Decisions

When you became junior editor you were allowed to hire an assistand, and over the last year you and your assistant Sarah have really grown to like each other. She's just starting out at the magazine as an assistant just like you and that has really helped you two bond lately. Due to your jobs you two are inseparable in the office, but even outside of the office you two are still spending tons of time together grabbing dinner, seeing movies, and getting drinks on the weekends.\n\nHowever, over the past month you've noticed Sarah's work ethic begin to decline. She's been calling in sick pretty frequently and even when she's been showing up she drops the ball. Missed phone calls, misplaced documents, and rude behavior to people around the office have caught the attention of Charlie and he doesn't want it anymore.\n\n“Get rid of the problem.” Charlie instructs you one day.\n\nYou don't want to fire Sarah because she's your friend but she has been a hindrance to the work at the magazine. Your brain is telling you to fire her because Charlie wants her gone and her work has been subpar, but something inside of you wants to keep her because you think she can turn it around. You don't know if it's just because you don't want to ruin your friendship that you don't want to fire her or something else, but you know firing her is probably what's best for the office.\n\nStill contemplating your decision Sarah walks into your office.\n\n“Charlie said you wanted to see me.” She says.\n\nYou decide that the decision has to be made right now. You decide to… \n\n[[fire her|Promotion to editor]]\n\n[[keep her but tell her she needs to get her act together|Turn Sarah around]] \n

At the next staff meeting you introduce Alan as the new head photographer for Trendy Magazine. During the meeting he is briefed on the upcoming shoot with Katy Perry.\n\nThe day of the Katy Perry shoot arrives and everybody gets to work. You're shooting the cover for the March issue and promoting your new spring styles. Alan seems to be working hard and all is going well.\n\nThe night that you send the final issue of the magazine to the printers to be issued tomorrow has finally arrived and you still have not recieved the final cover photo from Alan. The issue goes to press in an hour and you can't find him anywhere. After searching you find him crying at his desk.\n\n"I lost it." Alan says while sobbing. Alan accidentally deleted the cover photo from his comupter and camera without saving a backup somewhere.\n\nThis is disasterous. There is no way you can reshoot the cover and get it to press in 30 minutes, and when you inform Sasha of the news she is furious.\n\n\n[[continue|Photoshoot Flop 2]]

One year later...\n\n[[continue|Sarah]]

Lately you've been on this kick to write. You've been writing a bit each night but you're losing interest because it seems like there's no point in doing it since nobody is seeing your work.\n\nIn your weekly staff meeting the editor-in-chief Sasha announces that she is in need of a temporary column writer for next months magazine. You instantly get excited about this! This could be your opportunity to get your writing noticed! Hopefully it could also get you some good attention within the company and help you begin to move up the ranks.\n\nAfter work you can't stop thinking about idea to write for the fashion column! That is until you spot a flier on the ground with big bolded letters reading "Great Opportunity for Aspiring Writers!" You pick up the flier and read it. It says that your work is selected it will be published in a national literature magazine AND you will get $1500 in cash. This is yet another great opportunity to get your writing noticed!\n\nNow you have a dilemma. Both writing opportunities are due a week from now and you won't have time to do both. Each option has its benefits and you might not get chosen for either, but ultimately there's one clear option. You decide to... \n\n[[write the column for Trendy|Trendy Column]]\n\n[[write a piece for the literary magazine|Literary Piece One]]

Seems like your career in the Magazine industry has come to an end. Some questionable choices along the way seem to have gotten the best of you. I guess it's time to head back out into the world and try again!\n\n[[Start Over|Start]]

A few months pass and you're still working as just an assistant working for Charlie at Trendy Magazine. Fashion week is quickly approaching and everyone in the office, including you, has been busy preparing for it. One day while you're at the office you get a call on your cell phone from an unknown number. Since you're currently working and you don't know who it is you decide to let it go to voicemail and listen to it later.\n\nWhen you get off work you pick up your phone and check your voicemail.\n\n"Hello. This is Martin Greene from the National Writers Association of America (NWAA)." The voicemail starts out. Martin goes on to say that he fell in love with the piece you wrote a few months ago and would like to interview you for a full-time writing position!\n\nYou're ecstatic about this! Except the interview would take place during fashion week and it would be on the other side of the country. If you were to miss fashion week you would almost certainly lose your job at Trendy Magazine, but the chance for a job with the NWAA might be too big of an opportunity to pass up.\n\nIt's been your dream to run Trendy Magazine ever since you were little, but you have yet to progress up the career ladder there. Leaving Trendy to only possibly get this job is risky but the choice is clear what you have to do. You decide to...\n\n[[pass up the interview and stay with Trendy|Fashion Week]]\n\n[[miss fashion week to go interview for the NWAA|Interview]]

After hearing of Alan's failure Sasha makes the ultimate decision to push back this month's issue of Trendy Magazine. This has never been done in the history of this magazine and she is furious.\n\nShe immediately fires Alan and then calls you into her office.\n\n"I am very disapointed in you decision to make Alan the head photographer." Sasha says, "He was clearly not the appropriate choice for this position and you are to blame for this. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm going to have to let you go from Trendy Magazine."\n\n[[continue|Quit Classy]]

Unfortunately, the interview did not go too well. You couldn't put a whole thought together, slouched in your chair, and almost fell asleep while Martin gave you a more detailed description of the job you would were interviewing for.\n\nBefore you even end the interview you can tell by Martin's body language and facial expressions that you are not going to get this job.\n\nWhen your flight lands back home you immediately call Charlie to see if there's anything you can possibly do for him in hopes to save your job. He tells you that there's no need for your services anymore and you can come collect your things from the office whenever you get the chance.\n\n[[continue|Fired One]]

"Sarah, your work ethic lately and demeanor in the office has been unaccetable." You tell her.\n\n"I am so sorry." She says as she breaks out into tears. You ask her what's wrong and she explains to you how her mother was recently diagnosed with cancer and the stress of that has been taking its toll on her.\n\nWhile this is no excuse to behave like this in the office, you begin to sympathize with her. That is a hard thing to go through.\n\n"Again, I just want to say I'm so sorry," Sarah says, "I think I'm going to leave Trendy and go home and deal with my mother."\n\nYou're shocked to hear her say this! You know that this is a hard time but you think that she has it in her to persevere through this. However, it might be best for her to go care for her mother and get her emotions in check. You hate to see Sarah go but maybe she needs this. You are so conflicted. After some quick thinking you decide to...\n\n[[let Sarah go|Stay junior editor]]\n\n[[make Sarah stay and help her push through the tough times|Promotion to editor 2]]

It's finally fashion week and you're swamped with things to do. You're constantly running around doing things and after the first day you don't know if you can handle the rest of the week. But you have no choice and have to continue on.\n\nAfter the week is over you start hearing about how fashion week turned out to be a big sucess for Trendy Magazine. People are talking about how they showed all the best clothes in their shows and how Trendy is going to be the go to magazine for all the lastest fashions this year. And on top of this Charlie keeps telling you how pleased he is with your hard work and dedication over the last week.\n\n[[continue|Junior Editor]]

Although you decided to play it safe and stay with Classy Magazine. However, it doesn't work out in your favor.\n\nOver the next few months you and Grant fight over just about everything. You hate the lingere concept for the magazine and you just can't seem to get past that. Your work suffers and you hate every minute of it. Finally, you decide you have to quit.\n\n[[continue|Quit Classy]]

Charlie is not happy when you inform him that you're going to need time off during the middle of fashion week.\n\n"If you feel that you need to do this then go ahead. But when you come back don't rest assured that your job is safe. I'll asses your position when you return."\n\nAnd with that you head out to the interview. Your plane is delayed and you don't get to your hotel until 3:30am on the day of your interview. After only four hours of sleep you get up, get dressed, and head to the interview.\n\nAs you sit and wait in the lobby of the office building you can't not notice how tired you are. Traveling and lack of sleep have made you dreary and all you want to do is lay back in this chair and fall asleep. But you can't. You have this extremely important interview to ace.\n\n[[continue|Post Interview]]

So you immediately get to work on the column for Trendy. You decide to write about the new trend of high waisted shorts and jeans.\n\nAfter days of perfecting your piece its finally time to submit it. You confidently turn in your piece to be reviewed and you are happy with your work.\n\nThe next day at work Charlie informs you that he has big news! He sits you down in his office to tell you that not only have they selected your column to be in next months issue, but that you have been promoted to a full-time columnist for the magazine! You are beyond elated at the news and thank Charlie for this opportunity.\n\n[[continue|Junior Editor]]

You quietly open the door to the copy room and peek out to see if anybody is around. After checking and seeing nobody you slip out of the room and casually walk back to your desk as if nothing is wrong.\n\nAfter hours of doing other small tasks throughout the day you realize it's already time to go home! You made it through your first day! You don't even recall hearing anybody speak of the broken coffee machine so you assume it's not a big deal and [[leave the office|Sneak Out of Copy Room Two]].

A week later you're typing away at a memo Charlie asked out to write when he sends you an IM to come to his office. You think nothing of it and head in.\n\nOnce in there he waves for you to walk around to behind his desk where he is sitting. On his computer monitor you notice he's watching a video. After a moment you realize that the video is security footage of you in the copy room spilling coffee on the machine and breaking it! You had totally forgotten about it!\n\n"Why didn't you tell me about this immediately?!" Charlie asks.\n\nAfter muttering some bogus excuse you see the look of disapointment on his face.\n\n"If you had just told me when you did it this wouldn't have been a big deal, but now I'm going to have to ask you to pack up your things and [[leave|Fired One]].

You quietly open the door to the copy room and peek out to see if anybody is around. After checking and seeing nobody you slip out of the room and casually walk back to your desk and wait for Charlie to finish his phone call.\n\nHe hangs up the phone, you enter his office, tell him what happened, and prepare for the worst.\n\n"Well it's alright. You'll just need to call maintenance and let them know what happened. I guess in the meantime you''ll just have to find another way to make copies." Charlie tells you.\n\nPhew! Thank goodness nothing bad happened. You feel relieved as you sit back down at your desk and begin to think of where you can go make copies.\n\n[[continue|A few months later one]]

Less than two weeks go by and you get an email saying that your piece has been selected to be included in the literary magazine! This is great news! Your $1500 check arrives in the mail soon after and the next month you find your piece inside the magazine!\n\nYour success is short lived though. Although you got $1500 in additon to being published, nothing else has come from this opportunity. And to add salt to the wound the girl who wrote the column for the magazine was promoted to be the full-time column writer. It sucks thinking that that could've been you.\n\n[[continue|Literary Opportunity]]

You walk into your office the first day with a smile on your face. You are so excited to be working here! As you approach your new desk your boss, Charlie the assistant editor, is waiting there to greet you. He shows you around the office, introduces you to all the important people, and gets you settled in.\n\nAfter situating your desk just the way you like it Charlie hands you a stack of papers and tells you to make copies of it to give to all the other assistant editors. You grab your cup of coffee and immediately head over to the copy room and make copies.\n\nAs the copy machine runs you patiently wait and sip at your coffee. The copy machine suddenly stops making copies and starts beeping. You walk over to the machine to see what wrong when you trip and spill your coffee all over it! The selection screen on the machine starts flashing different colors and after a few seconds goes completely black. You look around for something to wipe all the coffee off with but find nothing and you don't know what to do! It's only your first day you've already done something wrong! You decide to… \n\n[[sneak out of the room and hope nobody notices.|Sneak Out of Copy Room]]\n[[go out and tell your boss you accidentally broke the copy machine.|Tell Boss About Copy Machine]]

A few weeks later you get news that the head photographer for your magazine has decided to retire and now you are left without a photographer just a week shy of a huge photoshoot. And of course you are given responsibility of finding a new photographer.\n\nThe first person who comes to mind is Justin, the photographer for Classy Magazine. Over the past few years he has done amazing work in fashion shoots and you know he would be the ideal person to hire.\n\nYou set up a meeting with Justin to discuss possibly leaving Classy to come work for Trendy. During the meeting he said he would definitely consider leaving Classy, but only if he is paid one and a half times more than he was paid at Classy. Hearing he would jump ship is good news, but there isn't exactly enough money in the budget to pay him all the money he needs. You let Justin know you'll let him know soon if you'll be able to pay him enough to come to Trendy Magazine.\n\nYou are conflicted. Justin is the best in the business, but you don't know if it is worth it to go over budget to get him. You've never heard of someone going over budget before so you don't know of the consequences, but you assume they can't be good. You know you could always play it safe budget-wise and promote Justin's apprentice Alan to head photographer, but you haven't seen any spectacular work from him. So you're left with two huge risks. Go over budget to hire Justin and potentially lose you job, or hire Alan and risk having sub-par pictures. After restlessly thinking about this for days, you finally decide to...\n\n\n[[hire Justin|Steal Classys Photographer]]\n\n[[promote Alan|Photoshoot Flop]]

Decisions

The next day at the office Grant hold a staff meeting introducing himself to the company and introducing his plans for changes to the magazine. His overall plan is to move away from being a clothing magazine and to move into being a lingere magazine.\n\nThis is horrible news for you. You've loved fashion all your life and you always wanted to work at a fashion magazine, not a lingere magazine.\n\nA new thought pops into your head. Maybe you could try begging Charlie to give you your job as editor back at Trendy Magazine. It would be a long-shot, and if anybody at Classy Magazine found out you'd instantly be fired. The possibility of getting your job back at a fashion magazine would be amazing, but if you fail you would be out of a job. You contemplate playing it safe and staying with Classy but you're extremely conflicted about what to do. Ultimately, you decide to...\n\n[[fight for your old job at Trendy|Fight for Trendy]]\n\n[[stay at Classy|Stay at Classy]]

Your move over to Classy Magazine has gone quite well so far. For the past nine months everything has been running smoothly and you are making quite significant contributions to the magazine. The current editor-in-chief is having a big press-conference today and you're hoping it's his retirement announcement so you can soon become editor-in-chief.\n\nYou're in your office watching the press conference on TV. You're barely paying attention when you hear your editor-in-chief say, "I have some big news. I am announcing my retirement as editor-in-chief at Classy Magazine."\n\nGreat! This is just the news you were hoping to hear! That is until you hear him say announce that his successor is not you nor Nate but his newphew Grant.\n\nYou're stomach instantly drops after hearing this. Nate basically guaranteed you that you would get to be editor-in-chief when the current one retired. You storm into Nate's office and argue with him about what just happened. Regardless, there's nothing you can do.\n\n[[continue|Grant]]

To celebrate your new position as editor you and your old friend Nate decide to go grab sushi together. He's an editor at Classy Magazine and you two have so much to catch up on.\n\nYour lunch is great! You two chatted all about your jobs and reminisced on all the old times you've had together. You're just about to tell Nate you have to leave when he says he has something very important to ask you.\n\n“I want you to leave Trendy Magazine and come work with me at Classy Magazine. I know its pretty abrupt and totally risky but you've got to trust me. I can almost guarantee that you and I will be co-editors-in-chief in less than a year. I've been talking with the current editor-in-chief and he's pretty intent on retiring at the end of this year, which would leave you and me to take over. This offer is only good right now. So what do you say?”\n\nYou're completely shocked by this offer. You've wanted to work at Trendy Magazine all your life but it could be ten years before the editor-in-chief spot opens up. Being the editor-in-chief at Classy Magazine would be a great opportunity but there's not a 100% guarantee that the current one will retire. You decide to go with your gut and… \n\n[[accept Nate's offer|Move to Classy]]\n[[decline Nate's offer|Remain with Trendy]]\n

A few months later... \n\n[[continue|Staff Meeting]]

After deciding to write the literary piece you immediately get to work. Over the next few days you vigorously write, edit, and revise your piece for submission. The deadline finally arrives, and after adding the last few finsihing touches to your piece you email it to the email listed on the flier and sit back and wait to hear back.\n\n[[continue|Literary Piece Two]]

At the next staff meeting you introduce Justin as the new head photographer of Trendy Magazine. You decided that as long as Justin does an excellent job with his work Sasha will be okay with you going over budget to get him.\n\n"I hope he does a superb job with our Katy Perry photoshoot next week," Sasha tells you, "Otherwise you might be out of a job."\n\nThe Katy Perry photoshoot comes and goes and the issue goes to print. You personally loved the work Justin did with Katy and you think it captured what Trendy Magazine is all about, so you hope Sasha and the public also agree.\n\nThe public loves it! People say that this issue of the magazine is one of the best they have ever seen from Trendy Magazine! You feel relieved that it went over so well, and so does Sasha. She stops by your office the day the issue went public and congratualtes you on a job well done for hiring Justin. This is just what you needed in one of the first issues since you became an editor of the magazine.\n\n[[continue|Sucessful Shoot]]

A few weeks later at work Charlie calls you into his office and tells you to sit down. He once again thanks you for all the hard work you have done recently, and then says he has something big to tell you.\n\n"One of the junior editor positions opened at the magazine, and seeing how dedicated you are I wanted to offer the spot to you first." Charlie says.\n\nHe goes on to say that it's a huge risk because you've got barely any experience in the field, but he believes you can do an excellent job. Without hesitation you accept the position!\n\n[[continue|One year later]]

"I think you made the right decision." Charlie tells you after he notices how upset you are after firing Sarah. "And because of the maturity you showed in making that choice and all the excellent work you have done over the past few years I would like to inform you that you have been chosen to be one of the editors for Trendy Magazine!"\n\nYes! You finally moved up another ladder at Trendy! You thank Charlie for everything he has done to help you the past few years and then go share the news with everyone!\n\n[[continue|New editor lunch]]

Ever since you let Sarah go you've been regretting the decision. You truly believe that she could've fought through the hard times but instead you let her give in.\n\nNow that you no longer have an assistant to aid you, you have been so overwhelmed with work. You don't even have time to search for another assistant.\n\nYears go by and you haven't progressed up the career ladder at Trendy at all. You've seen others come into the company and already make it farther than you, and you feel as if you've had enough. You decide that it's best if you leave Trendy Magazine and search for a job somewhere you feel as if you have to potenial to succeed.\n\n[[quit|Quit Trendy]]

Seems like your career at Trendy Magazine has come to an end. Some bad choices along the way seem to have gotten the best of you. I guess it's time to head back out into the world and try again! [[Start Over|Start]]

Congratulations! You have finally landed a position at Trendy Magazine! You've wanted to be editor-in-chief of this magazine ever since you were a child. Ever since you can remember you've been reading articles from this magazine, cutting out pictures of the models and putting them on your vision board, and you always knew what the latest fashion trend was thanks to Trendy Magazine. Even though you're just an editor's assistant as of now, you know you'll be able to work your way up the ranks in no time.\n\n[[continue|First Day]].

You head straight to Trendy Magazine's offices and right to the office of Sasha, the editor-in-chief.\n\n"What are you doing here?" She asks when you are let into her office.\n\n"I'm here to fight for my job back!" You proclaim.\n\nYou explain to Sasha how you made a horrible decision to go to Classy and you regretted it everyday. You remind her of all the good work you did for Trendy in the past and vow to continue to do the same if you get another chance. Sasha tells you she's going to need time to think this over and she'll give you a call soon.\n\nTwo days later Sasha calls to inform you that after giving it a lot of thought you will not be getting your job back. She doesn't want an editor who isn't loyal and will spontaneously jump ship at any opportunity. You thank her for giving it thought and hang up the phone.\n\n[[continue|Quit Classy]]

Your sucessful Katy Perry photoshoot set the tone for the rest of your time as editor at Trendy Magazine. For the next six years you smoothly navigate the ups and downs of the magazine world, helping Trendy Magazine to become the number one fashion magazine in the United States! You also saw the downfall of Classy Magazine in the process! Good thing you didn't jump ship and head over there.\n\nSasha finally retires after your seventh year as editor, and happily hands you the reigns of the magazine. You finally did it! You became editor-in-chief of Trendy Magazine! You are living your childhood dream!\n\nI don't know what your time as editor-in-chief has in store for you, that's up for you to decide! Now go out into the world and run Trendy Magazine! Or, you could relive the past and [[start your journey over.|Start]]

Brandis Heffner

You begin to comfort Sarah and tell her it's all going to be ok. You tell her she can have the rest of the week off to go home and see her mother and get everything sorted out and to come into work next Monday with a better attitude towards everything. After letting her know you're there to support her she gives you a big hug and heads out the office.\n\nOver the next few weeks you see drastic improvements in Sarah. Not only is she back to her normal self, she has been working harder than you've ever seen her work. Charlie must have noticed and asks you to come to his office.\n\n"I have some great news for you! After seeing all your great work this past year and how you handled the Sarah situation I would like to offer you a job as editor!" Charlie informs you.\n\nYes! You finally moved up another ladder at Trendy! You thank Charlie for everything he has done to help you the past few years and then go share the news with everyone.\n\n[[continue|New editor lunch]]