Snowflake Challenge #9 & #10

[kat_lair]

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Uhhh, hi. Work is ridiculous. We shall not discuss the number of my overtime hours or the number of smacks moth2fic  and pushkin666 are ready to dole out. Both are high.

Let's just do a little catch-up on them Snowflake challenges.




Challenge #9: Brag about yourself

Have literally done this all weekend which involved writing a promotion letter and then writing it again, twice. It was a lot of transformational leadership and strategic thinking etc. But by necessity I also did a some genuine reflection and in summarising a lot of my experience and resulting key strengths I concluded: "I have spent much of my professional and personal life in the ‘in between’, in the intersections of countries, disciplines, identities and roles. While undeniably a cause for both discomfort and friction at times, such liminal spaces have given me room to grow and shaped my leadership. I seek and make connections, and work to build bridges across perceived boundaries, whether disciplinary, departmental, or those arising from individual differences." So there's that.

I'm proud of my fanfic. I'm proud of my poetry and getting some of it published.

I'm proud of being where I am, who I am, professionally and personally, when it hasn't always been easy.



Challenge 10#: Fandom love letter

I don't have energy or creativity to write anything very witty here so I'll keep it brief. I love fandom because it is an endless source of joy, creativity, distraction and emotional catharsis (for every emotion, from horny to transcendent awe to despair to wheezing hilarity to rage). I love fandom because it's given me a place to belong and people to belong with and to belong to. I love fandom because it's made me learn and challenged me and pushed me out of my comfort zone while at the same time offering the most comforting of zones to hide in when I need it. I love fandom because fandom makes me love being me.

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Comments

[dreamersdare]

I'm proud of you too. I think if you don't get the promotion, we should all come down there and slap the relevant decision-makers with a wet fish *decisive nod*

Try not to let the bastard situation grind you down, hon

[kat_lair]

Thanks hun. That's a rousing vote of confidence :D There's a paper shift and then interview in the summer if I get through that stage... Of course right now I'm not that bothered in a way, which may work in my advantage.

Stopped work before 9? Win?

[dreamersdare]

Funnily enough, I was talking about you today, in the context of people who work in academic organisations who don't deserve them and can't really afford to lose them. Because you are significantly more awesome than your employer.

Yes, win. I stopped work before 10, which... no, lose.

[lunabee34]

Good luck on your promotion.

*cheerleads*

[kat_lair]

Thank you! I'm feeling so meh about work rn though that it's difficult to fake enthusiasm. Hopefully I've regained it by the time the interviews are, if I get to that stage.

[corvidology]

I'd give you the promotion for that excellent summation and I'm on one of those committees so... ♥ \o/

[kat_lair]

Whoo, that's actually super encouraging. I've pared it down for the actual submission as that has strict limits on the length and current version is doing the rounds of feedback with various key people at work...

[seleneheart]

Bragging about yourself in a professional situation is really hard, good for you!

[kat_lair]

It was so painful! Pretty much worked on honing two pages of writing all weekend, with the help of some brutal yet necessary feedback from my partner :D

[adafrog]

Wow, that's quite the conclusion there. Well written.

[kat_lair]

Thank you! It got pared down a bit for the current version but turned out really helpful in providing a coherent framework form a lot of my activities.

[naye]

That's a fabulously written paragraph. Fingers crossed the people in charge are smart enough to see that you deserve this promotion.

I love fandom because fandom makes me love being me.

That is so beautifully put. Wow.

[kat_lair]

Thank you. Promotion letters are hard. There's a paper shift and then an interview stage later for those who get through that. The whole process takes all the way to summer.

Thanks hun. There's something about fandom that lets me combine almost all the part of my personality in a good way, from silly to analytical, from creative to organised...

[sjh2009]

It's so hard to 'sell yourself' as they often describe it here, but I would be very impressed to read that letter. You're clearly dedicated to your job and I hope you are suitable rewarded with the promotion that you obviously deserve. I think you have every reason to be proud of yourself !

I have bookmarked your A03 page, why do I not recognise your name, you've written SGA and while John/Rodney are my pairing of choice I still enjoy reading different pairings. Still it means more new stories for me to read :)

Fandom is such a wonderful place to belong, I love your statement that it makes you love being you. Perfect!

Thank you for taking part.

[kat_lair]

Thank you very much, that is very encouraging to hear :) Writing promotion letters is hard but I've got several 'beta readers' including people at work who know exactly what the panel is looking at.

And bless, that's super nice of you. I think I'm too multifandom to be really recognisable in any of them. I flit about too much for that! Hope you enjoy the SGA fic, it was the first fandom I actually published fic in (so some of the earlier works are probably quite purple prosey...)

As I said in a comment above, fandom kind of support several different parts of my personality and interests and also gives that sense of community.

[nerakrose]

I love fandom because fandom makes me love being me. oh, this resonates.

[kat_lair]

Just something about it, you know. This is right for me but also I'm right for it!

[nerakrose]

yes!

[turps]

I love your fandom love letter.


I'm proud of being where I am, who I am, professionally and personally, when it hasn't always been easy.

And that is fantastic!

[kat_lair]

Thank you very much on both accounts! I'm so behind on the challenge and DW again but i really want to go read other people's brags and love letters!

[pushkin666]

Having read your letter you are totally deserving of the promotion. If they don't give it to you you need to stop doing all the extra things that you do.

[kat_lair]

The problem is that all the extra things I do are the things I love the most... But thanks for the vote of confidence hun <3

[moth2fic]

Two great snowflakes there! We've had real snow here but it keeps thawing. Horrified at your hours... *slap, slap, slap*

[kat_lair]

I'm slowly catching up with the snowflakes... Weather is wet and muddy here.

Yeah, slaps are justified. The hours are... still piling up. In good news, they're going to start paying us 90% instead 80%...

[moth2fic]

Every teacher at any level I have ever known has had this problem with part time work. It's disgraceful that you are paid only a proportion of your salary for more work than you would be officially expected to do full time. I'm glad they're paying you a little more, but with my ex-union hat on and my lawyer (with special attention to industrial law) hat too, I really think you should be making a stand and demanding full pay since you're doing at least a full time job. If you did take them to an industrial tribunal (and no, I know you won't and I'm not suggesting you do) you'd win...

[spikedluv]

What a great conclusion for your promotion letter!

it's given me a place to belong and people to belong with and to belong to.

Your love letter ain't half bad, either. *g* Ahhh, fandom.

Thank you for sharing these! *hugs*

[kat_lair]

Thank you. It's kind of gotten changed since then but...

Fandom is comfort, even when I'm too tired for anything except for passive consumption.

*hugs back*