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09/24/2005: "From One Job To Three"

Music: Helium
Mood: relieved

"Workers of the world...relax." -Richard Linklater

What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday morning, I was woken up by a call from the library. The woman told me that I did not get the position, but I had competed against at least 3 people with MLS (Masters of Library Science) degrees and relevant work experience, which led to her offering me a position as a substitute librarian/ office assistant. Since I was still lying in bed, I asked her if I could think about it and call her back. I made some coffee and thought about it while I washed the dishes. Pros: It's pretty good money, and she said it might lead to a full-time position eventually. Cons: I might work for a whole week and then not get a shift for a month. While I was thinking, I got a call from a drugstore near my house where I had filled out the afternoon before. They wanted to hire me for the night shift position and start training me ASAP, but I had to do a drug test as a condition of employment. Realizing I should not look two gift horses in the mouth, I accepted both positions. All of a sudden, I have employment up the ass, and the jobs I got are the first and last ones I applied to. Cozmick.

I went and took the drug test (boo- I think they are an invasion of privacy and fucking degrading to boot, and yes, I could have chosen not to look for employment with companies that do not have a drug testing policy, but when your choices are between betraying your principles and um, homelessness...) and passed (yay). For the library, I had to fill out a medical questionnaire for the county, and once that is looked over, I may have to have a medical exam (but I don't think I am much of a health risk, IMHO), it will all be over.

This is definitely the longest job search I have ever had to do. Up to this point, I have been pretty lucky and picked up jobs rather fast. After all this, I didn't really need to worry so much after all, but things were pretty tight for awhile. I have learned a lot about the value of frugality and hopefully next time this happens, I will be better prepared. But all in all, I didn't do so bad this time, considering I saved enough money to move up here and stay afloat until I found work. Go me.

I am finally beginning to feel like I live here. I have jobs, I know my way around, I have friends, and I even wrote the first chapter of the lucid dreaming novel. Nice.