Wednesday, August 18, 2021

A Smidgeon Of Good News

 As you might recall, our oldest, Nighean Gheal, finished college this year.

She had a tumultuous go.  Her program, in years gone by, was one year in the US, one year in Hong Kong, one year in Italy, and a fourth year in any one of those locations (most chose the US).

Her Sophomore year - Hong Kong - she was there during the democracy protests.  Her Junior year - Italy - was a combination of the school shutting down followed by racing across Europe (literally) to get to England where she could still get out, remoting in to complete the semester and then having to go back to get her stuff.  Her Senior Year was a combination of 50% US (all remote), followed by 50% Hong Kong (after a three week quarantine upon arrival). 

However, she persevered - yea, more than persevered - and successfully graduated (although hilariously, due to having to collect three sets of grades, no diploma yet) - and finished with an internship at a large - very large - consulting firm.

Her hard work paid off.  Last week she got a job offer from afore mentioned very large consulting firm.

The details are coming in - still no formal letter yet - but at a minimum, her starting salary will be what it took me something like 15 years to make in my industry (and yes, that does indeed account for inflation).

The most unusual thing about this offer - at least to me - is that it will most likely not start until next year.

Call it an output of The Plague.  Typically students in her program do their major internship in their Junior year and get the offer, contingent on completing their Senior Year.  There were no internships last year, so here we are. So it is quite possible she could effectively have a  gap year before starting her job.

 She still has a part time job, and may have yet another offer she could fill the year with.  And yes, I know things are pretty unstable right now.  

But still, it is nice for her to have a vindication of all of her effort, at least now.  And maybe a long vacation to boot.

We are very proud of her (even if, as a Dad, I sometimes find it hard to say).

18 comments:

  1. Almost proud? LOL. That's fantastic news, TB Considering how discouraging the past year and a half have been for so many people, it's a joy to read a success story. Warm congratulations to your daughter!

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    1. Thank you Leigh! It is one of the singular bright points for us in an otherwise dreary year. It is nice, at least for me, to know that people are still out there doing things even in the midst of this sort of thing.

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  2. “Almost”???

    Don’t make me come down there with a fish bonker TB.

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    1. See Glen? You put the Fear of The Almighty into me, and I even updated it! Your words do matter.

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  3. Anonymous3:30 AM

    You should be proud of her, all of that effort and travel to international locations to receive her degree. Must have some moments of 'This is Way Too Hard !!' but she persevered and now has a solid offer of employment. You and your wife taught her well - Good Job Dad !

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    1. We are indeed. She certainly has grown a lot and learned to do a lot on her own - essentially she had to spend 2.5 years of her college experience figuring things out on her own in foreign countries (as we could not have offered much help anyway).

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Congratulations to her! I'd certainly be proud.

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    1. Thank Kelly. She worked very hard to get here.

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  5. The Younger Just So was in a similar situation. He graduated in 2020, just after the initial shutdown. His small private college has an outstanding placement rate, but these were unusual times.

    His job search on Linkedin etc... was frustrating but he did land one. His first job was for an internet startup and lasted from the middle of June until the start of November. He was furloughed from November until the end of December, when he was informed the job would no longer be available. The company ended up shuttered by the end of March.
    He was lucky enough to get an "office manager" position at a small, but very lucrative CPA and tax consulting firm. He is basically an office gopher with special assignments in Data Development. The position has great potential for growth, and he loves to be in the office. He is privy to all types of information as office manager that other employs wouldn't know, and this will play to his advantage in the long run.
    It is interesting seeing our children spread their wings, and being witness to their bumps and scrapes, as well as their triumphs.
    On a side note, I'm not seeing any grandkids... The clock is ticking.

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    1. Just So - I feel Younger Just So's pain. Nighean Gheal's initial internship in the summer of 2020 was to be in Thailand - then, when it canceled due to The Plague, in Indonesia, then that got cancelled as well. She ended up with a couple part time jobs in InterWeb marketing.

      It sounds like he did land on his feet - and yes, being in that sort of position will help him in the long run. It has certainly helped me.

      Their journeys always take twists and turns we could not have anticipated - but they are indeed interesting to watch.

      We are still fairly far removed from the Grandchild question, but I suspect within five years it may become an issue of discussion.

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  6. WOW! She should be proud! and you should, too. Sounds like you and the missus brought up a smart lady. Congratulations. My desire for my kids was to have them develop into peers in their adulthood. People I can actually respect to give me advice, or just visit.

    One of my favorite things to do is compliment those that perform well. Everyone complains about bad service, but no one says "Great Job!" I routinely compliment folks that do a good job, I'll even ask to speak to their manager if they do a really great job. When I call back and get them, or see them the next I visit, it's always a pleasant experience. This has really helped me, too. Keeps me on my toes during a call to pay attention to them. And reminds me the attitude of gratitude is the best attitude to have. I don't know if it makes me a better person, but it sure can't hurt!!

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    1. Thank you STxAR. I like to think we contributed to the process somehow. And having them become peers is indeed a great goal.

      I like to compliment people too! I like to get compliments, but it is also good remember when I was starting out how much that meant to me as well.

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  7. I wish I had undertaken some sort of studies that took me abroad for a year or two at a time. I imagine it was a life transformative experience.

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    1. Ed, just observing her I can say that it was.

      I did a semester in Ireland. Looking back, I wish I had stayed the year.

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  8. Congratulations to her and to you all. Be safe and God bless. ♥

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    1. Thank you Linda! She certainly worked very hard to achieve it. Hope you are all safe and sheltering out of the heat and humidity.

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  9. Congratulations! Enjoy those feelings of pride and gratitude that she has become this solid person. I'm as impressed by her persistence as anything--that's a really important trait. Well done, all of you!

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    1. Thank you very much Caryn! We are very proud of her too.

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