Ask Working Girl (and Awards!)

Today I bring you another installment of (insert trumpets blaring) Ask Working Girl! But before we get to my oh-so-experience answers to your lovely questions, WG1 and I would like to say thank you for a few awards we've received recently. 

Symphonic Discord, Dreamweaver and She's Got the Gift of Gab awarded us with the The Lemonade Award (which makes me want to drink lemonade out on my porch even though it is currently 12 degrees outside). Thank you! 

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Little Woman, Little Home awarded us with the Proximidade Award. Her 101 Things in 1,001 days list makes me want to get off my ass and do it too, so read her blog for inspiration! 

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These Are the Days of One Gemini and Relish gave us the Honest Scrap award. Thank you very, very, very much! We honestly love our award!

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And last but not least, Sunny gave us the Premio Dardos award. And I just read that Sunny can speak in four languages and write in six. To which all I can say is damnnnn. 

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And now on with the show, which includes me answering questions to the best of my abilities (while simultaneously watching a bad Lifetime movie). 

Melly asked: I'm a therapist, but I'm sure there's quite a few of us who have to set-up/decorate an office to meet with prospective clients. Can you give us a DO and DON'T list? 

WG2 answered: I cannot boast of my styling skills. Some of you might remember my recent post where I admitted I would like to use PB Teen to style an office if I ever get one. 

But if I were going to give some do's and don'ts, I would say "less is more" is always a good styling go-to especially when styling an office. You don't want minimalist, but you do want simplistic. Plants and flowers always make an impression on clients and also make you feel like you're in a homey environment (I'm a big fan of orchids myself). Works of art can also spice up the work place and can even get be a conversation starter. I would check out etsy for some good finds or even hit up an art fair - just don't get too crazy on this one, you don't want anything that is NSFW. 

Anonymous asked: How do you manage to juggle between personal and professional life? Has your personal life ever suffered? 

WG2 answered: Juggling between the two has always been a hardship of mine...which is funny because I'm only 23 (almost 24!) and I don't have children or a husband (or even a boyfriend), so it really shouldn't be that hard, but for me it has been. See once I leave work, I usually hit a dead zone where all I want to do is order in Chinese food and veg in front of my favorite TV shows. I am also poor, so going out after work usually takes a toll on my bank account. 

Since I moved to Chicago, I have definitely seen a difference in myself though. I really think it's just a matter of pushing yourself beyond that limit of tired and frustrated. What works for me is making a schedule of what I plan on doing each day after work. Like this week, I went to the gym on Monday, had dinner with my dad on Tuesday, vegged out tonight, and tomorrow is the gym again. You're more likely to do something if you have a set plan. 

Luckily, my work has never really prevented me from plans in my personal life. I've worked a few weekends and late nights here and there, but I usually compensate somehow by leaving work early one Friday or taking a day off. It's all about finding a perfect balance. 

Diaries of an Insomniac asked: I just started a blog and am wondering, what are some good ways for me to get my blog noticed? I'd really like some feedback, and to know someone is reading it. Do you have any advice? 

WG2 answered: One great way to get feedback on your blog is by joining 20sb's. It's a great forum for 20-something's to post discussions, participate in forums, and get feedback on what they are writing and put out on the web. 

Another great way to get feedback is just to ask for it! Sometimes some of our favorite bloggers can be intimidating. I mean there are some bloggers out there who I think of as celebrities! But it never hurts to ask what they think. So just be blunt and ask. 

MY asked: How about getting a job you love in your field? Regardless of how much effort you put into your college career it seems as if none of it has paid off when it comes to finding the first job. Any of us who have graduated last year could not have picked a better time in history to graduate! 

WG2 answered: It's true that the economy is horrible right now. And I can't be anything more than thankful that I found a job during these tough times, but I think my finding a job is living proof that it is possible. 

The only piece of advice I can give anyone looking for a job right now is perseverance. You just have to keep going. I think I probably applied for about 30-50 jobs a week when I was looking for a new job last year. And to be honest I started looking for a job in the summer and didn't get any real interviews until November. The problem with this economy is that finding a job in our dream field might be hard, so taking something that we like (instead of love) might be the best bet. But never stop looking. You never know when the perfect opportunity might pop up. 

Have a work-related question? Blog-related question? Or want to know something random about one of us? Ask! Send your questions to WorkingGirlOne@gmail.com or WorkingGirlTwo@gmail.com or just post a comment here.