New Job - New Title

On Monday, September 26, I started my new job in DC. Just like 6 years ago when I broke out of being a Recruiter position into an HR Assistant position that morphed into an HR Coordinator role - I broke out of the HR Coordinator role and into an HR Generalist role. HR Generalist has been a career goal of mine for a long time, I have always wanted to be a generalist and I think I would be happy if I stayed in this job for awhile. I don't have career aspirations to be an HRBP or Manager, I just like doing a little bit of all HR throughout my work portfolio, with maybe an added preference for technology. I love HR and I love helping employees, and I am really good at knowing random things within HR. One of my strengths is working together as a team, while personally I am a loner, professionally I am a team player. So, I truly think this HR Generalist position will be a good fit for me. Mind you I have only been in this position for 2 months and there has already been some hard times and a lot of self doubt - I have a great support network (including many whom I worked with at my last company). Also, I am more aware of some of my weaknesses and one of them is being open and honest in the workplace because it is not something I do at all. I normally just shut down - and if I want to succeed, I need to be willing to have open and honest and at times difficult conversations. But I also need to be in an environment that I feel safe enough in to voice those concerns. And right now I have that. The generalist role at American Chemical Society (ACS) is new and I report directly to the head of HR which is a fabulous opportunity for me to gain and learn!

They all were very welcoming!

First few days of my office. I haven't had an office in 7 years and I am honestly not sure if I like it. I have grown accustom to working around people and being able to turn around and say, "Hey Martha" or "Alissa what are you doing?". Part of me wants to tear down all the walls - I think a team operates better in an open environment. I also have a window (which coming from my old place isn't that amazing cause I had an entire all of windows before), but here it is mazing.

My boss really wanted me to decorate and I'm like dude I did - this is what I had at my last job :)

I'm still working on that whole making my office more personal - but I did hang one picture, and I have hopes of bringing in my framed diploma and certifications (if I could find that box Anthony buried in our storage room).

And look I have business cards!

Yep, ACS even has cool Snapchat filters! This pic was just to show the filter, but hidden behind the National Chemistry Week is my picture I have hung on the wall.

While I am still in DC and only a mile away from where I worked for the last 2 years, I am in a completely different part of town and only 5 blocks from this famous place. And apparently the hotel I can see from outside my window the President frequents and when that happens the secret service goes on our roof.

Starting to make friends - they do a lot of social events and I am slowly warming up to people (it takes me awhile).