{the cat also studies distributed military teams, video games & shared leadership models}

This is the third week of a six-week Q & A series.  I asked all of you to submit your questions about grad school.  Have you submitted your question yet?

What do YOU want to know about grad school?

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Chrissy asked:

I think those of us who have so many things (stressful things) going on in our lives need that one thing that calms us, cements us down, brings us back from our “crazy”.   What is something that you use to help keep you focused on your overall goal and big picture?

I grew up holding myself and others to unrealistic expectations.  Nothing was ever good enough.  I was not good enough.  But now I know I am worth so much more than something like an A in a class.  I have finally started living for myself instead of living for anyone else and it relieves a lot of pressure to keep it all together.  It’s ok to slip sometimes and to let something go.  As long as that something is not my sanity and health and happiness.  And as long as that something does not hurt anyone else in the process.

I think my relationships keep me from going crazy.  The connections I have with my BFFs, my good friends, my online friends and my family.  I sometimes can’t believe how many amazing people are in my life.  That you all stick by me no matter what happens.  I have true friendships.  My mom is also incredibly supportive of me, in everything I do.

Yoga is probably the thing that keeps me centered and calm.  Well, yoga and marathoning TV shows on weekends. Of course.

My Internship helps keep me focused on my overall goal of completing my PhD.

Which leads to my next question…

Matt asked:

Why do you like to work for the military specifically?

I like working for the government for many reasons.  Jenny Blake recently blogged about why she loves her cubicle.  She explained beautifully why a 9-5 cubicle career is beneficial for some of us. The government comes with some added perks.  One of those perks, in my case, being a Top Secret Security Clearance.  Hence why I can’t really talk about work on my blog.  Another perk is paid Federal holidays.

At the same time, I belong to a Brazen Careerist group of Location Independent professionals.  One great thing about earning an advanced degree in a specialized field is that you become somewhat of a commodity to the workforce.  My boss is one such commodity.  Not that she is more special than anyone else in my office.  Each person brings something important to the organization.  It’s just that she has advanced knowledge and experience that allow her to do things others cannot do.  Because she’s my supervisor and I am working toward a PhD in Human Factors, I also get to do things others cannot do.  One of those things is the ability to work from my home, in a coffee shop, at her house, or on campus if we do not have meetings on base.

All of that is great.  But the main reason I love working for the military is that I love to see that my education and experience will actually make a difference in someone’s life.

I grew up with the military (I was an Army brat and almost married a Marine).  The military and those who serve our country will always have a special place in my heart.  Now I am fortunate that I can give back to that community.  I mostly work with Special Ops guys, whose jobs are high risk. The Navy is sadly one of the last branches of the military to implement good Human Factors practices, so it is nice to see that change now!

It can be hard at times because Engineers don’t always understand why we need to think about the guy driving the boat when we design interfaces and equipment.  I mean, for example: why not just add another menu to the interface so they have to navigate a complex series of menus while riding on shock mitigating seats, nauseated from sea sickness, with an empty stomach, after standing for an 8 hour watch shift, maybe even while they’re been shot at.  Right, just add another button, jerks.  So, it is nice to use my knowledge of human abilities, human performance, teams, cognitive workload, physiology, etc., to make their lives better.

It can also be hard to be a female in a male dominate industry/field.  Makes things interesting though!

The best part of my job… I get to ride on high-speed boats.  So, without further adieu… cue Lonely Island.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU]

Disclaimer: I don’t ride on boats like the one in that video since I’m in the Combatant Craft division.  We focus on boats like these:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wKFsgbX60s]