Jobbity job job job

[gwyn]

Okay, so. Those of you following my stupid trials and tribulations -- I got a job offer today from the nutballs with the test designed by De Sade. And I took it, though I'm consumed with doubts because of many things, not least of which is that the day they described seemed abnormally long (more than 8 hours for a contract job) and I'm freaked about that; I don't know that I have enough supervisory references to fit what they want for the background check; and also I'd promised my former boss I'd fill in for her when she took vacation, despite having to look at Evil Little Toad Weasel Man's ugly, pinched, stupid little face, and now I'll be bailing on her because they want me to start rightnow. And then wickedwords sent me a job posting for an editor at a wonderful, wonderful company nearly everyone I know is trying to get a job at, and I feel like I have to apply, and if anything happened, I'd have to bail... I don't know. It's all confusing, and then I also got an offer to fill in for a former co-worker at his office downtown next week, but I can't now... arg! Of course, all except the my old boss stuff happened after I took the contract job. Never rains but it pours, ya know?

The interview was okay, short and very odd, but the women I met all seemed nice and they seemed to like their jobs a lot. I kept wanting to ask them, "Which of you is the PSYCHOPATH who developed that sadistic test!?" They told me I did great -- but I mean, how bad must others have done, if I was great? Because I fucked it up royally, yo. There's a lot going on, some interesting text to work with. It sounds incredibly busy, so no more LJing during the day! I was about two blocks from the building, on the phone with a friend, when I got a call on my cell and it turned out to be the recruiter from the agency leaving a message that she had good news and wanted to know how I felt about the interview. She called again as I pulled up to my house, and told me "they called right away and said, I quote, 'we *love* her and can she start right now?'" Of course, it takes about a week for the background check and getting set up with all the stuff like badge and permits and email and whatnot, and then I was going to try to fill in for ex boss but I don't think it's going to work out, since I also have a ton of stuff to do, including getting ready to teach my little editing class.

I feel weird. I didn't really want to do this, but if I got a better job opportunity, I'd feel bad about bailing. The contract is through October, with a probable extension through the election (it's an online political and culture magazine), after the person who's going on maternity leave comes back. I had all these irons out in a number of fires, trying to find something, and now they're all coming back at me, blazing hot. I feel confused and the whole thing has been so stressful and such a nightmare. The contract agency puts you on benefits and payroll and all that stuff, so it's great that I don't have to deal with it. But I despise the idea of the awful, awful commute to the far eastside every day, and now I'll never have any time for reading (I got all my reading done on the bus, and I never have time to read when I'm home) books, and it'll be much longer days, it sounds like. The pay is basically what I was getting, which isn't great, and so I'll be adding all the expense of a long car commute on top of no extra earnings. But... I also have a job, when I didn't before. Despite failing so utterly miserably on the lunatic test. I just feel... kind of queasy, not happy.

I think there are a couple other MSers on my flist, aren't there? We will have to do lunch. Though I'll be at RedWest, which isn't exactly on the beaten path for most folks. Gee, I'm going to be an A dash. Whoo hoo. I think.

And hey! Anyone willing to make me an icon for the fannish elections, for Mace/Lenny from Strange Days? (everyone goes, who?) I think Mace's ticket would be "no sorry-ass motherfuckers in 2004."

Comments

[minim_calibre]

RedWest is GORGEOUS! I miss it.

Are you in C? I think you're in C. Pretty sure it's C. But I haven't been there (the campus, not the branch) for a year, so they could have moved to one of the other buildings.

(Why, yes, I've been doing this contract shuffle off and on for, umm, way too long. And much of that time has been in RedWest. A and B.)

Your cafeteria is better than ours. I suspect Boxcar (my building) has the worst food service in the entire extended campus area. Also, it's really ugly. And there's not enough parking. And did I mention the part where the food sucks?

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I hadn't realized you were contract -- I would love to get together with you and hear your perspective. Do the shuttles run to RedWest? I'm going to be in D -- i guess they just moved, their offices were all filled with boxes. Where is the Boxcar? That makes me laugh -- it sounds like one of the old buildings, except those are all that weird X shape.

[minim_calibre]

It's one of the newer buildings. 50.

Shuttles run to RedWest. They often take their own sweet time, but they do with 50, too. We're the building right off of the 40th exit.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Well, congrats on it anyway. It's a tricky situation, but you have to work out what's best for you.

[onetwomany.livejournal.com]

Well, congratulations on getting the job! You obviously impressed them hugely, so yay you :) The other jobs and the commute do add complications, but maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised be this and glad you took it and none of the other stuff will really matter? Or maybe not. But either way, it's pretty clear you've got skills and talent and can best even the most insane, nazi Test from Hell. Go you :) Wohoo! ::hugs you::

[claudia-yvr.livejournal.com]

Congrats, Gwyn, that's wonderful news!

[disgracelands.livejournal.com]

This is such great news! I know it's overwhelming and though I'm tempted to say, it's a job! It's a job! Take it! What I'm going through with my redundancy consultation and my friends in the same boat, is that actually thinking about what I really want to do and then sticking to my guns is quite an important part of the change.
Having said that we all need money to live on. Don't know how it works in the States but with a three month probation period, you only have to give a week's notice on either side if you want to leave. Added to that, you might adore the job once you start doing it.
So, actually I've been no help whatsoever!

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

You know, your house stuff and job stuff seem to be weirdly paralleling my own life in some ways -- not literally, but it does seem like your LJ postings are strangely familiar at times. ;-) The hardest part is knowing that good stuff may still be in the offing, and I'll be stuck in a contract (not that I can't leave, but still... I don't want a rep for just jumping around). I hear such doom and gloom from so many people and Seattle's a terrible job market, but... I just don't know for sure this is the right thing at all. I need money, but... that's at war with my feelings, which I'm sure you totally understand now that you're looking at plumbing bills!

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on getting the job, even with the ambiguous feelings around it. Here's hoping it all settles down for you soon. I really get it about the commute... but maybe there's something there that'll make it worth your while. Thinking good thoughts. ;-)

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Well, heck, there's the famous free pop. ;-) I will say that the company does do their free soda selection proud; it was the only thing that made driving over there for meetings during my last job worthwhile. And lots of teas and such, and they have little mini Starbuckses that are slightly cheaper in the cafeterias, though they don't serve chai, which is what I drink. But hey! Trying to find that silver lining!

I love your icon -- would you believe that my next chapter of Measure of a Man is going to titled You Could Be Home Now? Some if it is centered around an old abandoned suburban housing tract like that one, hence the title. How cool -- great minds think alike!

[rainkatt.livejournal.com]

OK, that's funny... I have Measure of a Man sitting on a tab, because I decided I wanted to read it from the beginning. Hmmmm....

[barkley.livejournal.com]

It never seems to work out neatly, does it. But congrats on the job. Revel in the fact that they wanted you!

[fishsanwitt]

Congratulations on all those job offers :)

It never rains, but it pours!

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

I have no advice or anything, but congratulations on the job offers! That's great.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Yay you for getting the job, even if you have some ambiguous feelings about it. You obviously did *not* fail utterly miserably on the lunatic test, even if it felt like you did. Why not go ahead and apply for the other job as well--you could always tell them you're not available until this contract ends, no?

*hugs* and *more big, congratulatory hugs*

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I definitely did do objectively horrible on the test -- I mean, I can sit here and rattle off all the things I got wrong. But the interesting thing is that subjectively, they didn't seem to care -- it was prety clear to me in talking to them that they didn't have any other candidates who really knew AP style even as poorly as I remembered it (it's been about five years since I used it, but I guess enough stuck with me that it was okay). So I guess it really wasn't the objective experience that mattered -- though if it really was to see who would run screaming from the room, it doesn't seem to me that shows you much about how well someone works! It's all very weird, and I feel really bad about letting everyone down and not waiting to see if other better things might come up. Now I just... don't know.

My Two Bits

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

Take the contract job. Try for the other job at the "wonderful, wonderful company." Because the contract job may be terrible/unsatisfying. You may not get the wonderful job. Or you may not like the terms of the wonderful job.

As for worrying about bailing -- check out the contract job, the people, the prospects. It is after all contract job - and if they have not committed to you beyond Oct. it is because that is what is in *their* best interest, not yours.

In today's new world job market, we need to do what is best for *us*.

Re: My Two Bits

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figure the wonderful job is an outside chance -- I'm probably going to appear overqualified for something that probably won't pay as much as my last underpaid job. So... but i still want to try, just because it's such a cool company! I mostly just feel really bad about bailing on my old boss, and about the possibility of a freelance gig at a really respected agency in town, which I only just started the ball rolling on this week, and haven't had a chance to pursue yet. I'm drowning in irons!

make that four bits

[emmarytz.livejournal.com]

I echo what morgandawn has said. Take the contract job but investigate your other options as well. While their paperwork will probably suggest they now own your soul, they don't really and you've got to do what's best for you. Good luck with the new gig and congratulations! And isn't it encouraging that you got so many offers all at once? -em

Re: make that four bits

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

And I'm also going to do the actual MP test that you arranged for me, that I've been eyeballing for a couple months, too scared to take it. ;-) that way if the contract ends and the other things don't come up, then I might be able to have some book work if I can pass the test, in between contracts.

[klia.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Excellent news!

I agree with morgandawn and emmarytz's advice. Contract isn't permanent FT work, and may possibly dump you back in this same spot in 5 months!

Woo! Glad to hear it's pouring!

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

Others have already covered most of my advice, but I also thought the following was worth saying:

Don't worry about your ex-boss. Again, do what's best for you. She's part of the company that laid you off, for god's sake...she may still be a pal, but that doesn't mean you owe her any professional obligations. Let them get a temp while you get a steady job.

[wolffire.livejournal.com]

Congrats.

I'll look ya up for the days I make it to campus.

If you have to be on site every day, you qualify for a flexpass which you can use to vanpool. I used to do this...so much better than having to actually drive there. There used to be as many as five vanpools leaving from West Seattle.