A Day in the Life of Sheri -- senior writer and technical editor

Sheri, Senior Writer and Technical Editor, employed by Aquent LLC (working as a contractor for Aquent’s clients), says she doesn’t feel like the typical American worker because her work doesn’t feel like work (HBG comment:  can you get a better job than that!).

Sheri likes her contractor status because she gets to write and edit for different clients.  Her day varies depending if she is on-site at a client or if she is working at home through teleconferencing and Skype calls.  Her contractor status gives her the ability to do what she loves – write and edit and not get bogged down in management meetings.

Although Sheri has the pleasure of working from home, she doesn’t feel isolated in her job: 

My work as a technical editor is not as solitary as it may seem, because it involves interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), who may be computer programmers and modelers, scientists, hydrogeologists, government planners, water conservation experts, engineers, lawyers, etc. (This is true for all writing and editing I do. I’ve interviewed law firm partners, business owners and executives, doctors, the adult children of genocide survivors.) Sometimes materials already exist and need to be edited for voice, style, grammar. Many times I’m creating new content. Technical writing and editing is highly collaborative. It requires intellectual curiosity and better-than-average communication and people skills.

When Sheri works on-site at a client’s office, she follows their dress code.  At home, she gets to wear whatever she likes and the big perk is – no shoes!

Sheri’s biggest job hazard:  writer’s block.  HBG:  doesn’t sound like that happens too often.

HBG:  Do you feel that you contribute to making our world a better place to live?

S:  That question is certainly on my mind when I accept new projects. I cannot write or work for anyone or any organization that goes against my values. I do my best to use my writing to do good work. In the past I’ve worked pro bono for a women’s shelter, I’ve written letters for charitable causes, and I just offered my services to Obama’s reelection campaign people in NY. I’m also writing two books which I hope will be educational and valuable to readers.

Sheri is currently enjoying her work at a state water management agency, whose work is to protect the area’s water supply and environment.  How could you not like working for a entity with the tagline: “We do the coolest work on the planet!” 

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

March 25, 2012, marks the 101^st anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, a horrific fire that killed 146 workers, mostly young women, employed by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, New York City, New York.

I learned about the fire when I took my first Industrial and Labor Relations history class as a high school summer student at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR).  If you’ve read my personal labor journal, you’ll recall that the ILR school at Cornell was really the only place I wanted to go to college.  Once I studied labor history that hot summer, I was hooked.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory located on the 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th floors of the Asch Building, had only one fire escape, which collapsed during the fire.    The factory owners locked doors so that the workers could not “steal” material.  Large tables and machinery trapped workers.  Panicked workers rushing to leave the building trampled other workers.  Minimal water was available to put out fires.  Fire ladders were too short to reach the workers on those high floors and safety netting was ineffective to safely catch workers.

The Triangle Factory fire intrigued me.  All the elements drew me in – very young immigrant workers in NYC, many of them Jewish, working long days, locked into the factory by untrusting and greedy owners; the developing union movement and how the Triangle fire impacted union growth and safety rules.   I’ve always felt a strong connection to this story, maybe because I remember hearing about my great aunt who worked in a sweat shop in NYC or because my grandfather and his brothers owned a blouse factory and business in NY. 

In memory of the 100^th anniversary of the fire, the ILR school created a fantastic website about the fire:  http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/.  Department of Labor’s OSHA website also has some great info:  http://www.osha.gov/oas/trianglefactoryfire.html.

Today, in looking at these websites to write my blog, I learned from OSHA’s website that the Triangle fire remained the most deadliest workplace tragedy in New York City’s history until the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks, 90 years later.   The early labor unions and organizations and the subsequent laws governing labor worked to protect the American labor force.  

A Day in the Life Series -- meet Elizabeth, Radiographer

Elizabeth, radiographer and member of The American Association of Radiologic Technologists and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, works part time for The Bone Densitometry Center. 

Elizabeth likes her “simple and stress free” job, seeing a minimum of 4 patients a day.  Elizabeth says that her boss is nice, but that she doesn’t see him when she is at work.

After she drives her daughter to school, Elizabeth heads into work.  When she gets to work, she warms up and calibrates the x-ray machines.  She pulls up her patients’ previous bone density scans.  Patients are scheduled in 30 minute blocks and the dexa scans take approximately 15-30 minutes.  Elizabeth job also includes determining the billing code for each patient and sending this code and information to the insurance company.

Hearing her patients’ stories, especially her older patients, makes up the best part of her day.  The down side – dealing with very sick patients.

Elizabeth wears a lab coat over business casual clothing.  Her office provides coffee, tea, and water and she does not eat lunch at work, unless maybe a pharmaceutical representative brings in lunch.

Elizabeth does not feel that she is a typical American worker, answering, “No. I am a Mother first.   This job is secondary. My family definitely comes before work. I feel very lucky that I do not have to work everyday. I only work per-diem.”

A Day in the Life of A Modern American Small Business -- Smak Parlour, Philadelphia, PA

Think fast—I say Philadelphia, you say:  cheese steak or Liberty Bell.  Or maybe pretzel or Eagles; Ben Franklin or Betsey Ross; US Mint or Franklin Institute. 

I hope that after you read today’s A Day in the Life post, you will add Smak Parlour to your Philly list.

Imagine working alongside your best friend in a chic pink boutique store – in your own small business partnership.  Katie Loftus and Abby Kessler have the best jobs ever, are happy to go to work every day, and get to dress in the clothes that they design and sell in their boutique store. 

Here’s how they describe a typical day in the life of a Smak Parlour owner:

Get to work @11am (most days), leave 7pm (most days).

The job greatly varies from day to day. There are a lot of hats to wear! Just to name a few: servicing customers, pricing, steaming and putting out new merchandise. Placing orders with vendors. designing the windows, merchandising the floor. Cleaning and organizing. Taking pictures of items for web and cleaning them up in a graphics program. Updating website, sending out orders, blogging, twittering, fbooking. Ordering new merch, office supplies (business cards, bags). Paying bills. Scheduling, mentoring and evaluating interns.

Katie and Abby describe the best part of their day -- working with their best friend.  Accounting and quickbooks fall into the least favorite category.

Here’s how Katie and Abby (SP for Smak Parlour) answered a few more of my questions (HBG for Helitzerblousegirl):

HBG:  Do you have a good boss?  Are you a good boss?

SP:  We like to think we’re good bosses. We treat our employees and interns very well (the way we’d like to be treated).

HBG:  Do you feel that you are a typical American worker?  (For instance, I’m a partner in a law firm and I do what most lawyers do – read, read, read).

SP:  We suppose we do similar tasks as other boutique owners

HBG:  Has your job required you to do something unusual (see my blogpost about climbing down into a manhole to see a steam pipe system).

SP:  Haha that’s crazyJ

HBG:  Do you feel that you contribute to making our world a better place to live?

SP:  Yes, we make fashion fun! 

HBG:  Thanks Smak Parlour for participating in the A Day in the Life series and providing my blog audience with a look at a vibrant and successful American small business.

http://www.smakparlour.com/