2003-05-09 - 8:49 p.m.

They Like Me

I was already on the way home.  It was about 7 o'clock and I had stopped at the gas station to fill up the pick up.  I had shut off the engine, turned off the radio and was just reaching for the door when I heard the cell phone ring.  The cell phone?  That's right.  It was in my satchel. I had forgotten about it.

It was Anthony, the hiring manager.  He was sorry to call so late, but would I like to interview for the position.  He really, really liked my resume.  He wants to set up a meeting next week.  I tell him it is going to be tricky.  If my bosses know I am interviewing they may fire me or at least make things very uncomfortable for me.  Anthony tells me that the interview will take about two hours.  That would be a big block of time away from the office.  I can't think of a way it would go unnoticed.

We decided to make our final arrangements on Monday.  I will interview on Wednesday or Thursday.  I'm sure it will work out somehow.

So far everything has worked out just right.  Everything has been timed perfectly so I am not very worried.  This is the way it works for me, job wise.  I got my present job this way: The woman I worked with asked me if I wanted to interview with the company that does our payroll.  They really need someone, they wanted her but she liked her job and thought I would be a good person to recommend.  I tell her that it does not really matter to me.  I was doing fine in the job I had then.  But I called. I faxed my resume. David called me back and asked me to interview.  I went in to the interview, they seemed desperate for someone.  I did not care if I got the job or not.  The pay was very good.  They offered it to me. I took it.

The job before that I went into a temp agency, the woman looked at me, told me she had an idea for me, and thought I would be perfect for it and it could turn into something permanent.  I was one of two temps who were asked to stay after the peak ended.

Before that my sister bought a house far away from where I was living and working. I was going to quit my job when, one day, Dorothy called and asked me if I wanted to come and work for her in her new bookstore.  It was much closer to where I was going to live.  I told her yes.

Before that I walked into a bookstore. Talked to the manager for a few minutes, she said as soon as she saw me she knew she would hire me.  I told her as soon as I saw the store I knew I was going to work there.  As a matter of fact, I quite the job I had before they offered to hire me at the bookstore.  I was miserable working in a furniture store.  I did not want to go back for even one more day.  I only took the job because no one would rent an apartment to me unless I could prove income.

The job I hated I got by answering an ad in the paper.  I interview, they offered me a job and the whole process took about 15 minutes.  They were ready to give me an entire store to manage.  Ugh, I hated that job.  The only fun I had was sitting and talking for hours with this weird girl whose boyfriend was going to mortuary school.

The jobs I have tried to force my way into, the jobs I really wanted, the jobs I campaigned for always just dissipated right before my eyes.  I have never been able to wedge my way into a job.  It either happens or it does not.  It gives me the feeling that I am being placed by some force larger than me.

And that is the way this new job feels.  I really wanted the job I applied for a month ago.  It could have been something really good, but I hit the blocks right away.  They liked my resume but the account was on hold.  They thought I would be perfect but they had not put together a budget yet.  Ok.  Fine.

But this job.  Nancy says I should apply.  I do.  I tell her about it, she knows someone in that department.  Her friend asks for my resume. Nancy sends it to her just before she goes to a meeting with the hiring manager.  She hands my resume over to the hiring manager who calls the next day.  He calls at exactly the right time so we can talk undisturbed while I am at work.  He likes me and wants to know if I am interested.  I call the next day and he is not there.  All day long my bosses are hanging around and walking in and out.  My sister lends me her cell phone so I can call when I am at lunch.  I call at lunch and leave a message. I get busy and forget about him.  I leave the cell phone on and he calls just at the moment I am sitting there quietly not doing anything else.  I had literally paused and was sitting there between movements.  And I usually keep moving all the time.

I am sure somehow it will work out and I will interview.  I don't know for sure that I will get the job, but I would be surprised if I didn't because it fits the profile.  I guess we will see.

There were a few other surprises today.  I won $5 on a lottery ticket I bought last week.  I got a bonus check today.  Bonus check?  Huh?  I didn't figure I was actually going to get a bonus. It was not much.  Only a few hundred dollars.  Sort of insulting.  This is what I worked like a dog for?  I put in 50 hours per week since January.  Thanks.

I think this is supposed to be a quarterly bonus.  But somehow last quarter came and went and there was nothing.

Wow.  A few hundred dollars. I've changed my mind. I'll stick around for at least another quarter and see if I can bring in that kind of dough again!  What will I do with it all?

Do I sound ungrateful? They could have given me nothing at all. Like they did for certain other members of my department.  I don't know.  I just feel like I could save that much money in a week by not having to drive 50 miles a day back and forth to work.

Jimmy
 

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