Thursday, September 25, 2008
Work
Now that Lauren is in preschool 3 days/week and nearly 5 years old (6 more weeks!), I've been increasing my search for decent part-time work. Something professional I could do while the kids are in school. Something that pays decently and has all kinds of flexibility. And since the work-from-home independent contractor thing worked out SSOOOO WELLLLL (insert sarcasm here, see post below regarding small claims suit) I want to work as an employee. Pipe dream? Well, perhaps not.
I've had a couple of interviews for just such jobs over the past couple of months. I interviewed with one company located right here in my small suburb but they offered the position to a different candidate, telling me I was a very close 2nd. I interviewed just last week with another company that would be a very cool job in a very cool office, but haven't heard anything from them yet. Well, in the meantime the local company called me to say the guy they hired was leaving to relocate to Hawaii and was I still interested? I met with them yesterday and they offered me the job - conditionally. There is to be a 4-week trial, probationary period where I am hired on as a temp, essentially, to see if I can handle the learning curve. My job will involve a lot of business development as well as some marketing. My background has been primarily marketing, but not so much business development. I'll need to "learn the ropes", so to speak, and they want assurances that I can come up to speed before making me an employee. Fair enough. I'm waiting to hear back from the staffing company to make an appointment to do all the necessary paperwork.
For some reason I'm feeling a little - what's the word I'm looking for here? - ambivalent? reluctant? about this opportunity. On paper it's PERFECT: 20 hrs/week with fairly flexible hours. It's located spitting distance from Lauren's preschool. I only need to enroll her in the extended preschool program where she already attends in order to do this job. She doesn't even need to reschedule her gymnastics class. I will work essentially 9am - 2pm 3 days/week and 10:45am - 2pm 2 days/week. And the company, which has been around a long time and is pretty stable, offers full benefits for part-time employees (assuming I become an employee after the trial month). Full medical, dental, retirement, PTO (pro-rated for part-time folks), bonuses, life insurance - the works. The hourly wage is OoooKkkkk.... low side of appropriate. I've asked if the rate could be re-negotiated/re-visited after the trial period if I'm hired on as an employee. They've said yes. (I mean, they are paying the staffing agency more per hour than I'll be getting, so there should be some wiggle room there for me to increase my rate down the road, yes?) Anyway, it's an ideal situation. Only I'm feeling... bleh. I think it's because I think I'll be bored with the work itself. It's not an exciting, fast-paced industry. I'll be doing a lot of boring research as part of the business development. Maybe I'll be happily mistaken and I'll end up loving it. Because in every other way it's a dream job for me.
And I suspect the other reason I'm so lackluster about this job is that the other job I interviewed for last week is more up my alley. Pure marketing in a fun industry in a hip, cool space. The downside? I'd have to commute into the downtown area every day and probably pay for monthly parking. I'd also have to try to rearrange Lauren's gymnastic schedule and pay more for a 2nd preschool. The pay would probably be better, but I don't know that for sure. It's just sexier, y'know? But now, a bird in the hand and all that jazz. So, wish me luck!
I've had a couple of interviews for just such jobs over the past couple of months. I interviewed with one company located right here in my small suburb but they offered the position to a different candidate, telling me I was a very close 2nd. I interviewed just last week with another company that would be a very cool job in a very cool office, but haven't heard anything from them yet. Well, in the meantime the local company called me to say the guy they hired was leaving to relocate to Hawaii and was I still interested? I met with them yesterday and they offered me the job - conditionally. There is to be a 4-week trial, probationary period where I am hired on as a temp, essentially, to see if I can handle the learning curve. My job will involve a lot of business development as well as some marketing. My background has been primarily marketing, but not so much business development. I'll need to "learn the ropes", so to speak, and they want assurances that I can come up to speed before making me an employee. Fair enough. I'm waiting to hear back from the staffing company to make an appointment to do all the necessary paperwork.
For some reason I'm feeling a little - what's the word I'm looking for here? - ambivalent? reluctant? about this opportunity. On paper it's PERFECT: 20 hrs/week with fairly flexible hours. It's located spitting distance from Lauren's preschool. I only need to enroll her in the extended preschool program where she already attends in order to do this job. She doesn't even need to reschedule her gymnastics class. I will work essentially 9am - 2pm 3 days/week and 10:45am - 2pm 2 days/week. And the company, which has been around a long time and is pretty stable, offers full benefits for part-time employees (assuming I become an employee after the trial month). Full medical, dental, retirement, PTO (pro-rated for part-time folks), bonuses, life insurance - the works. The hourly wage is OoooKkkkk.... low side of appropriate. I've asked if the rate could be re-negotiated/re-visited after the trial period if I'm hired on as an employee. They've said yes. (I mean, they are paying the staffing agency more per hour than I'll be getting, so there should be some wiggle room there for me to increase my rate down the road, yes?) Anyway, it's an ideal situation. Only I'm feeling... bleh. I think it's because I think I'll be bored with the work itself. It's not an exciting, fast-paced industry. I'll be doing a lot of boring research as part of the business development. Maybe I'll be happily mistaken and I'll end up loving it. Because in every other way it's a dream job for me.
And I suspect the other reason I'm so lackluster about this job is that the other job I interviewed for last week is more up my alley. Pure marketing in a fun industry in a hip, cool space. The downside? I'd have to commute into the downtown area every day and probably pay for monthly parking. I'd also have to try to rearrange Lauren's gymnastic schedule and pay more for a 2nd preschool. The pay would probably be better, but I don't know that for sure. It's just sexier, y'know? But now, a bird in the hand and all that jazz. So, wish me luck!
// posted by MP @ 9:47 AM 
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