Question 01

(Two people asked this!)

Where do you work, and what do you do? Are you using your college degree?

Jessica, what exactly is your job?

I work at a major fashion label on Madison Avenue. However, my job only gets creative with numbers, not design. I'm a "business analyst" which basically means the same as "transponster" when you mention it, so I often use one or the other to describe what I do. I work on the Basic Stock Replenishment team (aka THE NERDS) and make sure that those year-round (non-seasonal/fashion) wallets, belts, keyfobs, and men's dress shirts get from the factory to our distribution centers (then someone else takes care of getting it from the DC to the customer, i.e., Macy's, Dillards, etc.). There are only four other people in my department (Menswear, Childrenswear, Lauren, etc.), so we're pretty tight-knit and it almost feels like our corner is separate and independent from the "corporation." However, we also work on the footwear floor with the showroom and all the shoe designers so I see a lot of things I covet and also a lot of people who are uber-judgey and if our floors weren't carpeted, they would be referred to as "clackers." I'm the girl that shows up in a mostly non-RL wardrobe without a $10,000 handbag, so I don't get much acknowledgement from people outside of my team. Not my problem.

I went to Boston University for Journalism, so, no, I'm not exactly using my college degree. I moved to New York interviewing at magazines, but I didn't get the jobs and the jobs wouldn't have been enough for me to survive here. I began freelancing, but that wasn't enough, either. I'm pretty happy with my job and all it's benefits, though! I kind of started this blog to have a place to write often...so I wouldn't get rusty. It's usually casual writing, of course. I do believe writing is essential, however, to any corporate job and I think it shows in my yearly reviews when "communication skills" is my highest-rated asset and my boss compliments my e-mails and I've become the proofreader of our team. In the future, I may put my degree to more focused use, but I find it has helped me a lot already.

(More answers on my next break of time...ask me anything!)