25 years.

...june 20, 1983 - the day I started working at hazlehurst & associates (subsequently acquired by northern trust, in 1994, and then hewitt, in 2003), and I celebrated those 25 years with a few of my very good friends last night. they told some funny-now stories, mostly about how younger-me was so intense and intimidating. I made roxanna cry on her first day (whew - thankfully she was persistent - she'll celebrate 20 years next year!). or how I'm full of energy - especially early in the morning, even when I'm interviewing college students at 8:00 a.m. (gee, maybe that was really just another story about me being intense and intimidating :-)

I've lost track of all the roles I've had, and many of the people I've worked with. For most of those 25 years, I was also a wife and a mother and I spent just enough time at the office to get my work done. That makes me especially thankful for the wonderful people who stood by me, supported me, offered coaching and feedback and basically just put up with me day in and day out.

I really don't remember much about that 20-year old who started working 25 years ago. On her first day, she wore a blue suit with a white ruffled blouse (yes, 1983 business attire was pretty hideous), had graduated from college just a week before, rode the bus downtown because she couldn't afford parking and had only worked in an office for two summer jobs. She didn't know anyone there, but she made friends. She was a quick learner. She liked to solve problems. She liked to have fun. These last three traits are still what keep me going and really, they've made me a career.