Today, I got up (early, early in the morning) and went to work. I don’t know which felt more strange, the getting up early or the going to work.
It was pretty uneventful, but I did find out that while I am a contractor with little to no benefits at the moment, my manager does intend on hiring me as a real employee in a few months if things are working out well. It’s always nice to know that health insurance and paid vacation / sick leave are just around the corner.
Ironically, it seems now that I have a job (and job offers), more offers and phone calls keep coming in. I was offered a position in Santa Barbara just over a week ago, but they tried to bully me into taking the job. How’s this for rushing someone — It’s Thursday and they say “We want you to start on Tuesday” — Monday was a holiday — and oh yes “We need your decision by tomorrow.” Did I mention that Santa Barbara is 4 hours from my house?
It was almost a go, but alas, I had an interview the day before in San Jose. For the job I’ve wanted since July. All the sudden, Santa Barbara didn’t seem so enticing. And to top off the whole thing, CTB/McGraw Hill called me that same day and reiterated their job offer which didn’t require a 4 hour move, an expensive apartment (Here’s a statistic — the cost of living in Santa Barbara is 40% higher than in Baltimore according to Salary.com), and all for more money. So that’s where I work now. =)
It’s sort of annoying that people think they can interview you and not tell you if you’re hired or not, and call or email months later expecting you to drop everything. I had completely given up on my San Diego job interview, which was just before Thanksgiving. The hiring manager said she would have a decision by the end of the year, and then I never heard anything. And low and behold, the day I signed my contract with CTB last week, she emailed me to tell me they have another opening.
And if one more person chimes in with that dreaded “when it rains it pours” cliche, be prepared to face the punishment.
On the un-job related front, there’s not much going on. Except a certain someone telling me I’m a good friend along with other sweet things. It was a nice surprise. Somehow, I just didn’t see that coming.
It reminded me that I don’t always tell people how I feel or what I think, and that while I expect them to know, I can’t always be certain that they do. So I hope all my friends and family know how much I love them, and how much I miss everyone that’s far away.