Saturday, February 12, 2011

Square One

In about two weeks, I'll be starting a new career in a new city. I'll be leaving New York, where I've lived for 6.5 years, and going back to Los Angeles, where I grew up. In addition, I'll be starting work in the construction industry, alongside my father at his construction company. By training, I'm an estate planning and tax attorney, although I have struggled to find work in my field here in New York. I'm also not in love with the legal industry, and I admit to having doubts about whether I really want to make my career there.

It was not my first choice to work in construction- at least, not at first. The more I think about it, though, the more excited I'm getting. I'm looking forward to learning so much- about carpentry and  construction, running a small business, working with clients, the relevant legal issues (hey, I am a lawyer after all!), and so, so much more. Oh, and brushing up on my Spanish.

My father is a skilled carpenter, but for many years has worked as a general contractor. He built his company from the ground up and enjoys a strong local reputation. These days, his work is focused on high-end residential remodel work. I love seeing the houses he does, they are beautiful and I can hardly believe that my dad is doing this work. It also makes me proud, because he's come so far with his company. He has an incredibly strong work ethic and drive and it shows.

At least at first, I'll be helping out with many aspects of the business- working in the office on bookkeeping and administration, running errands, and of course shadowing my dad to learn as much as I can about what he does. Given that I've been unemployed and looking for work for over eight months, I am just so excited to have a chance to be productive and useful. I also want to take full advantage of this opportunity and learn all that I can, with the hope of being able to give back to the company by helping my dad improve and grow his business.

It's a lot, but I'm ready to start.

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