Not much to say today except more of just running to keep up at work.  This is the first job where I've felt like I have to struggle to earn my pay rather than I'm under compensated.  In the past I've always felt that I should be paid more for all the work I do, with this job there is so much I don't know, I feel more fraudulent than confident!  Before digging in to the work of the day I spent a few minutes replying to alumni emails that come through the web site, I really find that satisfying and could do it all day.  I like it on several levels, I enjoy hearing from people and getting a glimpse at to how they connect with the school and how they want to keep in touch.  I like being able to help people across the world connect with the institution in some way either by making sure their contact information is correct or updating whether they want t receive the magazine electronically, or how to order transcripts or connect with other alumni in their area.  I like that many of the questions cause me to delve in to my history and knowledge of the school and be able to refer folks to the right people or offices.  I like the validation that comes when I'm able to help somebody and they respond in gratitude.  When I was in advising we had to know just about everything there was about the school, the changing curriculum who to talk to in financial aid or career development.  Everything was different all the time and I enjoyed trouble shooting with people.  In my job now I don't get to do as much of that as I would like.  It's the alumni relations student worker's job to respond to emails but I try to sneak a few in once in a while.  Maybe I should just pick two or three a day that i want to respond to as a way of breaking up the rigor.

it's not that I don't think my work is important I thinks it's very much so.  We have so very far to go with the foundation to bring engagement and giving up to any kind of standard.  It's all very stale right now and I really want to help move it forward in a major way.  Soon our new director will come on board there are many hopes on her.  Mine is to reinvogorate our development team and allow the staff to concentrate on their strengths and focues on their roles rather than getting endlessly caught up in 101 events and goings on that are both critical and distracting.  There  is a lot expected of our new director.  I hope she's up to it!  I hope we all are!