Job skills

I was never a student government person in high school or college. I actually didn't like people who were in it - I always thought they were a bit snobby. But having served a year in "student government" (i.e. the Middle Common Room Executive Committee), I realized that these things actually do teach you useful skills.

One of the most useful skills I learned by being on the committee? How to get dressed in 5 minutes.

As you know, I was one of the social secretaries on the committee. Namely, I was the one who planned the parties. When you're the one who plans the parties (especially the ones that coincide with dinners), you have a lot to do. You decorate. You lay out the place cards and write out the menus. You make sure the DJ knows where to go and the bar staff has enough spirits to make cocktails until closing time. And a lot of this happens right up until the 11th hour.

There were quite a few times when we'd be getting ready until 6:50 for a dinner that started at 7. A black-tie dinner, that is. And many of those times, we had guests that I had to meet at the door "just before 7." So I had to get dressed fast.

This is a skill I've been able to take with me. Once, my family was going to a wedding in Cape Cod, and we were very lost. We had maybe half an hour to change before we could get to the church. I was the first one dressed. My parents and sister couldn't believe it - they still had all kinds of stuff to do. Another time, as Junior Dean, I was supervising an exam for people who needed extra time (learning disabilities, etc.). The regular time exam ended at 5, and this one kid took up until 6:15, using all but 15 minutes of his extra time. I had to pack up his materials, make sure the printers and computers were turned off, submit all the paraphernalia (exam books, clocks, etc.), and get ready for a dinner that started at 6:15. I was a teeny bit late (not a big deal since there were drinks first), and I forgot my jewelery, but I made it.

I think this is a very useful skill, but I'm curious how to market it. Time management? Efficiency? In any case, it's one of the few skills I'll take with me beyond academia.