I got the job!

Good news! I got that job that I applied for. I was worried about the salary, but I shouldn't have. Along with getting paid vacation and sick time, I get the coveted blue badge instead of my current green one with the giant C for "contractor."

So I'm stoked. I wish I could describe more of what I'll be doing, but I don't really want to discuss where I work on the internet. Suffice it to say that the company makes things that help people who really need it. And that this job will put me closer to this "helping people" thing than my current job (at which I help people by being a tiny cog in a big machine). And my new manager actually said I could be the grammar police.

Be still my beating heart!

I gave my notice today, turned in the forms where I sign away all legal rights and peed in the drug test cup.

Yeah we're moving on up. To the east side...

Interviews

If you work with me - shhhh!

I spent five, count them, five hours interviewing today for a position. And those five hours of interviews took almost nine hours.

It's at the same company I work at now, only it's a regular position instead of a contractor position. This would be good since I'd like to not get kicked out of meetings when they discuss important stuff (and later be held accountable for knowing what is going on in our department). I'd also like to get Christmas off, or maybe a few days off when my kids are sick. As it is now, I get no sick time or vacation time. All the "freedom" of being a contractor goes out the window when you have kids and a mortgage. Screw freedom, give me wage slavery.

I remember the days when five people would come to one room and ask you questions, and then they'd all listen to your answers. Now, five people show up at five different one hour slots (interspersed over a 9 hour time frame) and ask you very similar questions. You get good at answering these same questions, so by the last interview, you sound all well spoken. Or sumthin.

I get paid hourly, so I kept running back to my desk to get in some work in between interviews. I was kind of peeved, because first of all, they wouldn't give me any hint about salary. I have no idea if I just lost nearly a day's worth of pay interviewing for a job that isn't even in my salary range. And after that, the original 6 hour interview window kept expanding until I was scheduled on and off for almost nine hours. Nine flippin hours of running back and forth for interviews.

And on top of that, they insist on getting drug testing info, credit reporting info and all this background info on me, all without ever even discussing the job, salary, or if they'd offer or I'd accept. I spend almost an hour filling out forms.

But hey, I'd like to get the job, so we'll see if it pans out. If not, I'll probably be more hard-ass about finding out salary before I interview again.

My Appologies

I haven't been posting much lately, and the pattern is likely to continue. My laptop died, and we can't get another. Big Brother watches now at work, so I can't post during my lunch hour. And things have just generally gotten busy. The 40 or so minutes I have between chores and bedtime is usually filled with some other vital activity like showering.

You may have noticed that the book I'm currently reading hasn't changed in months. I've been reading, just nothing I think anyone wants me to write a review on. More on that later perhaps.

I am taking a belly dancing class now. I took one back almost 10 years ago, and it was tons of fun. So now I get to go on Thursday nights and shake my thang with a bunch of other sassy women from my town. Much fun. City-run recreation programs rock.