thrihyrne: Portland, OR (Default)
So you remember that post about me being worried about having to dumb myself down and wondering how long it would be before I was able to place myself into a job/career that would be challenging and exciting and I could stay with for years? Well, less than a week since I replied to someone on Indeed (she'd reached out to me back in November but I didn't see it. When I discovered it last Sunday during a casual job title search I assumed they'd hired for the role and just asked her to hold onto my resume and information should a similar role open up again), I accepted a role that ticks every box as a job I will be able to make mine in a way I haven't since working at Nashville Opera.

Thursday morning I felt compelled to check my spam folder and discovered a bit to my horror that the woman on Indeed had replied that day (Sunday) and forwarded on my information to her successor (she's retiring this month). I'd also heard from Donna (the successor), that day (Sunday). So I apologized profusely for being late in replying but said yes, I was interested, and sent resume and cover letter. Within an hour or so Donna wrote and asked if I could interview that afternoon. I said I needed to give a bit of notice, so I took a 7 a.m. interview slot yesterday morning. I sent her my references after the interview (which went very, very well, though I love interviewing and know that I tend to interview well no matter what, but I was particularly excited about the role and situation itself), and then got a call around 4:45 from a number I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer it. Due to celebrating a Friday and just not checking my phone again, I didn't check my voicemail until 10 o'clock. It had been Donna, really wanting to talk with me about the job.

As of around 10:00 last night, I enthusiastically accepted the role of Medical Billing Specialist at Columbia Pain and Spine Institute where I will be part of a small team of 3 specialists and one supervisor (Donna), building an in-house billing and support team from the ground up. Donna is hand-selecting her team (she just started in this role with the purpose of building the team) and I clicked with her immediately during our chat. We seem to be very much on the same page in terms of professionalism, having an agile mind and wanting to create a team within this clinic that, within a few years' time, is seen as a model for other clinics who choose to do/bring their billing in-house and on site. So not only will this role be a Kristi-shaped one, as when I was the one person ticketing department for Nashville Opera, a role that hadn't existed until I was in it, but the entire team will all be coming together at the same time. It's not an exaggeration that I feel like I've just joined an elite force and I will truly come into my own in regards to my profession and being able to really bring all of my skill set to the table. In no way did Donna ask this, but I would enthusiastically sign a 2-year minimum contract to be a part of this new team. I have the instinctive and intuitive sense that this will be the place and environment that is ever-challenging (without it being like Airbnb hypergrowth challenging of nothing EVER staying the same in a frenetic nightmare, but professionally challenging in terms of me able always to learn more, draw on current and future resources and professional groups, and actually challenge *myself* to throw myself into a job I actually believe in and where I will get to learn SO MUCH) where I will want to stay for a very long time. Perhaps until I retire!

So... I've had a lot of busy brain as this all came to pass so quickly, but I'm trying to slow today down back to regular time and remind myself that I've worked to get to this place. I tend to want to see a lot of serendipity and Universe gifts and this certainly falls into that category, but the other very real part is that I've done the work to get here. Despite throwing so much of 2017 into the toilet with my then-unrecognized pattern of creating chaos to start over, I did complete my Medical Coding and Billing certificate online course, I did pass both the CCA and CPC-A national certification exams last March, I did thorough and consistent job hunting to secure a Medical Billing Associate role at ZoomCare and was there nearly 4 months, and continued searching to get placed in the Patient Associate role at CenterLink. I'm the one who decided to write to you, my friends and supporters, when I was despairing about having to dumb down to be safe, ie: living in a post-alcohol environment for myself, and took your belief in me that what I was doing as temporary to heart. I've done what it takes to ensure that I have my disulfiram prescription and Evan and I are in a partnership about me taking it every other day. I'm on buspirone, and also have the Wyld gummies which are subtle yet have been a positive contributing factor to my feeling at 0 on a scale of 1-10 in regards to stress. My brain is healing, I'm living authentically, I feel my core values are far less misty and becoming ever clearer to me, and none of this is a struggle. For that reason alone I know that all of these decisions and this extended period of transition is, without a single doubt, what I am meant to be doing at this time in my life. I believe that the ultimate gift of 2019 will be my year without fear.

Right here, right now, I no longer fear myself.

Oh, and I've been in my post-alcohol phase since 1st December, so today marks 6 consecutive weeks of making that choice. This is nearly always when I get really squirrely, but with all of the other tools I'm actively using at this time, plus the mega excitement of this new role, means that I can safely celebrate (if I feel the need to put that label on it) with the gummies and not immediately put all of these extraordinary opportunities at high risk. What an incredible gift all of this is. I'm awash in gratitude.
thrihyrne: Portland, OR (knitting cable lover by me)
I've been writing some about this potential new career to do with getting involved with the aging/retirement community, the upcoming approach of the large Baby Boomer generation in this, and my personal desires and drives to be doing something fulfilling and that is an intuitive use of my skills. Yesterday I had an information-gathering meeting with the Residential Life Director at one of the retirement centers here in town (I'd written to one, then called and left a message because the person was out of town for a week, but I've heard nothing). I wasn't sure how the meeting would go, but it was an absolute delight and I came away feeling all the more certain that I'm on the right track. She has the kind of position that I think I would be exceptional in, in that she's a liaison, listening ear, concierge and conduit between the independent residents and the management of the institution. I was asking pretty specific questions about computer use and support for residents and she helpfully filled in the picture for me. The kind of hybrid position of training with working with the aging community and low-grade IT support doesn't really exist, and it might be too narrow of a concept. She did indicate that it would be a very welcome volunteer position that I could create, were I to be staying in the area. I think that once I've relocated I'll do this same kind of information-gathering at as many facilities as I can get into, though it definitely helped here in that mom knew someone who is in an independent living apartment there and she greased the wheels by providing this person's email to me. Still, if I can reinforce again and again that I'm not looking for employment, I'm information gathering (as well as hoping to volunteer) I should be able to continue finding out more and more about what the various environments and cultures are like, as well as upcoming needs and how these institutions are planning for the influx of people who are far more tech savvy than they have been in recent years. What was most wonderful was being able to really talk with someone about respecting this group of people who in many ways are shunted off by society.

I then was picked up by this women my mom knew and I went to her apartment where we talked, got to know each other, and I started the process of helping her to make a clone of her hard drive so that she has a back up before also potentially helping her to upgrade her operating system. Like me, she's a long time Mac user, and a very savvy, living-life-to-the-fullest woman. I think I may end up disappointing her when I let her know that I'm going to be heading out to the northwest! But I'll help out as long as I can.

Don't know that I've mentioned this, but we have another house guest, a former colleage of my mother's who's spent time here before more than once. He's on sabbatical from his university in NJ and will be here for the semester, staying in the room across the hall from my parents. So it's a full house! He's quite laid back, a perfect house guest, and I know my mom is enjoying having him help out in her lab.

The post wouldn't be complete without yet another picture of yet another knitted project- I don't have buttons for the Mystery 80's Cardigan™ so I haven't taken pictures yet, but there was enough yarn left over for me to make a scarf, which I've given to my mom.

pic below the cut )
thrihyrne: Portland, OR (Default)
Just a quick post to say that I'm back into the land of the internet, but I won't make a proper post until I'm back in the 'burg at some point on Monday. Maine was absolutely beautiful, and I have some pictures to prove it. I also had a totally inspiring and quite profound conversation with my stepsister and her husband today about the whole career track concept and can't wait to get home to start doing a whole bunch of research. I wrote a little on my monk story in New Jersey, but primarily I've been reading and, until arriving in NYC, enjoying the quiet.

For now, I hope you're all having a pleasant weekend. I'll do a quick LJ scan, but I can't possibly get caught up. If I missed something major, drop me an email. I'll post sometime on Monday, though since it'll have pictures, it will be locked. ♥

January 2023

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