of the sticky nav that shows up on every post of Product Awareness Month (except this one and one other where I’m demoing sticky bars). I’ll be sharing the data I collected from this, and a gazillion other data sources, in the end of month results show.

Sticky nav helps increase engagement with your content, bringing people further down the page to sections they may otherwise not see, and almost as importantly, it lets you measure what people ate interested in.

DEMO: How to Use Sticky Navigation to Increase Blog Engagement

You can click here to show a sticky nav on this blog post. I’ve set it up so that the nav links connect to different “chapters” of the post. It’s a great way to direct your readers, and also to gather valuable engagement data by looking at click heatmaps and analytics.

It’s very easy in Unbounce to duplicate a Sticky Bar and apply it to another page! Huzzah! Product awareness in action. Remember to click here to show the sticky nav.

Notice the CSS ID shown for the click target in the screenshot below (it says URL: “#register-for-mow”). This makes the nav link jump to the corresponding section of the blog post that I set up by adding an ID to a page element.

Sticky Nav in Unbounce: links to #register-for-mow

#register-for-mow as a target ID in the blog post

Do me a favour and click on the nav so I get some heat map data. It won’t be legitimate as I’m asking you to do it, but hey, shits and giggles amiright?

This post wandered a bit into a few directions, but I hope you got a sense for how I like to think about optimization, why sticky nav is awesome, and why we need more collaborative frameworks like Data-Driven Design.

Cheers Oli

p.s. Register for Marketing Optimization Week to see 4 days of the most badass content including my Data-Driven Design framework, plus Larry Kim from Mobile Monkey, Dana DiTomaso form KickPoint, Purna Virji from Microsoft, David Gerhardt from Drift, and many more.

from Marketing http://unbounce.com/product-marketing/changing-on-page-behavior-with-sticky-navigation/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

maxslogic25 · 6 years

Text

Changing On-Page Behavior with Sticky Navigation and Data-Driven Design

This is what I’ll be showing you today by using sticky navigation on a long landing page and also on this blog post.

Click here to add a sticky nav to this post

It’ll help you move around the content while secretly showing you the cool things you can do with Unbounce ;)

What is Data-Driven Design? (3D)

What is the Micro Metrics Method? (3M)

A marketing team following the Data-Driven Design process

A definition of micro metrics

A completed worksheet with observations, severity ratings, and those assigned as micro metrics

The design solution sketches the team came up with to solve the problems identified by the micro metrics

Watch Me Give the Data-Driven-Design Talk Feb 23rd

How to Use Sticky Navigation to Change On-Page Behavior

In the Unbounce app, I used a sticky bar to create a navigation bar, assigning each link to the ID of a page element on the landing page that it would reside on.

DEMO: How to Use Sticky Navigation to Increase Blog Engagement

It’s very easy in Unbounce to duplicate a Sticky Bar and apply it to another page! Huzzah! Product awareness in action. Remember to click here to show the sticky nav.

Sticky Nav in Unbounce: links to #register-for-mow

#register-for-mow as a target ID in the blog post

Do me a favour and click on the nav so I get some heat map data. It won’t be legitimate as I’m asking you to do it, but hey, shits and giggles amiright?

Cheers Oli

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://unbounce.com/product-marketing/changing-on-page-behavior-with-sticky-navigation/

0 notes

zacdhaenkeau · 6 years

Text

Changing On-Page Behavior with Sticky Navigation and Data-Driven Design

This is what I’ll be showing you today by using sticky navigation on a long landing page and also on this blog post.

Click here to add a sticky nav to this post

It’ll help you move around the content while secretly showing you the cool things you can do with Unbounce ;)

What is Data-Driven Design? (3D)

What is the Micro Metrics Method? (3M)

A marketing team following the Data-Driven Design process

A definition of micro metrics

A completed worksheet with observations, severity ratings, and those assigned as micro metrics

The design solution sketches the team came up with to solve the problems identified by the micro metrics

Watch Me Give the Data-Driven-Design Talk Feb 23rd

How to Use Sticky Navigation to Change On-Page Behavior

In the Unbounce app, I used a sticky bar to create a navigation bar, assigning each link to the ID of a page element on the landing page that it would reside on.

DEMO: How to Use Sticky Navigation to Increase Blog Engagement

It’s very easy in Unbounce to duplicate a Sticky Bar and apply it to another page! Huzzah! Product awareness in action. Remember to click here to show the sticky nav.

Sticky Nav in Unbounce: links to #register-for-mow

#register-for-mow as a target ID in the blog post

Do me a favour and click on the nav so I get some heat map data. It won’t be legitimate as I’m asking you to do it, but hey, shits and giggles amiright?

Cheers Oli

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://unbounce.com/product-marketing/changing-on-page-behavior-with-sticky-navigation/

0 notes

littlemarketingproject · 6 years

Text

Changing On-Page Behavior with Sticky Navigation and Data-Driven Design

This is what I’ll be showing you today by using sticky navigation on a long landing page and also on this blog post.

Click here to add a sticky nav to this post

It’ll help you move around the content while secretly showing you the cool things you can do with Unbounce

What is Data-Driven Design? (3D)

What is the Micro Metrics Method? (3M)

A marketing team following the Data-Driven Design process

A definition of micro metrics

A completed worksheet with observations, severity ratings, and those assigned as micro metrics

The design solution sketches the team came up with to solve the problems identified by the micro metrics

Watch Me Give the Data-Driven-Design Talk Feb 23rd

How to Use Sticky Navigation to Change On-Page Behavior

In the Unbounce app, I used a sticky bar to create a navigation bar, assigning each link to the ID of a page element on the landing page that it would reside on.

DEMO: How to Use Sticky Navigation to Increase Blog Engagement

It’s very easy in Unbounce to duplicate a Sticky Bar and apply it to another page! Huzzah! Product awareness in action. Remember to click here to show the sticky nav.

Sticky Nav in Unbounce: links to #register-for-mow

#register-for-mow as a target ID in the blog post

Do me a favour and click on the nav so I get some heat map data. It won’t be legitimate as I’m asking you to do it, but hey, shits and giggles amiright?

Cheers Oli

Changing On-Page Behavior with Sticky Navigation and Data-Driven Design syndicated from https://unbounce.com

0 notes

maritzaerwin · 4 years

Text

10 Ways to Prepare for the Coronavirus at Work

It’s pretty hard to miss news headlines about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and now concerns over the spread of the disease have got everyone on high alert.

Schools have closed, workplaces have shuttered, and many professional conferences and events have been canceled, including Facebook’s Global Marketing Conference, IBM’s Think, and Google Cloud Next, which was scheduled for April six to eight in San Francisco.

There have also been concerns the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games could be postponed until the end of the year amid coronavirus concerns.

According to the New York Times, U.S. “Congress approved an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill to fight the virus, but officials in several countries say the virus will keep spreading fast for some time.”

As governments from around the world rush to prepare for and implement measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, companies are also looking to put procedures and policies in place to effectively manage the spread of the disease at work and protect their employees.

If you are wondering what you can do to prepare for the coronavirus at work and at home, continue reading.

What Is the Coronavirus?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may cause illness in animals or humans. “In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.”

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak in China in December 2019.

What Are the Symptoms of the Coronavirus?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

Individuals infected with coronavirus have displayed the following symptoms:

Mild to severe respiratory illness.

Fever.

Cough.

Difficulty breathing.

Symptoms may appear two to fourteen days after exposure, so infected people may have the disease without even realizing they have it.

The virus, which started in Wuhan, a large city in Central China, has spread quickly since the first cases were reported late last year. There are now more than 130,000 confirmed cases (as of March 12th, 2020), of which eight percent were considered severe.

Although efforts have been made to contain the virus and spread of COVID-19, the CDC has confirmed more than 100 countries have reported cases of the disease, including South Korea, Italy, Japan, Canada, Australia, the Dominican Republic, and Iran.

Now the U.S. is seeing a surge in new cases primarily in Washington state, which has pushed the total number of infections in the United States past 100 as of March 2.

According to reports from the New York Times, “so far, 14 deaths have been linked to the virus — all but one in the Seattle area — with more than 200 confirmed cases across the country.

Reports of cases in New Jersey, Maryland, and Tennessee brought the number of states with infected patients to 19, and Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland declared a state of emergency. Washington State reported dozens of new cases on Thursday, March 5 and New York added 11. San Francisco reported its first two cases, and Houston had its first.”

Us States With Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus

New York

Florida

California

Washington

Oregon

Arizona

Texas

Nebraska

Wisconsin

Massachusetts

Illinois

Rhode Island

(Last Updated March 2020).

The rapid spread of the disease has got many people worried about how to prepare and how it will impact their jobs.

Below are a few helpful guidelines and suggestions to help you prepare for the virus at home and at work.

1) If You Are Feeling Sick, Stay Home

The CDC advises employees who are displaying signs of acute respiratory illness or feeling sick to stay home.

Staying home will help to prevent the spread of the disease and will also help you to get the time needed to rest and recover.

2) Avoid Coworkers Who Have Traveled to Affected Areas

Many companies require employees to travel for work, but if you have colleagues who have traveled to affected areas within the last 14 days, it may be best to avoid close contact with them.

Although a lot is not known about the disease, it is believed to be spread from person-to-person through droplets of saliva or mucus carried in the air for up to six feet or so when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It can also be transferred when shaking hands or sharing a drink with someone who has the virus.

Most times, you may see symptoms such as coughing, but some people have the virus and don’t show signs right away, or they don’t know they have it.

Taking extra precautions like avoiding people who have traveled to affected areas may help to prevent the spread.

3) Discuss a Contingency Plan With Your Employer

If your human resources department hasn’t yet had a discussion about the coronavirus, it might be a good idea to touch base with your manager to discuss contingency plans in case of an outbreak in your area.

This plan could include steps to follow if you or any of your colleagues are feeling ill, including staying at home. Or it might involve getting permission to work from home remotely to avoid the spread of the disease.

Additional Reading (Work from Home/ Remote Work:

9 Career Opportunities That Let You Work From Home

How to Make a Living from Home and Not Freak Out in the Process?

Having plans in place with your employer will help to deal with a potential outbreak much easier.

Below are a few questions to consider discussing with your manager or HR department that will help you to gain more clarity on how to handle the situation.

What measures are put in place to deal with a potential outbreak?

What happens if I suspect I have, or someone I know has coronavirus?

Are you imposing any travel restrictions at this time?

Does the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to apply for employees or immediate family members who may contract coronavirus?

Will I need to present a doctor’s note prior to returning to work if I have been quarantined but report being asymptomatic?

What if I don’t want to come to work for fear of contracting the virus?

What if the office is closed due to coronavirus?

How should I report absences to my manager during this time?

4) Wash Hands and Practice Good Personal Hygiene

Similar to the flu and other community viruses, it is important to wash hands and practice good personal hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.

The CDC recommends individuals to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid sharing personal items. You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, or eating utensils with colleagues at work. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

5) Clean All High-touch Surfaces Daily

High touch surfaces include desks, computer monitors, mouse, phones, keyboards, tablets, and any other workplace equipment.

Use a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product, including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during the use of the product.

Always have hand sanitizer on hand and take extra care to clean your desk with germ-killing sprays like Lysol. If needed, use a face mask and gloves to safeguard against the disease.

6) Do Not Travel to Affected Areas

Many companies have tightened travel restrictions since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Some banned international travel for their employees and are strongly discouraging travel to affected areas.

The U.S. Department of State has put out several travel advisories warning citizens of travel to countries with a large number of cases of the coronavirus. They have categorized the risks of travel from level 1 to 4, with 4 being a do not travel warning.

Travel Advisory Warning Levels

Watch — Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions

Alert — Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions

Warning — Level 3, Avoid Non-essential Travel

Do Not Travel — Level 4, Do Not Travel

Right now, China is a level 4, which means citizens should avoid travel to China.

7) Check If Your Healthcare Provider Offers Telehealth Services

Many health insurance providers offer telehealth services, which is the delivery of health-related services through a phone, tablet, or laptop.

It’s like a virtual office visit where you can get the benefits of speaking with and seeing a doctor to discuss medical-related issues.

The benefits of telehealth are that it’s convenient, easy to access, and sometimes cheaper than scheduling a doctor’s visit. But in case of an outbreak of the coronavirus in your community, the benefits extend further.

If you are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, or believe you may have the virus being able to schedule, a doctor’s visit will help you to get professional medical advice without having to risk infecting others.

The CDC also recommends calling your healthcare provider ahead of time to let them know you have or may have symptoms of the virus. Although telehealth does not replace the advice of your primary care provider, it’s a good option to have in case of an outbreak in your area.

8) Stock up on Essentials

The CDC issued an advisory on February 25, 2020, advising that the public should prepare for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak.

In case of an outbreak of the coronavirus in your area, your company may ask you to work from home. Or if you’re a parent, your kids will likely be asked to stay home. It’s important to stock up on essential items in case you have to stay home for a number of days.

Essential items include shelf-stable items like rice and canned goods, first aid kits, prescription and over the counter medications such as pain killers and fever reducers, masks, hand sanitizers, household items, and pet food if you have pets. Here are a few examples of items to make sure to have on hand.

Non-perishables:

Canned fruits.

Canned veggies.

Rice.

Canned meat.

Frozen foods.

Over-the-counter Items:

Fever reducers like Ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Hand sanitizer and soap.

Band-Aids,

Gauze pads.

Alcohol.

Household Items:

Toilet paper.

Paper towels.

Disinfectant wipes.

Feminine napkins.

Napkins.

Garbage bags.

Although you don’t need to go overboard, it’s good to have a few essentials on hand, so if there is an outbreak and you are home from work, you have what you need before it’s all sold out.

9) Take Your Laptop Home Each Day

If you have a laptop, it’s a good idea to take it home on a daily basis. If your company or office has to close due to potential exposure to the coronavirus, it will most likely be immediate, and you may not be able to access anything in the office.

Having your laptop and other work material on hand in case of closure will make it possible for you to work from home and keep connected with your colleagues and manager.

10) Be Prepared

Although there is still much uncertainty around the coronavirus and how it is spread, one thing is certain is that the disease has been causing panic and concern all around the world.

And while drug companies and scientists from around the world rush to develop vaccines and are starting to test them on animals. It could be a while before it reaches the mass market.

In the meantime, be sure to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family from the disease and keep informed of news related to the outbreak.

To learn more about the coronavirus and how to prepare, visit the CDC website and remember to stay calm and don’t panic. Put a plan in place, so if there is an outbreak in your community, you are prepared and know exactly what to do.

Sources or References:

What to Do If You Are Sick with COVID-19 (CDC).

COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus) updates (MIT Medical).

What to Do If You Are Sick with COVID-19 (CDC).

Coronavirus Cases Surge in U.S. and Europe (The New York Times).

Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) (WHO).

Up to 1 million people could be tested for coronavirus in the US by the end of the week (CNN)

The post 10 Ways to Prepare for the Coronavirus at Work appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

10 Ways to Prepare for the Coronavirus at Work published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

0 notes

movingtolatoday · 7 years

Text

New Post has been published on Moving To LA Today

New Post has been published on http://movingtolatoday.com/love-california-especially-surf-city-live/

I Love California, Especially the Surf City I Live In

Where should I start….

It all began when I moved to SoCal…

My life wasn’t going according to plan back in Texas. I had recently graduated from University and I was a bit stuck helping my parents get their USA residency. We are from Mexico but we came here to have a good life. The process of helping my parents took 9 months and finally when they got their papers.. I felt relieved( I was finally able to move out and find a job and start my professional career).

Little that I know it wasn’t that easy. My first plan was to moved to Dubai .. but that didn’t go so well. Not only because I couldn’t find a job but I also didn’t had enough money to go and stay there and find a job. I had spent so much money on going out and helping a friend in need. I decided to stay in the US and get some experience and maybe later on move to my so beloved Dubai.

I met this guy online that lives in LA and started talking to him almost everyday. He talked about how great California was and that it was a great place to live.. despite of how expensive the cost of living is. I always loved California and it was a place I wanted to move when I graduated from High School… which also didn’t happen because I was too young to be living by myself (according to my Dad). I decided to apply to some jobs and visit California and see what my options were.

I visited LA twice and it wasn’t until the second time I visited that I got a job. A job that wasn’t exactly what I wanted. For starters the location wasn’t in LA it was actually in OC (Orange county) which is still a pretty cool place to live I have to admit.

That shitty Job was my only excuse to move because I no longer wanted to live in Texas. The next step was to find a place to live.. after hours of searching and investigating areas near my Job, I just couldn’t find anything. OK here it goes…… but don’t judge me, I went on Craigslist. Yup! Craigslist was my last resort and my only key to find something. I said to myself “How bad can it be, its worth the try” Lol. I am not gonna lie it wasn’t easy but i founded a great place to live In Huntington Beach only 2 miles away from the beach at a great price( to be exact only $725 a month utilities included and did I mention we have a pool!) it was just unbelievable. The people reading this in SoCal please don’t be jelly Haha. That’s why we should never judge a book by its cover.. I didn’t judge craigslist neither should you.. okay maybe just a little bit somethings can be super sketchy there I have to admit. I was just lucky and now I really love the place where I live. The tenant and my roommates are great and I can’t complain. The only thing is maybe I share a bathroom but that’s about it…

Okay taking my story back to that time. I had finally found a place and I was so ready to go back to Texas pack all my things and move to SoCal. That’s exactly what i did. Took the first plane back to Texas and I started packing. Call me crazy but i drove from Texas all the way OC all by myself hahaha. It took me a week to pack and exactly one day of driving if it wasn’t because I stopped in Arizona to rest. When I finally got to LA I had all that weekend to sleep and rest before I started my job on Monday.

My Job literally sucked no joke… It was the worst job I ever had. I was working 12 to 14 hrs a day for only minimum wage (commission base only) . I had no time for myself I had weekends off and they were begging me to work on Saturdays like for real? This wasn’t explained to me when I got interviewed which was so unprofessional…I did knew the kinda job that I was doing . I only wanted an excuse to move out. A month passed and i was slowly getting tired of this job … you may be thinking a Month and tired of the job already .. Well yes! It sucked that much… In march I went on a business trip for the job.. and in that trip i decided to quit i wasn’t getting enough money and management was so rude and inconsiderate to their employees. I had no benefits no 401k … nothing. I was talking to my sister that night that I decided I was gonna quit once the trip was over and one of my coworkers overheard that I was telling her that and that I also had a job interview that coming Monday.

Next thing one of the managers called me and asked me if everything was okay and i said, Yes everything is fine. She then said, “so why you want to quit’ and i was like who said i wanted to quit?????? I overheard she said.. she was far from me the only one that could have said anything was my coworker who I realized was a snitch……. Then my manager said I also overhead you have job interview on Monday. I felt threaten by her and I told her, yes I do is there a problem.. I am allowed to do it. There is no words to express how unprofessional this was. To the point that she even said we are sending all of you back home when the week wasn’t even finished. We still had more day of work there! Thankfully I was only 3 hours far from my home, So I drove back home that Friday night and on Saturday I wrote my resignation letter. In a way it had to happen this way because it open my eyes that I was being exploited by this company. There is so many things to go on detail about this but I will not go into it …You can already see it sucked!

Paloma

I had no friends since this job consumed me a lot. I did have a friend who would call me occasionally and he was, I guess, the only person I could talk about what happened in my life. He is the kind of person who would talk to me for a long period of time and then he would disappear for also a long period of time. I haven’t talk to him in like a month. So he is not a reliable friend. I was without a job for about 3 weeks to be exact. In those 3 weeks I focused on finding another job. I had several job interviews and no luck. I was nervous and desperate for a job.. You know I have bills to pay as everyone does. The only thing that saved me was my tax return.. and I thank God for that.

I went into old habits of talking to strangers online on a virtual chat that I used to use a long time ago. I believe that kind of helped me to distract myself and talk to people since I had absolutely no friends. I met cool people that I talk to now and its been great so far. During that time I also met a girl that lives near me and now we are good friends.. I enjoy hanging out with her a lot.

The third week I finally got a call from a recruiter. She had found me a good job. I did the interview and in less than a week I had a job already. Things just started to fall into place and I was finally getting my life back. I forgot to mentioned while I was unemployed I decided to become a vegetarian and its been a great month without meat. I feel amazing! I am not saying I will never eat meat again but I can definitely say we don’t need meat in our systems.

For now I dedicate my time to getting the best out of life and to be a better person. I feel like my life has just started and that definitely this chapter will be a good one. Moving to another state wasn’t easy at the beginning but now I feel blessed and I know many good things will come my way. I miss my family back in Texas but I know my Dad is proud of me and that was my initial goal in moving out. I really wanted to show him that I can be independent and that I am grown woman. Even though I miss Texas I know living there wasn’t for me. I love California especially the surf city I live in.

Keep up with Paloma on her blog! VISIT PALOMA’s BLOG

#girl #jobs

0 notes

laviedepaloma · 7 years

Text

My First post ever!

Where should I start....

It all began when I moved to SoCal...

My life wasn't going according to plan back in Texas. I had recently graduated from University and I was a bit stuck helping my parents get their USA residency. The process of helping my parents took 9 months and finally when they got their papers.. I felt relieved( I was finally able to move out and find a job and start my professional career).

Little that I know it wasn't that easy. My first plan was to moved to Dubai .. but that didn't go so well. Not only because I couldn't find a job but I also didn't had enough money to go and stay there and find a job. I had spent so much money on going out and helping a friend in need. I decided to stay in the US and get some experience and maybe later on move to my so beloved Dubai.

I met this guy online that lives in LA and started talking to him almost everyday. He talked about how great California was and that it was a great place to live.. despite of how expensive the cost of living is. I always loved California and it was a place I wanted to move when I graduated from High School... which also didn't happen because I was too young to be living by myself (according to my Dad). I decided to apply to some jobs and visit California and see what my options were.

I visited LA twice and it wasn't until the second time I visited that I got a job. A job that wasn't exactly what I wanted. For starters the location wasn't in LA it was actually in OC (Orange county) which is still a pretty cool place to live I have to admit.

That shitty Job was my only excuse to move because I no longer wanted to live in Texas. The next step was to find a place to live.. after hours of searching and investigating areas near my Job, I just couldn't find anything. OK here it goes...... but don't judge me, I went on Craigslist. Yup! Craigslist was my last resort and my only key to find something. I said to myself "How bad can it be, its worth the try" Lol. I am not gonna lie it wasn't easy but i founded a great place to live In Huntington Beach only 2 miles away from the beach at a great price( to be exact only $725 a month utilities included and did I mention we have a pool!) it was just unbelievable. The people reading this in SoCal please don't be jelly Haha. That's why we should never judge a book by its cover.. I didn't judge craigslist neither should you.. okay maybe just a little bit somethings can be super sketchy there I have to admit. I was just lucky and now I really love the place where I live. The tenant and my roommates are great and I can't complain. The only thing is maybe I share a bathroom but that's about it...

Okay taking my story back to that time. I had finally found a place and I was so ready to go back to Texas pack all my things and move to SoCal. That's exactly what i did. Took the first plane back to Texas and I started packing. Call me crazy but i drove from Texas all the way OC all by myself hahaha. It took me a week to pack and exactly one day of driving if it wasn't because I stopped in Arizona to rest. When I finally got to LA I had all that weekend to sleep and rest before I started my job on Monday.

My Job literally sucked no joke... It was the worst job I ever had. I was working 12 to 14 hrs a day for only minimum wage (commission base only) . I had no time for myself I had weekends off and they were begging me to work on Saturdays like for real? This wasn't explained to me when I got interviewed which was so unprofessional...I did knew the kinda job that I was doing . I only wanted an excuse to move out. A month passed and i was slowly getting tired of this job ... you may be thinking a Month and tired of the job already .. Well yes! It sucked that much... In march I went on a business trip for the job.. and in that trip i decided to quit i wasn't getting enough money and management was so rude and inconsiderate to their employees. I had no benefits no 401k ... nothing. I was talking to my sister that night that I decided I was gonna quit once the trip was over and one of my coworkers overheard that I was telling her that and that I also had a job interview that coming Monday.. Next thing one of the managers called me and asked me if everything was okay and i said, Yes everything is fine. She then said, "so why you want to quit' and i was like who said i wanted to quit?????? I overheard she said.. she was far from me the only one that could have said anything was my coworker who I realized was a snitch....... Then my manager said I also overhead you have job interview on Monday. I felt threaten by her and I told her, yes I do is there a problem.. I am allowed to do it. There is no words to express how unprofessional this was. To the point that she even said we are sending all of you back home when the week wasn't even finished. We still had more day of work there! Thankfully I was only 3 hours far from my home, So I drove back home that Friday night and on Saturday I wrote my resignation letter. In a way it had to happen this way because it open my eyes that I was being exploited by this company. There is so many things to go on detail about this but I will not go into it ...You can already see it sucked!

I had no friends since this job consumed me a lot. I did had friend who would call me occasionally and he was I guess the only person I could talk about what happen and my life. He is the kind of person who would talk to me for a long period of time and then he would disappear for also a long period of time. I haven't talk to him in like a month.. So he is not a reliable friend. I was without a job for about 3 weeks to be exact. In those 3 weeks I focused on finding another job. I had several job interviews and no luck. I was nervous and desperate for a job.. You know I have bills to pay everyone does. The only thing that saved me was my tax return.. and I thank God for that. I went into old habits of talking to strangers online on a virtual chat that I used to use a long time ago. I believe that kind of helped me to distract myself and talk to people since I had absolutely no friends. I met cool people that I talk to now and its been great so far. During that time I also met a girl that lives near me and now we are good friends.. I enjoy hanging out with her a lot.

For now I dedicate my time to getting the best out of life and to be a better person. I feel like my life has just started and that definitely this chapter will be a good one. Moving to another state wasn't easy at the beginning but now I feel blessed and I know many good things will come my way. I miss my family back in Texas but I know my Dad is proud of me and that was my initial goal in moving out. I really wanted to show him that i can be independent and that I am grown woman. Even though I miss Texas I know living there wasn't for me. I love California specially the surf city I live in. :)

This is my first post ever ..I will try to post twice a week so wait for my other posts coming out soon! I have a topic that I think some people, specially women can relate to.

OH! btw writing is not my strongest....so don't judge me if my grammar isn't the best lol

The End...

0 notes

topinforma · 7 years

Text

New Post has been published on Mortgage News

New Post has been published on http://bit.ly/2pDChGy

8 Questions You Should Always Ask in an Exit Interview

Exit interviews are common when someone is leaving a job. And usually, the onus is on the employer to ask the questions. If you’re taking a new job offer, they may want to know why you’re leaving, or what they could have done to keep you around. If you’re being let go, they’ll want to make sure you know everything about the package you’re receiving, and your legal options.

See Also on Kiplinger: Best Jobs for Your Future

Rarely do people talk about the questions you should ask in your exit interview. Here are eight that can provide invaluable answers.

1. Will my feedback be anonymous?

If you have some important issues to get off your chest, this is a very important question to ask beforehand. You don’t want to tear into an awful boss or coworker, only to find out that it has gotten back to them. You may even want to consider if it’s worth the risk at all; if you work in similar fields, your paths may cross again in the future.

Despite this, you may feel a moral obligation to tell HR all about the problems that certain coworkers caused, for the sake of the people who are left behind. If you must spill the beans, ask this question before you say anything negative or controversial about anyone. You may even want to write something down that can go on record — minus your name, of course.

2. What did I do well during my time here?

You can phrase this question however you feel most comfortable, but what you’re looking for here is feedback on your strengths. What did you do that made a difference to the company? Were you a rock star at certain things? Were you highly prized in areas you didn’t even consider?

All of this can be great information to take with you to your next job. You may have thought that speaking up in meetings about potential issues with a project was a cause for grief. But it turns out that people really valued you asking those “Devil’s Advocate” questions, as it helped with the development of otherwise unconsidered issues. This kind of feedback can really bolster your performance in your next position.

3. Do I have the option to come back here one day?

It may seem like an odd question to ask — after all, you’re probably leaving the company for very good reasons. However, “boomerang” employees can be common in some industries, especially if you’re leaving to relocate out of state and may one day return. If you’re leaving on good terms, this probably won’t be an issue. If you’re leaving because things went sour with certain people, it may be tricky to return until they, too, have left. If you’re being laid off, you should be given the option to apply for other job openings that match your skill-set in the future.

4. What could I have done better?

No one is perfect. Even an employee that is being begged to stay will still have some areas that could use improvement. Now is the time to find out what those shortcomings are, as this will help you become an even better employee for your next company.

See Also on Kiplinger: Worst Jobs for Your Future

Don’t take any of this feedback personally. You asked the question, and you need to be an adult about the answers you get. Even if things take a turn, and you suddenly find out someone you respected was constantly complaining about you behind your back, just take it in stride. Fix what you think needs fixing, and ignore the petty stuff.

5. Can I use you as a reference in the future?

It may seem like a no-brainer that they’ll say yes, especially if you were a good employee, but many companies frown on their staff providing references for ex-employees. If someone from that company provides a glowing reference for a person who turns out to be unreliable, a thief, a sexual predator, or anything else negative, it can come back on the business and bite them.

The HR department’s job in any company is to look out for the business, not the people who work there. So, if you think you may want to use them as a future reference, ask before you put their name down. Otherwise, they’ll typically verify your dates of employment, and that’s about it.

6. When can I expect my final paycheck, and how much will it be?

Your final paycheck may not be issued to you on a regular pay period. It may also include unused vacation days, and depending on your company, unused personal days, sick time (although that’s rare), and a portion of the annual bonus you were set to receive.

Not only do you want to ask about the final total, but when you can expect to receive that amount, and whether it will be a live check or a bank deposit. If the numbers don’t add up, say something now. If they don’t have final totals yet, make sure you have the phone number of the person in the payroll department.

7. Is there any kind of noncompete in place?

If you were given an employee handbook when you first started, this may be covered in there. But, roles and responsibilities within an organization vary greatly between departments, so now is a good time to clarify. It’s possible that you will be asked not to have any contact with your current clients or vendors for at least a year or two, especially if you will be looking to poach current accounts from your company.

Legally, you may not have anything to worry about, as this is typically more of a courtesy. How you handle this, of course, is entirely up to you. At the end of the day, you have to do what’s right for you and your family, and if there’s nothing in writing to stop you approaching people, it’s your call. And of course, if they approach you without any prompting, that’s another ballgame entirely.

8. What about a severance package and health benefits?

If you’re being laid off, your company may have a set severance package in place. Many businesses offer two weeks of pay for every year of service, up to a cap of their choosing. Others give you a set figure (anywhere from a week to a year) regardless of your time there.

You’ll also need to know what’s happening with your health benefits. Unlike most other countries, health benefits are tied to employment in the U.S. and losing coverage can be costly (or even deadly). Will the company continue covering your health insurance, and if so, for how long? What about COBRA? These are important questions to ask, and if they won’t continue coverage, ask for more money in your severance to help cover the costs.

See Also on Kiplinger: 10 Best College Majors for Your Career

If you are planning to leave your company soon, make sure you have at least some of these questions ready for your exit interview. And if you suffer a layoff, please remember to ask about your severance and benefits.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website.