This episode’s vocabulary
Stint
noun — a fixed or limited period of time spent doing a particular job or activity.
Role model
noun — a person who someone admires and whose behaviour they try to copy.
Mentor
noun — a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time, especially at work or school.
Notorious
adj. — famous for something bad.
Work-life balance
noun — the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.
To employ
verb — to have someone work or do a job for you and pay them for it.
Questions and answers
So bring it on.
I talked about them before when they were being played as a really terrible boss by Meryl Streep. But actually, I'd quite like to work for Anna Wintour, though I have no idea in what capacity because she's a fashion editor and I am anything but fashionable. But I'm sure I would learn a lot if I did a stint to some kind of administrator or administrative assistant, perhaps. I've never met Anna, and likely I never will. But I've watched a ton of documentaries about her and how she works. And I really like her direct focus style. Obviously, she wants to get the job done. And here's a great deal about knowing what you're talking about. So she would be a great role model and sort of, well, unofficial mentor. If I was working just as an administrator watching what was happening all the time. If you're not in the know, she is the editor-in-chief at Vogue magazine and has a notorious reputation for being brilliant and delivering quality work for her employers. I think there's a lot to be learned from that sort of person, especially since she frequently points out that her family and friends are the most important thing in her life. So clearly, she has some idea of how to manage her work-life balance, and, well, do that well, frankly speaking. That's actually the reason I'd like to follow her around a little bit. Not so much the fashion aspect, I think the ship has sailed in that respect. But to learn how someone so famous and powerful manages to keep her work and personal life in order. I mean, if I were to guess I'd say that being able to employ hundreds of people to help you might play a role there. Though, there does seem to be something special about her that I might be missing. And you can always learn something new from someone like that. Whether it's a handy piece of fashion advice, or like I say, how to put your life in order. So yeah, I'm pretty confident that that would be the person that I would like to study under at some point.
And have you talked to your friends about this person?
Only my best friend, but that's because we have a shared admiration of her.
Thank you, Rory, for your story! What a nice story! -