Thought Box

So, it’s about time to do a little house cleaning.  The blog has a new sexy look, new pics are uploaded, and the main webpage is updated with a new main image.  I’m getting a little better with Photoshop, so I’m pleased with how that is going.  Otherwise, I really have no idea what else I want to use the website for right now.  As mentioned in a previous post, I think the blog and site will take on greater value once I’ve gotten married and started a family, but I’m a few steps away from that still.

Over the Holidays I setup new email accounts using the rosenbaugh.com domain.  Hopefully my family members are enjoying email with Jeff as their provider.  :)  In general though, it’s nice to have an email address that will give me a little more flexibility, that is not tied to BYU or another organization I am a part of.  I’m also really happy with the discussion lists that DreamHost lets me setup.  I’ve setup a family distribution list so that an email will go out to all of us by shooting off a single message.  Again, it’s not of super high importance right now, but as the family grows it could be a pretty handle tool.

I’m flying out to Houston to interview with ExxonMobil next week, and I’m pretty excited.  It should be a really fun time, and I’m really hopeful that this pans out.  I originally received an offer from  Accenture (who I 100% recommend for those interested), but I felt very uncomfortable with making a decision that would take me back to Chicago now that I’m not planning on getting married in April.  Houston has a great singles scene, and the pay at Exxon is fabulous.  So, all things considered, this is a really good possibility.  My buddy, Bradford, who is hosting me has had a perfect record in his hostees receiving offers, so I hope that correlates to good things!

I’m picking up dating again.  I still love Britt, but she has most certainly moved on and away from me, so I guess it’s my turn as well.  A couple of unsuccessful dates has made me a little sad, but life goes on, right?  We’ll be having a party here at the house next weekend (after my interview trip), and I’m planning on meeting some people then.  I tell you what though, getting over a relationship like the one Brittany and I had is a difficult adventure.  Things weren’t perfect, but they were pretty dang good, and I still have yet to learn how to emotionally detach myself from those I love (ask all my friends from 10 years ago who still get emails though we haven’t seen each other in a decade).

Anyway, I’ll keep things going on here.  Life is going to get interesting soon, so I’m sure I’ll have plenty to share.

Last week I started my job at the Enterprise Project Management office at Brigham Young University. The story of how I got the job is pretty exciting, and I’m extremely happy with it. I was enrolled in the Project Management class last semester, and my professor, Ernie Nielson, just happens to also be the man in charge of the EPjM (acronym for the office). I’ve always been interested in Project Management, so I started asking a few questions and Ernie recommended that I apply for a job with him in his office.

After a whole slew of internship interviews and quite a bit of prayer, it became pretty clear that this was the job I should take for the summer. It’s my internship and I’ll be working here for approximately a calendar year before I graduate. I could have accepted an internship with USAA or FedEx, but considering the type of experience I will have here at the BYU office, it seemed like the best opportunity was for me to remain in town and to work with the Ernie and the others.

My first week and a half has been great! I am currently a Project Coordinator, apprenticing to become a Project Manager. I have not had a ton of work so far, but it’s getting better. My first week included a lot of reading and meeting with different people to develop a solid understanding of the different projects I am assigned to, but now I have several more meetings scheduled and I have more to do in regards to updating project details. In all honesty, this has been the easiest job transition that I’ve ever had! Ernie’s class prepared me beautifully for the role that I have; it has been surprising how quickly I am able to translate the things I understood from class to the real world of project management.

The biggest surprise to me has been that each project manager has to have a very solid understanding of different technologies and their implementation in order to manage a lot of these projects. It doesn’t seem like it’s terribly necessary to know the very specific details of software code, but there is a lot that you do need to understand in order to effectively take status updates and help in requirements definitions. The more meetings I attend, the more interesting it becomes to see how the project manager works with the project team on different phases of development and planning. Honestly, it’s a totally different experience than most people probably imagine it being.

JMR