Week 1 has come to a close. I've got two more days with a teammate on my shift and then I've pretty much got the run of the place to myself. There's still a few people in the other buildings, Helpdesk, Security, miscellaneous System Admins in to work on their machines, etc... but I can go the whole night without seeing another person. There seems to be a much lower workload at night, mainly doing installs and upgrades that have been scheduled well in advance, and since it's not normal working hours the few calls I get seem to have a little less urgency attatched to them. This doesn't mean I'm going to slack though, if it's work related then it automatically gets flagged as urgent in my brain and everything else becomes a secondary concern. It's that combination of extreme work ethic and extreme laziness that makes me an efficiency expert. I get the job done right and in as little time as possible so that I can get back to doing my own thing and remain undisturbed as long as possible. Now if only I could apply that to my personal life instead of just my professional one.
I came across an interesting moral dilemma last night. A little background to start it out. I work in a 24*7 environment. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this, that means that someone is there ALL the time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365.242199 days a year. Most companies that do this generally have four shifts of people working 12 hours at a time on some sort of schedule where one week you work four days and the next you work three. Now it just so happens that the contracting agency that I'm working for has a different end of week than the company I work at. It's going to work out that I'll have FIVE days on one paycheck and two on the next. So instead of the more normal 40+8 and 36 hour paychecks, I'm going to have a 40+20 and a 24. Or in other words I'll be working 84 hours every two weeks, and originally I thought I'd be getting paid for 88 (anything over forty hours gets paid at one and a half times the normal rate) but it turns out I'll be getting paid for 94 hours every two weeks instead. So the dilemma is this: Do I call my contracting agency and possibly give them a heads up that their current system is going to increase my pay by about 7%, or just wait until they get my timecards and a nasty shock to boot?
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobs. Show all posts
7/20/2009
7/14/2009
Hi-ho
It's nice to be working again. The job is about what I expected, and seems interesting enough. My only complaint so far is that the buildings are a maze. It's going to take me quite some time to figure out my way around. Also once I'm on my regular shift, I'm going to have to start bringing in my own lunch. We have to stay on-site, and the cafeteria is only open for lunch... Still, looks like there will be plenty of time for learning new things and maybe taking a few on-line courses. I'll have to reread the policies to see what's acceptable and what's not. Kind of a short post today, because I spent most of my free time sleeping, just getting myself set to work the day schedule. I'll have to write more later.
7/11/2009
Minor Greivance
Well, I did finally get a confirmation on the start date for my new job. Monday, but instead of putting me to work on my shift, they want me from 0800 to 1700 M-F for the first week, because that's when the regulars (non-contract) will be there to train me. Not a bad idea, it's just that now I'm going to have to flip back to a day schedule since I had already changed to my "normal" mode of staying up all night. Oh well, should be interesting nonetheless, though traffic is probably going to have a little extra helping of suck added on to it.
I was reading a book today and couldn't help but notice that the author kept referring to the brakes on a character's car as "breaks." I hate it when things like that happen. It breaks up the whole flow of the story for me. Things like this jump out at me and kill whatever other mental processes are going on at the time. It's not really much, but it does lower my overall enjoyment of the experience. Now in normal amateur writings (like blogs or forum posts for instance) I really don't mind this, and to a certain extent expect it. But in a novel put out by a publisher that has presumably been gone over by professional editors and through several readings this sort of thing shouldn't happen.
I notice small spelling and grammatical mistakes quite often, and in some rather unusual places. I suppose I have my mother the english teacher to thank for this. I do make it a point not to correct the individual unless of course I have been asked to proofread or edit. I suppose that would make me a closet grammar-nazi. I notice the mistakes, and as loudly as I'm screaming profanities against the abuser within my mind, but I don't point them out in any sort of public way. I suppose I could blame the education system for failing to teach these people proper spelling and grammar, but that would be too easy. Granted, the education system in this country is far from ideal, but I believe that it is merely indicative of a greater societal problem. Nobody cares about spelling or grammar anymore. Especially with the texting and internet focus of our younger members where the idea is to get across a complete idea using as few keystrokes as possible. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing as it takes a little bit of critical thinking ability to figure out what "gtgttyl" actually means, but I think it's a poor substitute for actual communication.
Which brings me to my next topic. I don't like communicating with people unless it's face to face and in person. My preferences for talking to another individual would be as follows, from most preferred to least: In person, telephone, webcam, e-mail, chat, writing a letter, semaphore, smoke signals, texting, carrier pigeon. In a face to face conversation you can impart more information in a shorter time than any other listed mode, not just with your words, but with body language, tone, intonation, and whatever other subtle cues you may not even realize you are sending or receiving. Telephone would be next because although you lose the visual medium, you are still able to hear inflection and intonation. Webcam would actually be one higher if it weren't for two things, it pretty much means you're rooted to one spot, and it's still not perfected resulting in flat sounds and choppy motion. E-mail, while chopping off both the visual and audible aspects, still allows for full words and sentences, plus it has the added benefit of contemplation of what you are saying and your word choices before you send them. Chat would be another one that could be higher, but people tend to focus more on the instantaneous aspect than the communication aspect, typing in shorthand, or worse, in a group chat, everyone talking at once. Letter writing might be higher given that it has the potential for hand-writing and thus imparting some sense of the personal, but it takes too long (relatively) and is expensive (again, relatively). Semaphore and smoke signals, while impractical would still re-incorporate the visual aspect. Texting... texting could be a lot higher on my list, but the modern attitudes towards it are just abysmal, basically, you only really text when you have a cell phone, so why not just give me a call and allow for more information to be exchanged in a shorter period of time with more personality behind it as well. Carrier pigeon would be the archaic version of texting, 'nuff said.
I was reading a book today and couldn't help but notice that the author kept referring to the brakes on a character's car as "breaks." I hate it when things like that happen. It breaks up the whole flow of the story for me. Things like this jump out at me and kill whatever other mental processes are going on at the time. It's not really much, but it does lower my overall enjoyment of the experience. Now in normal amateur writings (like blogs or forum posts for instance) I really don't mind this, and to a certain extent expect it. But in a novel put out by a publisher that has presumably been gone over by professional editors and through several readings this sort of thing shouldn't happen.
I notice small spelling and grammatical mistakes quite often, and in some rather unusual places. I suppose I have my mother the english teacher to thank for this. I do make it a point not to correct the individual unless of course I have been asked to proofread or edit. I suppose that would make me a closet grammar-nazi. I notice the mistakes, and as loudly as I'm screaming profanities against the abuser within my mind, but I don't point them out in any sort of public way. I suppose I could blame the education system for failing to teach these people proper spelling and grammar, but that would be too easy. Granted, the education system in this country is far from ideal, but I believe that it is merely indicative of a greater societal problem. Nobody cares about spelling or grammar anymore. Especially with the texting and internet focus of our younger members where the idea is to get across a complete idea using as few keystrokes as possible. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing as it takes a little bit of critical thinking ability to figure out what "gtgttyl" actually means, but I think it's a poor substitute for actual communication.
Which brings me to my next topic. I don't like communicating with people unless it's face to face and in person. My preferences for talking to another individual would be as follows, from most preferred to least: In person, telephone, webcam, e-mail, chat, writing a letter, semaphore, smoke signals, texting, carrier pigeon. In a face to face conversation you can impart more information in a shorter time than any other listed mode, not just with your words, but with body language, tone, intonation, and whatever other subtle cues you may not even realize you are sending or receiving. Telephone would be next because although you lose the visual medium, you are still able to hear inflection and intonation. Webcam would actually be one higher if it weren't for two things, it pretty much means you're rooted to one spot, and it's still not perfected resulting in flat sounds and choppy motion. E-mail, while chopping off both the visual and audible aspects, still allows for full words and sentences, plus it has the added benefit of contemplation of what you are saying and your word choices before you send them. Chat would be another one that could be higher, but people tend to focus more on the instantaneous aspect than the communication aspect, typing in shorthand, or worse, in a group chat, everyone talking at once. Letter writing might be higher given that it has the potential for hand-writing and thus imparting some sense of the personal, but it takes too long (relatively) and is expensive (again, relatively). Semaphore and smoke signals, while impractical would still re-incorporate the visual aspect. Texting... texting could be a lot higher on my list, but the modern attitudes towards it are just abysmal, basically, you only really text when you have a cell phone, so why not just give me a call and allow for more information to be exchanged in a shorter period of time with more personality behind it as well. Carrier pigeon would be the archaic version of texting, 'nuff said.
7/08/2009
Why is six afraid of seven?
Happy 7/8/9 everyone! (say it out loud...) Not much going on here, just finished up the remainder of my new hire paperwork this morning, and it's looking like Monday is going to be my first day of work. Still not set in stone, but looking firmer every day. I'm starting to worry that I may be getting too anxious. Sure, it's going to be great to be working again, but it's still a job. Every job has it's bad points to go along with the good. No matter how excited I am, this is not going to be my dream job where I'll never want to leave. Just have to relax and get into more of a neutral attitude.
Thinking of starting to shave my head again. Hair's getting long and since I ride the motorcycle, there's not too much I can do with it. Basically I'm starting to look like Egon. Now don't get me wrong, Ghostbusters was a great movie but I don't really want to start looking like what was ostensibly the dorkiest character of the lot. Suppose I should at least wait until I get the picture taken for my new badge. Then I can even go back to the mohawk! Yes, I can already hear certain family members groaning. But, if I'm going to be going back to school, then I'll need to reassert some of my latent personality traits which don't necessarily go well with corporate america.
Let's face it, I'm a punk. Of course my dad would only all to readily agree, but he has a different idea of what it means to be a punk than I do. Basically, to me at least, being a punk means identifying with yourself before anything else. Too many people all too readily identify themselves with some type of external organization, be it political, religious, gender-based, social clique, whatever. To me, being a punk is the ultimate statement of "I am ME!" and I tend to define external organizations by how closely they follow along with my ideals rather than the other way around. It might take a little bit of mental judo to really wrap your mind around the idea, but once you do, you might want to be a punk too. Of course, my parents will probably understand where I'm coming from since they pretty much brought me up to be this way, so I suppose that thanks are in order.
Well, I suppose that's all for now. Check back later for more wacky adventures! Excelsior!
Thinking of starting to shave my head again. Hair's getting long and since I ride the motorcycle, there's not too much I can do with it. Basically I'm starting to look like Egon. Now don't get me wrong, Ghostbusters was a great movie but I don't really want to start looking like what was ostensibly the dorkiest character of the lot. Suppose I should at least wait until I get the picture taken for my new badge. Then I can even go back to the mohawk! Yes, I can already hear certain family members groaning. But, if I'm going to be going back to school, then I'll need to reassert some of my latent personality traits which don't necessarily go well with corporate america.
Let's face it, I'm a punk. Of course my dad would only all to readily agree, but he has a different idea of what it means to be a punk than I do. Basically, to me at least, being a punk means identifying with yourself before anything else. Too many people all too readily identify themselves with some type of external organization, be it political, religious, gender-based, social clique, whatever. To me, being a punk is the ultimate statement of "I am ME!" and I tend to define external organizations by how closely they follow along with my ideals rather than the other way around. It might take a little bit of mental judo to really wrap your mind around the idea, but once you do, you might want to be a punk too. Of course, my parents will probably understand where I'm coming from since they pretty much brought me up to be this way, so I suppose that thanks are in order.
Well, I suppose that's all for now. Check back later for more wacky adventures! Excelsior!
7/01/2009
No More Hunting
Well, the job search is finally over. I accepted the job that I wanted but was a one hour commute. After some serious number crunching, it did end up paying more, and after a look at the benefits available it made more sense. Still, the drive is going to be a killer, but I figure if I still have the job in a year or so, then I can move to that side of town, and possibly in to a house that's a little bit closer to a usable size... Anyways, the paperwork is all sent in, with the exception of the I-9 form which has to be done in person (that's gonna be interesting to work out), and my tentative start date is July 13. Nice to not have to worry about it anymore, though it's still going to be a little tight for the first couple of months as I get my finances back in order. On the plus side, I'd rather have to worry about not having enough money to go see a movie, than worry about not having enough money to buy groceries.
At this point, I'm emotionally drained, but looking forward to getting my life back on track. Plus, with the recent experience of my last two months, actually setting a goal or two that will help me out in the future should a situation like this arise again. With the schedule I'll be working, it's going to be difficult to go back to school, but the contracting agency I'm working for does offer some on-line programs which will allow me to study up for some certifications. And if in a year or so, I do end up moving closer to the job, I'll also be moving closer to a couple of schools, so it'll be easier to go back and start working on getting my degree. Don't know if I want to continue working in the IT field, so I've given some thought to possible majors, and I think I'm going to shoot for Mechanical Engineering. Looks like it's be the right mix of skull sweat and hands on that I'd really enjoy myself. Plus as an added benefit, engineers are usually one of the exempted professions on most countries immigration lists, so if I wanted to get a job in another country then I could go pretty easily. Nice to have a dream, now all that I need to do is spend the next couple of years making it happen. Ought to be fun.
At this point, I'm emotionally drained, but looking forward to getting my life back on track. Plus, with the recent experience of my last two months, actually setting a goal or two that will help me out in the future should a situation like this arise again. With the schedule I'll be working, it's going to be difficult to go back to school, but the contracting agency I'm working for does offer some on-line programs which will allow me to study up for some certifications. And if in a year or so, I do end up moving closer to the job, I'll also be moving closer to a couple of schools, so it'll be easier to go back and start working on getting my degree. Don't know if I want to continue working in the IT field, so I've given some thought to possible majors, and I think I'm going to shoot for Mechanical Engineering. Looks like it's be the right mix of skull sweat and hands on that I'd really enjoy myself. Plus as an added benefit, engineers are usually one of the exempted professions on most countries immigration lists, so if I wanted to get a job in another country then I could go pretty easily. Nice to have a dream, now all that I need to do is spend the next couple of years making it happen. Ought to be fun.
6/29/2009
The Sledge of Time.
Yup, I'm bored. There's only so much slacking I can do before the need to be about something chips away at my sanity like some mad artist turning a marble plinth into a bowling trophy. I fear that I have inherited the work ethic of my grandfather and my father (though he has denied that he possesses it) in that neither of them are content to just do nothing and be retired. Unfortunately, I don't have a retirement yet and actually need to work in order to continue eating, thus adding to the weight of the burden of slack upon me. I've actually faced this a couple of times in the past few months, but the prospect of getting a job, instead of easing my worry, has increased my anxiety levels. I feel like a kid at christmas; I'm about to be given a gift that I know the shape of through the packaging, but have yet to unwrap it to find out which bike, or train, or LEGO set has been given to me. I'm excited at the prospect of working again, and being given the opportunity to not only learn something new, but be given the chance to apply it in a meaningful fashion as well. The thrill of discovery coupled with the fulfillment of making a difference, however small, that is meaningful to others. Of course none of this writing is proving as cathartic as I'd hoped...
My dog is back to his old self again. Eyes bright and shining... and open. Basking in the sun, chasing the birds out of the yard, and generally making a nuisance of himself. Always nice to have a companion as loving and loyal as a dog, someone who will keep me from dropping off the edge of benign insanity and hopeful cynicism into the abyssal reaches of the emo psychotic. No I'm not emo, I don't use broodiness and insecurity as hooks to become more popular and feel like a part of some clique. I do wear a lot of black and surround myself with symbols of death and even listen to some of the same music from time to time, but, for the most part, I'm a pretty cheerful person and have no desire to change myself in order to get more people to like me. I am me, and if you like that and want to share the journey down the road of life with me, Great! the more the merrier. If you can't get along with me, find me annoying, can't stand the questions that I force you to ask yourself, that's fine too, nice knowing you, good luck, and if you ever change your mind, I'll still be here, maybe not the same as when you left, but still being me nonetheless.
Of course, there's a little bit of a difference when it comes to forced interaction in the form of a shared work environment, or some form of social obligation like a party or company picnic or something. In one of those cases I'll still be myself, but I'll tone it down a lot at first and gradually dial back the opacity until I've found your tolerance level for the force of my personality. Of course, I'll constantly be testing the boundaries, and ever striving to get you relaxed and comfortable enough with me (yourself maybe?) that there is no need for me to downplay, which has gotten me into trouble a few times.
All of that said, however, relationships are no one-way street. I'll be learning about you, your hopes, aspirations, hobbies, and the things that are uniquely you. And as I gradually get to know and appreciate the other person, their interests also become interesting to me, and I share joy in their successes and sorrow at their miseries. So gradually, I'll grow to have more in common with you, and yet at the same time lose nothing of who I was before. One of the things that shocks a lot of people that I meet is that not only am I genuinely interested in them, but I actually listen and pay attention to what the other person is saying. Most of the people that I know use the time that someone else is talking thinking of what they're going to say next, or looking for a place to drop in with some prepared statement in order to shift the focus of the conversation back to themself. Listening is actually quite an effective way of eliciting information from others, as most are quite willing to keep talking and revealing far more than they usually do when someone is willing to let them, and the occasional brief statement, nod, or suble shift in body language can keep them going down the paths that you find interesting.
So there's my tip for the day. Listen more, and you might just be surprised at how much less you hate someone. Of course, you might also find that there actually is a valid reason for loathing them, which if nothing else will bring you some peace of mind from actual knowledge replacing what was previously just an instinctive response.
My dog is back to his old self again. Eyes bright and shining... and open. Basking in the sun, chasing the birds out of the yard, and generally making a nuisance of himself. Always nice to have a companion as loving and loyal as a dog, someone who will keep me from dropping off the edge of benign insanity and hopeful cynicism into the abyssal reaches of the emo psychotic. No I'm not emo, I don't use broodiness and insecurity as hooks to become more popular and feel like a part of some clique. I do wear a lot of black and surround myself with symbols of death and even listen to some of the same music from time to time, but, for the most part, I'm a pretty cheerful person and have no desire to change myself in order to get more people to like me. I am me, and if you like that and want to share the journey down the road of life with me, Great! the more the merrier. If you can't get along with me, find me annoying, can't stand the questions that I force you to ask yourself, that's fine too, nice knowing you, good luck, and if you ever change your mind, I'll still be here, maybe not the same as when you left, but still being me nonetheless.
Of course, there's a little bit of a difference when it comes to forced interaction in the form of a shared work environment, or some form of social obligation like a party or company picnic or something. In one of those cases I'll still be myself, but I'll tone it down a lot at first and gradually dial back the opacity until I've found your tolerance level for the force of my personality. Of course, I'll constantly be testing the boundaries, and ever striving to get you relaxed and comfortable enough with me (yourself maybe?) that there is no need for me to downplay, which has gotten me into trouble a few times.
All of that said, however, relationships are no one-way street. I'll be learning about you, your hopes, aspirations, hobbies, and the things that are uniquely you. And as I gradually get to know and appreciate the other person, their interests also become interesting to me, and I share joy in their successes and sorrow at their miseries. So gradually, I'll grow to have more in common with you, and yet at the same time lose nothing of who I was before. One of the things that shocks a lot of people that I meet is that not only am I genuinely interested in them, but I actually listen and pay attention to what the other person is saying. Most of the people that I know use the time that someone else is talking thinking of what they're going to say next, or looking for a place to drop in with some prepared statement in order to shift the focus of the conversation back to themself. Listening is actually quite an effective way of eliciting information from others, as most are quite willing to keep talking and revealing far more than they usually do when someone is willing to let them, and the occasional brief statement, nod, or suble shift in body language can keep them going down the paths that you find interesting.
So there's my tip for the day. Listen more, and you might just be surprised at how much less you hate someone. Of course, you might also find that there actually is a valid reason for loathing them, which if nothing else will bring you some peace of mind from actual knowledge replacing what was previously just an instinctive response.
6/27/2009
Down Time
Well, the job thing seems to have sorted itself out ok. The job that I want to do is the only one that has made an offer so far. Apparently, I didn't make the first round of "final inerviews" for the other one, but there's still another one coming up. If they make an offer, I'll have to accept it being as that it might pay less, but only if you don't factor in drive time and fuel costs. Plus, an hour commute isn't really bad, but once the winter storms hit... that hour drive turns into a 2-4 hour drive, and with a 12 hour workday I'd only be getting 3-6 hours of sleep. Such is life in the big city I guess...
Riding the bike out to the interview was great. Little chilly in the morning, but nothing I couldn't handle. The ride back was awesome, took some back roads and was going entirely too fast on the long straights and found some interesting twisties. Unfortunately, my GPS mount has a bad connection on it so it's no longer running off the bike's electrical system and ended up shutting down when I was in the middle of nowhere. Glad my phone has a GPS and Google maps on it. GPS + mapping software = one of the best things to happen to the outdoors since the national parks system. Thanks Grandad!
Other than that, not too much going on right now. Still reading a lot, watching movies, playing video games, etc... Just keeping busy until I have a job that will keep me busy and give me the money I need to start going out more. Also thinking a lot about the future lately. Wondering where I'll be in 10 years. The job that I get right now might have a lot to do with that too. If I get the one I want, then I probably won't be able to go back to school, but they have an on-line system set up so that you can get all the certifications you could want or need. That would push me further down the path of becoming a Systems Admin. If I get the other one, then I'm pretty much locked into going back to school and getting my degree. I'm thinking that I'd want to go for Mechanical Engineering, which won't specifically help me in my current carreer, but might offer me a lot more opportunity to break away from IT if I choose to.
One thing I did want to mention. I just finished reading the Transmetropolitan comic books by Warren Ellis. If you liked the Watchmen movie then read the comic, and if you liked the comic then read Transmetropolitan. In my opinion, it's better. Can't really put a finger on why, but I definitely grew more attatched to Spider and the FAs than I did to any of the Watchmen. Brings up an interesting question. Why are all of my favorite super-heroes (and super-villans for that matter) the ones that don't have any super powers? Worthy of some thought, but I'm going to wrap up here, maybe I'll get to it next post. Later.
Riding the bike out to the interview was great. Little chilly in the morning, but nothing I couldn't handle. The ride back was awesome, took some back roads and was going entirely too fast on the long straights and found some interesting twisties. Unfortunately, my GPS mount has a bad connection on it so it's no longer running off the bike's electrical system and ended up shutting down when I was in the middle of nowhere. Glad my phone has a GPS and Google maps on it. GPS + mapping software = one of the best things to happen to the outdoors since the national parks system. Thanks Grandad!
Other than that, not too much going on right now. Still reading a lot, watching movies, playing video games, etc... Just keeping busy until I have a job that will keep me busy and give me the money I need to start going out more. Also thinking a lot about the future lately. Wondering where I'll be in 10 years. The job that I get right now might have a lot to do with that too. If I get the one I want, then I probably won't be able to go back to school, but they have an on-line system set up so that you can get all the certifications you could want or need. That would push me further down the path of becoming a Systems Admin. If I get the other one, then I'm pretty much locked into going back to school and getting my degree. I'm thinking that I'd want to go for Mechanical Engineering, which won't specifically help me in my current carreer, but might offer me a lot more opportunity to break away from IT if I choose to.
One thing I did want to mention. I just finished reading the Transmetropolitan comic books by Warren Ellis. If you liked the Watchmen movie then read the comic, and if you liked the comic then read Transmetropolitan. In my opinion, it's better. Can't really put a finger on why, but I definitely grew more attatched to Spider and the FAs than I did to any of the Watchmen. Brings up an interesting question. Why are all of my favorite super-heroes (and super-villans for that matter) the ones that don't have any super powers? Worthy of some thought, but I'm going to wrap up here, maybe I'll get to it next post. Later.
6/25/2009
5279997 feet to go.
Where to begin? Screw background, I'm just going to spill what's going on right now. I've been out of work for two months and have run out of things to do that will allow me to avoid the things I don't want to do. On the plus side I've finally got not one, but two separate job offers. The problem is that one of them I want to do, and the other offers better future potential.
The one I want to do would be a Contract position as a Hands and Feet SA. That's basically an extremely junior systems administrator, doing all of the grunt work for the "real" SAs. The reasons behind my wanting this job are: It's a step in the right direction towards becoming an SA myself, I'm familiar with the work, and the salary is enough to keep me comfortable. Drawbacks to it are: Contract work, it's a 50 mile commute (not a problem now, but when it snows...), somewhat of an odd schedule, and it's Contract work.
The other one would be as a Tech Support phone worker. Advantages: It's 5 minutes from where I live, Awesome benefits package, 8-hour days (allowing me more time for school, social, etc...), and opportunity for advancement. Drawbacks: Pay is just barely enough, feels like it's a step back, and it's a call-center job.
I'm truly torn over this, but these are the best things to come my way in some time, and I'm going to have to make a decision soon. While neither of them is my dream job, and neither of them is quite as decent as my previous job, there's not much out there that I can prove that I'm qualified for.
Life definitely has interesting ways of sucking. For two months I was worried about finding work, maybe having to sell the house and move back to live with the parents while I go to school or something. Now, in the space of a week, that worry has been supplanted by choosing the lesser of two evils for my immediate future with no sure way to determine which is which. Suppose I'm going to have to make a few phone calls and talk with some people whose opinions I value in order to get through this one.
The one I want to do would be a Contract position as a Hands and Feet SA. That's basically an extremely junior systems administrator, doing all of the grunt work for the "real" SAs. The reasons behind my wanting this job are: It's a step in the right direction towards becoming an SA myself, I'm familiar with the work, and the salary is enough to keep me comfortable. Drawbacks to it are: Contract work, it's a 50 mile commute (not a problem now, but when it snows...), somewhat of an odd schedule, and it's Contract work.
The other one would be as a Tech Support phone worker. Advantages: It's 5 minutes from where I live, Awesome benefits package, 8-hour days (allowing me more time for school, social, etc...), and opportunity for advancement. Drawbacks: Pay is just barely enough, feels like it's a step back, and it's a call-center job.
I'm truly torn over this, but these are the best things to come my way in some time, and I'm going to have to make a decision soon. While neither of them is my dream job, and neither of them is quite as decent as my previous job, there's not much out there that I can prove that I'm qualified for.
Life definitely has interesting ways of sucking. For two months I was worried about finding work, maybe having to sell the house and move back to live with the parents while I go to school or something. Now, in the space of a week, that worry has been supplanted by choosing the lesser of two evils for my immediate future with no sure way to determine which is which. Suppose I'm going to have to make a few phone calls and talk with some people whose opinions I value in order to get through this one.
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