It made me

very satisfied.

How I did it: I've had jobs before.  I liked them alright and it took a while before I realized that I was unhappy with them and wanted something else.  I'd taken them because I needed the money ASAP and couldn't wait for something that fit me.

The last job I left was because the combination of physical discomfort and a busy atmosphere left me feeling seriously anxious.  It was a good job and the boss was great, but many things I had to do everyday killed my back, wrists, and eyes.  He pulled me into the office and told me that he didn't want customers to see me in a crappy mood, and if I couldn't be happy when I show up for work, I should just not come to work.  A few hours later, after discussing it with my boyfriend at the time, I went back to my boss to tell him I was quitting to go back to college.

Last May, I graduated with my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts).  I still didn't have a job, but my boyfriend was patient with me and tried to offer me leads.  I did some freelance art, but just as I thought, if something you enjoy doing becomes a job, you're not going to enjoy doing it anymore.  I made enough to start paying back my loans when they were due, but barely.

A friend of mine told me about a possible job where he works.  It was a desk job.  Filing clerk for an apartment complex.  I was a little nervous about it, because he said they'd had a kind of revolving door for clerks and I wondered why.  The pay sounded great though.  The company was promising all employees would get no less than a certain, awesome, hourly rate by next January.

He asked his boss and she said it would be a couple weeks before she knew if the job was available.  Then after those few weeks, the last person had gotten injured and wanted to hang onto their insurance a bit longer, so it wasn't open yet.  The next month it was going to be open for sure as soon as the higher-ups processed it and put out the official listing.  That's when I actually applied.  It took a while to hear back, but I got a second interview and a form for a drug test.

I learned about the job in December and finally had it in March.  It was less hours than I thought it would be.  I'm at 20/wk so I don't qualify for regular benefits, but it does have retirement.

Why do I love this job?  Because I always wanted an office job.  I had one for a few months (my first job) but they couldn't offer hours over the holidays, so I had to move on.  This job uses all my skills and helps me develop new ones.  It calls on my organized personality and focus on details, and it doesn't hurt.  I love the people I work with and being able to contribute new ideas.

Read how I did it… 22 months ago