Lola’s Ramblings: What do you like about your job?

Posted April 16, 2015 by Lola in Lola's Ramblings / 22 Comments

LolaRamblings

Lola’s Rambings is a feature on Lola’s Review where I talk about me. Usually these posts are everything that doesn’t fall under any standard header, like blog tours, book blitzes, cover reveals or reviews. Lola’s Ramblings posts are are personal discussions of a certain topic. Sometimes about book related topics and sometimes about non-book related topics. This feature was previously known as About Me. The banner for this feature is designed by Michelle from Limabean Design.

I came up with the idea for this blog tour post after planning a blog post about how much effort organizing tours was, but while I wanted to talk about my job and I like showing what kind of work I do, I felt like that post was more like I was showing off how much effort tours is and that wasn’t what I wanted to accomplish with that post. So then I thought of what I actually wanted to tell people and how I could turn a post about my job more positive. So then I came up with this idea, I realized how much I love my job and then I was wondering what others liked about their jobs. I want to hear about your jobs and what the fun parts are!

I believe every job has it’s fun parts

I always hope that most people at least like some things about their job as you spend most of your days working. Maybe that’s the optimist in me or maybe I just grew up believing your work had to be fun at least, but I strongly believe that if you enjoy your work, you work better and if possible you should try and find a job that makes you happy. After being jobless for a long time a few years back does mean I know how hard that can be and that sometimes just having a job at all is a blessing and beggars can’t be choosers. But I still hope that everyone can find something fun about their job.

Often people seem to complain about their jobs, but you don’t often hear people talking about the things they like about their job. So I want to focus on the positive things today! I always dreamt of having a fun job as a kid and I could see the fun aspects in many different jobs, I always wanted to be a teacher or a writer. I loved coming up with stories and told me sister stories when we didn’t want to sleep. And I always though teaching peopel new things is fun and I still think that, even though I don’t think I would enjoy teaching for whole days. I also thought that working in a hotel sounded like the best job ever as everyone who visits is having fun and going on vacation. I read a book when I was young about kids growing up in a hotel, so that might have controbuted to that idea. I have no clue if I actually would enjoy those jobs though and I think that those jobs can be hard as well. I think that whether you enjoy your job or not is also a mixture or your job and your personality. I for example probably wouldn’t be able to focus in a busy clothing store, even though for other people that might be a great job as they are more outgoing and can stand talking to people the whole day. While I feel exhausted after a day of interacting with people. I feel like in my current job as owner of Lola’s Blog Tours I am on my place and the job fits me and what I want from a job. I can honestly say I love my job and I think I pretty much have my dreamjob.

What is my job

I am the owner of Lola’s Blog Tours and pretty much treat it as a full time job. I work about 6-8 hours each day even in the weekend, but I don’t mind that. I organize tours, have contact with authors, promote the tours I am organizing, sned out e-mails, have contact with bloggers and update my site. Beside that I also do some marketing assistant work. My job involves all aspects of making sure Lola’s Blog Tours runs smoothy. This involves sending out e-mails, working on media kits, checking sign-up forms, sendign out media kits and more.

What I like about my job

Okay really there are very few things I dislike about my job, actually I can’t really think of anything. I don’t really like doing VAT, but it’s only a few times each year, so it’s not too bad. Sometimes difficult situations with a blogger or author pop up, but those are rare. In general I enjoy most aspects about my job.

    Mouse and mousepad

  • Working with authors, bloggers and books. I love working with authors and helping them spread the word about their books. There is nothing better then working with authors and books all day long. I also like the promoting aspect and how I am helping spread the word about awesome books. I love books and being able to work with books every day makes me happy. The contact with authors and bloggers is another one of the things I like, most authors and bloggers are really nice people and it never feels like a hazzle to answer their e-mails.
  • Control. I am a control freak and one of the things I love about my job is having total control, I can determine my schedule, I can determine when I do what or when to move a task to the next. I can take breaks whenever I want, although I hardly ever do so. If I want to change something I can, if I don’t like something I can change it whenever I want. I can remove things that don’t work for me or try out new things if I have a great idea. I don’t have to ask or consult anyone else before implanting a change. Ofcourse there are always some things that are outside my control, but I like having as much control as I do in my job.
  • Standing up late. I am so not a morning person and standing up how late I want is a definite plus about my job. It also helps that I am in the Netherlands and most people like authors and bloggers I work with live in the US, so when I stand up around noon, that means that’s about when the day starts in the US as well as it’s about 6am there. So I am more awake during the same hours because I stand up later. So it’s not only something I like, it’s also handy for my job. You can read this post if you want to know what a day in my life looks like.
  • KeyboardWorking alone. I hate to admit it, but I am just not a team worker. Ofcourse I dont completely work alone as I work with authors and bloggers, but I don’t have another person who works at Lola’s Blog Tours and with whom I have to coordinate things. And that’s one of the things I like as I am not good at working together in that sense. This also ties in with me being a control freak. I just prefer working alone and I am happy that I can do that.
  • Organizing tours. I am a very organized person and I love organizing things, from the planning stage to seeing it all come together and then the start of the tour, it’s almost magical. I do a happy dance every time a new blogger signs-up for a tour or as a tour host. And the start of a tour always feels exciting as I’ve been working on it a long time and I can finally see the results in the form of blog posts going live.
  • Online communication. I find communicating online much easier and comfortable than talking to people in real life, it’s not to say I never talk to people in real life, but I find communicating online easier. When I talk with people in real life it often drains my energy, but I never seem to have that issue online for some reason. So I am happy for the internet and being able to communicate online, although I would love to meet some of the people I met online in real life once.

Lola’s Blog Tours is a dream come true and I love being able to do what I love every day. It can be hard sometimes, but at the core it’s work that I love doing and I hope I am able to keep doing this for a long time to go.

What is your job? And what do you like about your job?

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22 responses to “Lola’s Ramblings: What do you like about your job?

  1. Well, I’m an author and a mother and both jobs have their positives and negatives. What I love about being an author (self-published!): writing what I love, writing on my schedule, getting to know tons of other authors, bloggers, and industry people (you!), and watching readers fall in love with the worlds I create. What I love about being a mother: unlimited hugs and kisses from my kids, the way they make me laugh, watching them accomplish things that I taught them, raising them to be independent and witnessing those moments of independence.

    Both of my jobs have downsides. I am experiencing a whole lot of negativity in my second year of publishing, so it does help to remember all the good stuff. Your post comes at an opportune time! 🙂
    S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Choosing To Write Short StoriesMy Profile

    • I agree I think every job has it’s negativity which is a shame, but it’s good to focus on the positive sides sometimes. It sure sounds like your jobs are great. Doing things on my own schedule is one of the benefits of my job as well and metting awesome authros like yourself :). And that must be a great feeling having readers fall in love with the worlds you created. While I don’t plan on having kids, I can imagine it must be nice to see them grow up and accomplishing things you taught them and get their love in return.

  2. I can relate to your control freak aspect and how you like organizing things 😉
    Well, I’m a librarian. As a kid, I wanted to work in a bookshop since I always loved books, so I guess I got what I wanted and even better : people can borrow the books for free ! I’m organized, curious and I love to learn about very different things. I also love the social service aspect of my work, how even people who live out on the street like to come to our library and read, how people coming for information or a book they’ve heard so much about can go back home with a smile on their face, how we meet people with completely different backgrounds and origins 🙂
    Red Iza recently posted…Cat thursday #38 : Playful catsMy Profile

    • Being a librarian or in a bookstore sounds like a great place to work if you love books. I applied to a few bookstores and libraries when I was jobless two years ago, it soudned like fun jobs. I think it’s nice working with books if you love reading and that’s one of the things I enjoy about my job as well. And it must be nice seeing people leave with a smile and a new book :). Thanks for telling me about your job!

    • Organizing blog tours is a lot of work and it took me a while to figure out a system that works, but I think because I value organizing it works well for me. I love the work :).

      Oh that’s nice having so much flexibility, there aren’t many jobs which have that. I always hate going to the dentist, although I am assuming going there to help them implement software is a very different experience. And it’s a good thing your co-workers and boss are nice, that certainly makes a job easier and more enjoyable.
      Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: What do you like about your job?My Profile

  3. I love this question and the ‘glass is half full’ positive note to it b/c we do usually focus on the negative when it comes to jobs. I can see where yours is challenging, but so neat too.

    As for me, I’m a part-time social services caseworker for low income families. This involves actual casework, adult and family education, connecting with other programs for resources, office administration, community work, and more (I won’t bore you). I love the overall goal of making a difference in people’s lives and helping them rise out of poverty a little at a time. I love supporting my families especially if I can be there for them when they’re in crisis and I love teaching them how to better themselves and watching them take what I give them and independently work toward change. There is a huge amount of stress b/c I work directly with people needing help so I’m grateful that I can work part-time (used to be full-time for years) and spend the rest of the week re-charging. I’m good about compartmentalizing which helps me leave my job at work and not keep worrying about stuff when I come home. My caseload is frequently higher than it is supposed to be and I have a lot of administrative responsibilities so I must be able to multi-task and time manage well which are skills that I have. Fun tasks are helping to teach the parenting, food & nutrition, good health, and family literacy classes. I got to create a library for the families and helped get the books and materials donated. There are so many good things about my job if I look for them.
    Sophia Rose recently posted…Below the Belt by Jeanette Murray #ReviewMy Profile

    • I hear so many people complaining about their jobs and I didn’t want to add to that, but focus on the positive instead. Indeed my job is challenging and can be frustrating at times, but at the core it’s work I love.

      I think your job can really make a difference for those people. I know we don’t have a lot of money and it can be hard sometimes. I am assuming those people are really gratefull for your help and that’s nice to see how you can make a difference for them. I can understand how that goal of making a difference makes it a fun job. Leaving your job at work must be important with a job like that and something I have trouble with sometimes and one of the harder aspects of my job as I work from home. I am happy to hear there are so many fun things at your job, those certainly make up for the harder and frustrating parts.
      Lola recently posted…Lola’s Ramblings: What do you like about your job?My Profile

  4. I work with animals 🙂 It’s officially an animal rescue but at the moment operating as a sanctuary. I love the animals (most days) and that I work for myself and that I can rock pjs and bed head and no ones going to complain. lol Then on the side I do author services as well but nothing big. I just do a little here and there when asked. Maybe one day I’ll amp that up 🙂

    Great question Lola! And it’s awesome to see how much effort and how seriously you take what you do 🙂
    anna (herding cats & burning soup) recently posted…The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed (Billionaire Boys Club #3) by Jessica ClareMy Profile

    • Working with animals sounds like a great job as well, I love animals, although I also get attached easily so it would be hard to let them go. And indeed being able to walk around in PJ’s the whole time is another benefit of my job as well. And I love workign for myself, I am not sure if I would function well in a big team.
      It’s hard to really establish a presence in the blog tour organizing field, but I am still hoping my company will grow. It’s slow progress, but I keep believing I’ll eventually get at the point I can completely pay my bills with this work. And I am sure that if you ever decide to amp your author services up you would do great!
      Lola recently posted…Lola’s Kitchen: Carrot Souffle RecipeMy Profile

  5. I work in a hotel, in the Reservations department. So I get to sit down all day and take calls of people who want to book a room at the hotel. I like it a lot more than I expected to. It helps that in the slow season, my boss said we are allowed to bring a book or something else quiet to do.

    Last night I spent a little over 3 hours reading because it was so slow. On Saturdays, I spend most of my 8 hour shift reading. But even when it’s not slow, the day goes by so fast! That’s one of my favorite things. I hate when days drag on, and since I get to sit down, my feet don’t bother me either.

    And my job feeds us. The restaurant cooks 2 big meals a day for employees, so we don’t have to make our own, or buy it or anything. 1 meal a shift, in the mornings, and then late afternoon for the closing staff.
    Silvara recently posted…Fantasy Creature Friday – Dryad!My Profile

    • Wow your job sounds really good. I worked at a bakery department once and I hated the standing on my feet aspect, so it’s definitely a plus if you can sit. And those days that drag by are the worst indeed, it’s nice when the days go by fast. And getting to read when it’s slow and getting free meals, that’s pretty great! I always wanted to work in a hotel as it sounds fun.

  6. I love the idea of being self-employed & doing design work. I used to work as a bookseller, the long hours were stressful but it does help me with publishing companies where I can snag an ARC 🙂 What I liked best was the conversations I had with customers about books whereas I couldn’t do that with anyone I knew in person, I discovered a lot of gems through that way! Great discussion post <3
    Benish recently posted…ARC Review: Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven ♥My Profile

    • I think beign a bookseller would be great, but the long hours and standing on your feet the whole day would be tiring. Oh I can imagine you could have some awesome conversations with some of the customers and find some good books. I hope you can eventually start your own design work, being self-employed really has it’s benefits :).
      Lola recently posted…Review: A Moment to Love by Jennifer FayeMy Profile

  7. Your job is so cool! I know it’s not always so easy, but it’s certainly nice to be working with books and authors. Right now, I’m a tutor, but I plan on quitting soon. I think what I like about my job was the adorable or funny children I worked with. But hopefully soon I will find a job that would also have some fun aspects. Or maybe find something I love doing.
    Francine Soleil recently posted…Series Review: Mistborn 1-3 by Brandon SandersonMy Profile

    • Thanks Francine, I think my job is cool as well. Like you said it’s nto always easy, but the positive points certainly outweigh the negatives. And I love working with authors and books, it just makes me happy to do something I love.
      I think children can be fun to be around, but they can also create a mess and be annoying, so I can see how that can be a good and a bad thing to work with kids. It’s hard to find out what kind of job is right for you and some jobs sound more fun on paper than they actually are. I hope you’ll find a fun job soon! Good luck with your search!
      Lola recently posted…Blog Tour: Tara Nikkel and the Shaman of La’la Eek by R.A. SappMy Profile

    • I can see how being a freelance editor has some of the same perks as my job! I don’t think I would make a good editor, but it sounds like a great job and I think it’s wonderfull how you can help authors and spot mistakes and flaws in their stories they might not see themselves and help the book become better in the process.
      I also love the setting my own schedule part of my job. I can imagine how with having kids that aspect is even more important!
      Lola recently posted…Blog Tour: Tara Nikkel and the Shaman of La’la Eek by R.A. SappMy Profile

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