Please read above title to the tune of "The Locomotion." I know I am a loser but I have been working 12 hour days this week and it made me feel clever when I thought of it.
Tomorrow is a big day. It is my interview for a promotion. The job that I would get if I do get the promotion is probably one of the most important roles at work. Due to tons of middle management and the general "please shoot me" look I get when I try to explain working for a major fiber optic cable company, just think of it as the UltraMiddleMan. This job is the only link between about 5 different departments. The person in this job does everything.
There are about a million reasons why I want this job but here are the top three:
1. My current department is being downsized. That dreaded word. Someone got fired this week and based on the lack of papers sitting in my file right now, I can't say I'm terribly confident my boss's boss isn't going to wonder why we have 2 copyeditors.
2. The promotion comes along with a huge salary increase, meaning I would be able to quit my second job, meaning I would be back to regular work hours. Also the benefits are crazy. 3 weeks paid vacation. Yes please.
3. Experience. This job encompasses so many things I could apply it to pretty much any other job I will ever want in my life. So many doors would be open.
Buuuuuuut the competition is really tough. They are interviewing outside candidates (people not already affiliated with the company), other people on my current job level (specifically the only other person my age, who I also interviewed against for my current job...but more on that later) and people from Corporate. Which is in New York. And yes I capitalized corporate for effect. Like it's big and scary.
I'd like to think I have a legitimate shot. I mean I know all the people in the department already and have done jobs for them and also created their current job-planning system/tool. What scares me is the other girl my age. She is super nice and a really good worker, so I am kind of afraid. The reason she works there even though she didn't get my job is because they hired her to cover for someone on maternity leave, and they really liked her, so now they are trying to find a job for her so they can keep her. Here is the ironic thing though. My job is not full time - her temp position was. Temping also gave her a lot of skills and know-how that will be great for the promotion. If she gets it and I do not, I can't help but be upset because it doesn't seem fair, in the grand scheme of life and whatnot, that by not getting a job she wanted, she ended up with a way better deal than the person who did get the job. And even though I said that, I would be happy for her if she got it and I didn't because it's not like they'd be taking my job away (for now at least!) and I like working with her. I would just be in awe of my really shitty luck.
If I don't get the promotion, I am strongly considering moving back to VA. Not to NOVA though (that probably will never happen) but to Richmond or Newport News. The economy in NC is still terrible and if they do end up chopping up my department, I'll be hard pressed to find something else here.
I guess I will have to wait and see how it goes! I'm nervous and excited and trying to figure out what to wear. I'm going to a bar tonight with some friends and Athan to at least take my mind off of it. I wish I could just get drunk and not physically be able to think about it, but I don't think showing up tomorrow hungover and smelling like Miller High Life would properly showcase my talents to the interview panel.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
I Take My Cues from iGoogle
My horoscope today:
Your recent exploration of the more serious side of life isn't over, but now you need to have some fun. You might even feel as if you are making up for lost time as you reconnect with your inner child. Give yourself permission to be playfully creative and express yourself spontaneously today, yet be aware that you cannot avoid the real issues in your life that need to be addressed. But don't be impatient; the bigger changes you seek will take time to unfold.
Pretty sure it is telling me to go get drunk at Fast Lane tonight and stop worrying about whether or not I am going to get the promotion I applied for. Done.
Your recent exploration of the more serious side of life isn't over, but now you need to have some fun. You might even feel as if you are making up for lost time as you reconnect with your inner child. Give yourself permission to be playfully creative and express yourself spontaneously today, yet be aware that you cannot avoid the real issues in your life that need to be addressed. But don't be impatient; the bigger changes you seek will take time to unfold.
Pretty sure it is telling me to go get drunk at Fast Lane tonight and stop worrying about whether or not I am going to get the promotion I applied for. Done.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Great Day
Today is awesome because:
1. I am officially a ggbig :)
2. Jim & Pam's wedding on The Office is TONIGHT
3. I got hired at a second job (FINALLY) at a spa as a receptionist!
Today was my interview for the receptionist job and they liked me so much they hired me on the spot! I am so happy that I will finally have something to do to make a little extra money. Of course, though, as with most things in life, there is one bad part. The day I am scheduled to start...is also the same day I am supposed to be doing auditioning at my day job. And the auditioning was supposed to make me stay late. Buuuuuut I think I can figure something out. I'll just skip the late session. It's not like I am the #1 decision maker and I get to write the script and also all of the auditions will be on tape so I'll get to see anyone I missed. What's important is that I know I got the days off at my new job for when we go to Charlotte for filming for Corning :) That's the exciting part! I've def sat in on enough auditions in my day, missing a couple won't kill me. Alsoooo if someone in my office had actually done their job and had I know before TODAY what day the auditions were going to be I probably could have planned better. But that's neither here nor there.
I'm not going to let any minor snag annoy me. I am so excited to work in such a girlie atmosphere with PEOPLE MY OWN AGE. Alsoooooo I get to try their expensive makeup products FO FREE and am totally going to get my eyebrows done fo free and get my nails done maybe fo free. I get to try all the services so I can better describe them to the customers. It reminds me of how I got free bras and perfume at Victorias Secret only this is way better and the job is not slave labor.
1. I am officially a ggbig :)
2. Jim & Pam's wedding on The Office is TONIGHT
3. I got hired at a second job (FINALLY) at a spa as a receptionist!
Today was my interview for the receptionist job and they liked me so much they hired me on the spot! I am so happy that I will finally have something to do to make a little extra money. Of course, though, as with most things in life, there is one bad part. The day I am scheduled to start...is also the same day I am supposed to be doing auditioning at my day job. And the auditioning was supposed to make me stay late. Buuuuuut I think I can figure something out. I'll just skip the late session. It's not like I am the #1 decision maker and I get to write the script and also all of the auditions will be on tape so I'll get to see anyone I missed. What's important is that I know I got the days off at my new job for when we go to Charlotte for filming for Corning :) That's the exciting part! I've def sat in on enough auditions in my day, missing a couple won't kill me. Alsoooo if someone in my office had actually done their job and had I know before TODAY what day the auditions were going to be I probably could have planned better. But that's neither here nor there.
I'm not going to let any minor snag annoy me. I am so excited to work in such a girlie atmosphere with PEOPLE MY OWN AGE. Alsoooooo I get to try their expensive makeup products FO FREE and am totally going to get my eyebrows done fo free and get my nails done maybe fo free. I get to try all the services so I can better describe them to the customers. It reminds me of how I got free bras and perfume at Victorias Secret only this is way better and the job is not slave labor.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Call Back
What is it with employers these days that they no longer have the courtesy to call you back after an interview and let you know the result?
I have been looking for a part time job, just to make a little extra cash, and was recently interviewed at an afterschool program. The interview went well (although the interviewer was extremely frazzled and stopped to answer her cell phone and have conversation TWICE) and she said she'd let me know by the end of the week.
Well, soon it was the end of the week. No response. So I sent her a quick email thanking her for the interview and asking if they had made a decision or when I could expect to hear back from her. Nothing. And now the date has arrived that the new person would supposedly be hired, and I am just wondering where the common courtesy of letting someone know they did not get the job went? I am a recent college graduate in the WORST economic climate in memory, believe me, my skin is tough enough for the turn down phonecall. I don't believe you are sparing anyone's feelings by not letting them know the outcome of an interview. Also, the opportunity to get advice and feedback as to why you didn't get the job is COMPLETELY lost. How is someone supposed to learn from these experiences? Employers are doing everyone a complete disservice by blowing off whoever didn't make the cut. This is definitely not the first job I have interviewed for and then NEVER heard back about. A few years ago I think a general practice of just not informing applicants of their status would be completely unheard of. I refuse to believe anyone is so pressed for time they cannot type out a generic three line regret email and BCC it to every person who interviewed but was not offered a job. When I interned at Rosetta Stone sending out notifications about not getting a job was part of MY JOB. So I know exactly how little effort or thought it is possible to involve.
It is just frustrating to think that employers no longer think they need to treat applicants with common courtesy.
So that is my rant about that. And now back to filling out more applications I will probably never hear anything back about.
I have been looking for a part time job, just to make a little extra cash, and was recently interviewed at an afterschool program. The interview went well (although the interviewer was extremely frazzled and stopped to answer her cell phone and have conversation TWICE) and she said she'd let me know by the end of the week.
Well, soon it was the end of the week. No response. So I sent her a quick email thanking her for the interview and asking if they had made a decision or when I could expect to hear back from her. Nothing. And now the date has arrived that the new person would supposedly be hired, and I am just wondering where the common courtesy of letting someone know they did not get the job went? I am a recent college graduate in the WORST economic climate in memory, believe me, my skin is tough enough for the turn down phonecall. I don't believe you are sparing anyone's feelings by not letting them know the outcome of an interview. Also, the opportunity to get advice and feedback as to why you didn't get the job is COMPLETELY lost. How is someone supposed to learn from these experiences? Employers are doing everyone a complete disservice by blowing off whoever didn't make the cut. This is definitely not the first job I have interviewed for and then NEVER heard back about. A few years ago I think a general practice of just not informing applicants of their status would be completely unheard of. I refuse to believe anyone is so pressed for time they cannot type out a generic three line regret email and BCC it to every person who interviewed but was not offered a job. When I interned at Rosetta Stone sending out notifications about not getting a job was part of MY JOB. So I know exactly how little effort or thought it is possible to involve.
It is just frustrating to think that employers no longer think they need to treat applicants with common courtesy.
So that is my rant about that. And now back to filling out more applications I will probably never hear anything back about.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Falling into Place
I am really sucking at updating this.
On the grandpa front, things are back to okay now. The blood clot dissolved and he stayed with my parents until a day or two ago and is back in Florida now, so that is good.
On the Athan's job front, no news from Richmond. And while I'd never say I was happy that someone didn't get a thing they wanted, I can say I feel relief. For now anyway. Still hopeful something will come through for him soon, regardless of location.
It's October now, which is my favorite month, especially this year because I have a lot of things to look forward to. First, I will be making my first return trip to NoVa since moving here three months ago. Second, my birthday. Maybe its obnoxious to be turning 22 and still loving that I get a day dedicated to myself, but I can't help it. I like other people's birthdays almost as much as I like my own. I just like celebrations I guess. Third, I will be going to JMU Homecoming as an Alum for the first time ever. Fourth, I find out who the newest addition to Absolut family is. And fifth, I get to spend my free time here doing fun autumn things like planting perennials, pumpkin patch visiting, apple picking, and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway during peak. Oh yeah and I almost forgot a potential sixth - if I can fenagle getting up to NoVa a second time, I can see my good friend Jamie for the first time since JUNE. That is such a stupid amount of time to have not seen a close friend, I can barely handle it. Hopefully it will all work out and I can get my ass up there. Am considering asking to work from home so I can get some days off without costing me any money.
Another surefire sign of fall's presence is that I think I am starting to get a sinus infection. Lots of people at work come to work sick, and although I have been extremely diligent about disinfecting and cleaning my desk regularly, I apparently have not totally safeguarded myself from the germs meandering in our HORRIBLEY ventilated office. I work basically in a cubical, which is in a larger cubical, which is in large square area of the building that pretty much is like a cubical as well. AKA I am about four layers of walls away from any kind of window or door to the outside world. The air in my office feels like it has been lingering in there for years.
A big development in my life is that I have officially decided to put myself on a budget. I desperately want to have enough money saved to start paying for graduate school in the fall. Of course I can only go part-time, which is good though because it means I have to save less. It's just very hard right now because I have had a sort of "Oh, this will all even out by next paycheck" attitude about all of my spending and have yet to actually sit down and figure out a plan. But I did that at work yesterday when I had nothing to do and I think I have developed something I can actually live with. Paying bills and worrying about things like insurance are definitely a part of adult life I could do without. Pretty sure every adult human agrees with that.
On the grandpa front, things are back to okay now. The blood clot dissolved and he stayed with my parents until a day or two ago and is back in Florida now, so that is good.
On the Athan's job front, no news from Richmond. And while I'd never say I was happy that someone didn't get a thing they wanted, I can say I feel relief. For now anyway. Still hopeful something will come through for him soon, regardless of location.
It's October now, which is my favorite month, especially this year because I have a lot of things to look forward to. First, I will be making my first return trip to NoVa since moving here three months ago. Second, my birthday. Maybe its obnoxious to be turning 22 and still loving that I get a day dedicated to myself, but I can't help it. I like other people's birthdays almost as much as I like my own. I just like celebrations I guess. Third, I will be going to JMU Homecoming as an Alum for the first time ever. Fourth, I find out who the newest addition to Absolut family is. And fifth, I get to spend my free time here doing fun autumn things like planting perennials, pumpkin patch visiting, apple picking, and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway during peak. Oh yeah and I almost forgot a potential sixth - if I can fenagle getting up to NoVa a second time, I can see my good friend Jamie for the first time since JUNE. That is such a stupid amount of time to have not seen a close friend, I can barely handle it. Hopefully it will all work out and I can get my ass up there. Am considering asking to work from home so I can get some days off without costing me any money.
Another surefire sign of fall's presence is that I think I am starting to get a sinus infection. Lots of people at work come to work sick, and although I have been extremely diligent about disinfecting and cleaning my desk regularly, I apparently have not totally safeguarded myself from the germs meandering in our HORRIBLEY ventilated office. I work basically in a cubical, which is in a larger cubical, which is in large square area of the building that pretty much is like a cubical as well. AKA I am about four layers of walls away from any kind of window or door to the outside world. The air in my office feels like it has been lingering in there for years.
A big development in my life is that I have officially decided to put myself on a budget. I desperately want to have enough money saved to start paying for graduate school in the fall. Of course I can only go part-time, which is good though because it means I have to save less. It's just very hard right now because I have had a sort of "Oh, this will all even out by next paycheck" attitude about all of my spending and have yet to actually sit down and figure out a plan. But I did that at work yesterday when I had nothing to do and I think I have developed something I can actually live with. Paying bills and worrying about things like insurance are definitely a part of adult life I could do without. Pretty sure every adult human agrees with that.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Updates
Things at work have been extremely exciting this week! I was asked to write the script for our newest promo video. It is a HUGE opportunity, especially considering I have only worked there one month, and I know a lot of other people there wanted to do it. So I have been working really hard and writing draft after draft after draft. It required a lot of research because before last month, I literally didn't even know what fiber optic cable was or how it worked. And now I am advertising it! Insanity. We went to a demo yesterday where a technician showed my department how to use our product and then showed us its competing technologies. As good as I thought my three fully developed scripts were (people like to have options so I did three similar ones, pretty much the same idea but variations on the focus) I kept feeling like a more creative aspect was missing.
Then this morning when I was sitting at my desk, it just HIT me. I just suddenly had a brilliantly creative idea, and immediately wrote a completely different script. My boss loved it, so now we have sent 2 options to the department that requested the video. One is my creative stroke of genius (haha) and the other is a blend of my 3 previous scripts. There isn't anything wrong with the non-creative one, I just really like the idea behind the one I wrote this morning better. Plus I feel like I do better writing dialogue than just straight information. And I know its very sorority-girl of me but there is also a tshirt design associated with the creative script and I would REALLY like to make tshirts. I can't help it - old habits die hard and this will be my first event-related tshirt-free year in a while.
In other news, Athan left this morning. He was here for a long time so it sucks that he left, but hopefully when he comes back on the 24th it will be for good! We went a ton of places when he was here too. Old Salem, Grandfather Mountain, Glenn Hilton Park (okay, so this is just a local place with a good frisbee golf course and trails, but hey), JJ's, the Moosehead in Charlotte...it was so much fun. Now its back to being just me and LuDoggie [and my "roommates" - aunt & uncle]. But not for long, because my family is coming down this weekend and staying for a week. It should be pretty crazy when everyone is here but I am looking forward to all the FREE FOOD. You never realize how expensive the grocery store is until you pay for your own food. Also sales tax here is 7%, which is like 2 %or 3% higher than what I was used to in VA.
Anways, here are some pictures from Grandfather Mountain that I took this week. It's really beautiful but windyyyy. Athan bought me some fudge at a store up there too but unfortunately crazy bandit Lucy somehow got it off my desk (HOW?!) and ate most of it. Luckily she has a digestive system similar to an industrial garbage disposal and didn't get sick. I think her body should be preserved for science. She is obviously much more evolved that your average beagle-mutt.
Because of my love for my sorority, I called him the Phi Bear
Then this morning when I was sitting at my desk, it just HIT me. I just suddenly had a brilliantly creative idea, and immediately wrote a completely different script. My boss loved it, so now we have sent 2 options to the department that requested the video. One is my creative stroke of genius (haha) and the other is a blend of my 3 previous scripts. There isn't anything wrong with the non-creative one, I just really like the idea behind the one I wrote this morning better. Plus I feel like I do better writing dialogue than just straight information. And I know its very sorority-girl of me but there is also a tshirt design associated with the creative script and I would REALLY like to make tshirts. I can't help it - old habits die hard and this will be my first event-related tshirt-free year in a while.
In other news, Athan left this morning. He was here for a long time so it sucks that he left, but hopefully when he comes back on the 24th it will be for good! We went a ton of places when he was here too. Old Salem, Grandfather Mountain, Glenn Hilton Park (okay, so this is just a local place with a good frisbee golf course and trails, but hey), JJ's, the Moosehead in Charlotte...it was so much fun. Now its back to being just me and LuDoggie [and my "roommates" - aunt & uncle]. But not for long, because my family is coming down this weekend and staying for a week. It should be pretty crazy when everyone is here but I am looking forward to all the FREE FOOD. You never realize how expensive the grocery store is until you pay for your own food. Also sales tax here is 7%, which is like 2 %or 3% higher than what I was used to in VA.
Anways, here are some pictures from Grandfather Mountain that I took this week. It's really beautiful but windyyyy. Athan bought me some fudge at a store up there too but unfortunately crazy bandit Lucy somehow got it off my desk (HOW?!) and ate most of it. Luckily she has a digestive system similar to an industrial garbage disposal and didn't get sick. I think her body should be preserved for science. She is obviously much more evolved that your average beagle-mutt.
Grandfather mountain & hanging bridge. +5000 ft. elevation
Athan at the top of the mountain
Not only are you strongly ENCOURAGED to feed the bears, food is provided. Basically almost no fencing is involved.
Because of my love for my sorority, I called him the Phi Bear
Monday, July 27, 2009
Baseball & Chocolate
I think I have the best job in the world:
Boss: Kari, on Wednesday we're all going to the Crawdads game around noon instead of coming into the office. It goes until 3:30 so you can just come in later instead of at 8 like you usually do.
Me: Oh, okay, so I'll do my hours after and stay here until 6?
Boss: No, just the game.
Me: The game counts as my hours? We're getting paid for it?
Boss: Yep. Technically it's team building. The whole department is going so there won't be any work for you to do here.
:)
The Crawdads are the local baseball team in Hickory. I used to go to their games a lot when I was little so I think its going to be really fun!
Also that conversation took place a few minutes after my boss brought us chocolate mousse cake for breakfast.
Boss: Kari, on Wednesday we're all going to the Crawdads game around noon instead of coming into the office. It goes until 3:30 so you can just come in later instead of at 8 like you usually do.
Me: Oh, okay, so I'll do my hours after and stay here until 6?
Boss: No, just the game.
Me: The game counts as my hours? We're getting paid for it?
Boss: Yep. Technically it's team building. The whole department is going so there won't be any work for you to do here.
:)
The Crawdads are the local baseball team in Hickory. I used to go to their games a lot when I was little so I think its going to be really fun!
Also that conversation took place a few minutes after my boss brought us chocolate mousse cake for breakfast.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
First Day
My first day of work went really well. I have my own cubical, but right now none of the lights work above it so today I sat at a table on the other side of it. There is only one other editor at the company so she showed me some basic things today and I read over some documents and am set to start editing tomorrow. Pretty much everyone I work with is a woman, and most are between 30 & 40. Also most of them are either pregnant or just had a baby. Everywhere around the office there are millions of pictures of various people's babies and "artwork" by children. I feel pressure to produce something similar on the walls of my cubical, but Lucy is the closest thing I have to a child. I love her like one at least!
My boss took me out to lunch and we went to a restaurant called Flat Rock on the same road as the office. It was mostly seafood which frightened me when I first glanced at the menu because I didn't want to be rude and say anything (I HATE seafood), but I also didn't want to submit to ordering chicken tenders in front of business associates. For a moment I seriously considered ordering the fish with the most other ingredients to drown out it's flavors so I could quickly force it down, but luckily there was a sandwich menu for lunch time. Crisis averted! My picky eating habits have put me in uncomfortable situations before and I was glad it didn't ruin things today. For an appetizer my boss ordered COLLARD GREEN WONTONS. I had no choice but to eat it, and to my surprise....it was really good! And I don't like collard greens or wontons, haha.
After work my aunt and uncle took me to their country club called Rock Barn. It's part of the neighborhood where they are building their house so they were showing me some of the ammenities and wanted to take me out to dinner. We went to McAllister's (I think that was the name) and holy crap, it was the best food EVER! I got chicken parmesan, which is one of my favorite foods, and it was the best I'd ever tasted. Everything about it was amazing. As a present for me we also got this triple chocolate cake for desert - so divine! I seriously thought I was going to explode at the end of the meal. The whole place is beautiful and I hope when I retire I can live like that too. My uncle is trying to get me golf lessons there for next week - we'll see how that goes! I've only been to the driving range once, and during that trip only a select few of my balls went more than a couple feet. I am absolutely not athletically inclined. At least I would be making the instructor truly work for his money.
And since almost all I have done is talk about FOOD I think its necessary to share that I went ahead with my plan and joined a gym today! It was only $99 for the whole year, which when I compared prices other places I realized was a really good deal! So I am going to head over there after work tomorrow and start working on getting svelte, haha. Also during the lunch today a coworker suggested that I join the book club at the library by my house, so I am going to head over there sometime tomorrow too and see when it meets and what they're reading and all that. All of my english classes in college basically felt like book clubs, so I think it would be good for me to be back in a similar environment. Plus I have tons of leisure time for reading!
Today was a day with a lot of firsts, and I had a really good time experiencing them all. Let's hope its a sign of more good things to come!
My boss took me out to lunch and we went to a restaurant called Flat Rock on the same road as the office. It was mostly seafood which frightened me when I first glanced at the menu because I didn't want to be rude and say anything (I HATE seafood), but I also didn't want to submit to ordering chicken tenders in front of business associates. For a moment I seriously considered ordering the fish with the most other ingredients to drown out it's flavors so I could quickly force it down, but luckily there was a sandwich menu for lunch time. Crisis averted! My picky eating habits have put me in uncomfortable situations before and I was glad it didn't ruin things today. For an appetizer my boss ordered COLLARD GREEN WONTONS. I had no choice but to eat it, and to my surprise....it was really good! And I don't like collard greens or wontons, haha.
After work my aunt and uncle took me to their country club called Rock Barn. It's part of the neighborhood where they are building their house so they were showing me some of the ammenities and wanted to take me out to dinner. We went to McAllister's (I think that was the name) and holy crap, it was the best food EVER! I got chicken parmesan, which is one of my favorite foods, and it was the best I'd ever tasted. Everything about it was amazing. As a present for me we also got this triple chocolate cake for desert - so divine! I seriously thought I was going to explode at the end of the meal. The whole place is beautiful and I hope when I retire I can live like that too. My uncle is trying to get me golf lessons there for next week - we'll see how that goes! I've only been to the driving range once, and during that trip only a select few of my balls went more than a couple feet. I am absolutely not athletically inclined. At least I would be making the instructor truly work for his money.
And since almost all I have done is talk about FOOD I think its necessary to share that I went ahead with my plan and joined a gym today! It was only $99 for the whole year, which when I compared prices other places I realized was a really good deal! So I am going to head over there after work tomorrow and start working on getting svelte, haha. Also during the lunch today a coworker suggested that I join the book club at the library by my house, so I am going to head over there sometime tomorrow too and see when it meets and what they're reading and all that. All of my english classes in college basically felt like book clubs, so I think it would be good for me to be back in a similar environment. Plus I have tons of leisure time for reading!
Today was a day with a lot of firsts, and I had a really good time experiencing them all. Let's hope its a sign of more good things to come!