So I am back from my first day, which was admittedly mostly paperwork, but I am really excited about this new job. The people seem to be very nice, and the place looks like it is well run, without the hurdles of low grade, unreliable technology and untrained, commission driven management. The technology, if not top of the line, is leaps ahead of my last place, and while my last place was crowded, with many PCs in a very small area, this one has 2 PCs in the same amount of desk space. People there seem to be very nice, and willing to help out and ask questions, and I look forward to making this a long, and educational place on my resume.
Recently in Work Category
I am overjoyed and extremely excited to let you all, my readers, that I have been offered, and accepted, a position with the alarm company I mentioned that I had an interview with earlier this week. I will admit I was not thinking I would get it when I had not heard anything yesterday, especially when they said they would be making a decision yesterday, but I got a call nice and early this morning while I was prepping more resumes to go out. The shift is a little different than I was expecting, day shift instead of over nights, but I am still just as excited to be starting, or on the brink of starting, a new job, with new stuff to learn, and new experiences. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to go out and celebrate a bit after I write my letter of resignation. Be well.
I just got a call and set up an interview with a local alarm company. I would rather not say, and will not say if I get the job, what company it is. Unless one is in a high profile field, the most appropriate path to take regarding revelation of employer is not to, I feel, to protect oneself and ones employer. I am excited about this interview, but I will not be posting this until after I know, in case the job falls through. I think a few of my coworkers read this at my current place of work, and do not wish to alienate anyone if I do not get it. I will try to post thoughts, and an update, as soon as I know anything.
Ok, so I guess you could say I have been a bad writer/blogger/whatever. I did a few episodes of All Things Azeroth, then lost my co-host, and am now auditioning new hosts to take over that job. i have a job, but it is piss poor and not sufficient to actually paying my bills, so I am aggressively seeking more reliable and less whimsical employment. I just left AD, though not in a slash and burn type of exit, more along the lines of 'time away'. I am now playing and leveling a few characters on Earthen Ring. I just moved to a new webhost, company called Dreamhost, and will be posting discount codes across my sites as they are moved over. I am also working with 6A to try and get my archives from my geek blog over to this one, so hopefully the archives here will have some weight behind them to coincide with my nearly 4000 posts and over half a decade of blogging.
Let me share a few facts. 1. An employer will not hire someone who will need several weeks off within the next month, not if they plan to not need the person after that point anyway. 2. The federal government does not give two hoots about what is happening tomorrow, next week, or next month. All they care about is policies, which are too strict and require some leniency. So, I find myself not even a week away from surgery which will put me out for at least 2 weeks, and I am forced to look through the paper for possible jobs which I have no chance at getting. Add to this that I am growing increasingly nervous and agitated, and things are growing quickly to a point where I am about to scream. Pardon me, I need to go back to the want ads now.
Well, two interviews done. One went great, and another went not so great. The first was with a program called Computers for Schools Manitoba. It's essentially working on used computers and new computers to make them ready for schools and libraries, as well as other non profits. I should hear about that job, if I get it, by Friday. The second was with a security company in the city. This one went not so well. I was told when I arrived that I was supposed to be there an hour earlier than I was, and decided not to dispute it too much, though the evidence I have is in my favor. Then the person sat there for a few minutes picking apart my resume, and then advised me they are just taking resumes for now. Not sure when, or if, I will hear back from them. Time will tell.
I am pleased to say that I have setup not one, but 2 interviews for Monday. After looking for so long with no luck, I have grown a little frustrated. I had a feeling when I lost my job that I would be having little luck for the first 2 months. November and December are very hard times to get a job. Now, here we are, a week into January and a new year, and I already have interviews lined up. My only remaining concern is that I am not sure how much luck I will have as I need to have surgery, and still do not have a date. Employers tend to be nervous about people who will need time off, but are not sure when. I am still excited, and eager to see what is in store. I'll let you know how things go.
With most of our lot people in school, and our full timer out sick this week, I have had the... pleasure of getting a lot more hours this week than I normally do. I worked today, even though I had a show tonight, and have already worked a large number of hours this week. The problem is that my body isn't used to doing this stuff so much in a week. Yes, I have adapted to getting no or few hours. In the end it breaks down to the fact that I do not believe my body is cut out for this kind of work at all. I am not, and have never been, the manual labor type. I am a geek, not a blue collar worker. Now, if you will excuse me, I must sleep. Now.
Going from 6 months off straight, to working is never easy, there's getting back into the swing of things at a workplace, and getting used to actually going to work. This week will be the first significant time off I have had in at least a month, and I tell you it is nice to have 3 days off in a row. However, I hope it doesn't become a habit, or worse grow into something less financially feasible, like having 4 or 5 or more days off in a row. A desire for a little respite to rest up, to catch my breath, is one thing, and poverty is another. either way, a few days off will be nice, hopefully allow at least a partial recharge of my batteries.
I can only hope that I made such a good impression in my first interview that it can overcome the horrible experience I just had. I really enjoy interviews where I am one on one with the person I am talking to. I don't do so well with the two on one interviews. That was how this interview went. See, I have certain deficiencies that cause me to be easily distracted. Like one person doing something whe I am trying to think up an answer or listen to a question. I am fairly certain that this interview I had today was meant, at least in part, to test that. Needless to say, I would be surprised if I got a call back, even though there are a few who think that they should automatically call me back at this stage.
Just a quick update to let you all know that I apparently made a good enough impression with the people at Shaw that I got a second interview coming up in a few days. I will definitely let you all know how it goes as soon as I can.
Well, I have had worse interviews and I have had better. I think I did very well on the testing they had me go through, and I think I did well on the interview portion of the process. Time will tell if I was able to impress enough in order to earn myself a job, which would undoubtedly be an upgrade from the current.. position I hold at Home Depot. While the weather has been kind to me thus far, I have little hope at this point of things staying as mild as we find them now in the city that has repeatedly earned it's nickname of Winterpeg.
I am very excited by the news I got today another interview with Shaw Cablesystems. You all may recall that last year I was on what I felt was the edge of being hired by Shaw when a former coworker who I agreed to use as a reference decided to tell them some rather unsavory information about me, which caused them to not even bother to call me back. It has been a year and a half, and I hope that I can still impress them with my technical knowledge and phone skills like I did last time, without the hassle of the issues that arose last time. I will definitely let you all know how it goes when I get back form my interview.
God am I tired. Been back to work for 10 days, and even on limited 4 hour shifts before now, where I am now at 6 hours, it is tiring. Part of me is happy I have several days off in a row soon, but after 6 months off work, I am not sure i am able to afford having so few hours in a single week. I am happy to be back at work, but my body is straining and complaining, and I am restricted to so little right now it's not funny. Here's to hoping it gets better.
I met with the new Ops manager, the HR manager, and my immediate supervisor today at work and, beginning this Thursday, I am back to work. It's been 6 months since I slipped on ice in the Office Depot parking lot on Regent, and it's been a tough time for a lot of people, those who have tried to help me, who have had to put up with me in a bad mood and angry with the world and myself, but the journey is nearly over. I am on limited return for the first few weeks, to get myself adjusted to the heat and the hard work that Home Depot gives me, but this is a big step on the way to getting fully healthy and able.
It is a great rarity to work somewhere that is both debate friendly and that the people get close like a family. I realized today that often times this place I work becomes very heavy and bitter with debate that goes bad, but with the emotional departure of one rep who felt he had no choice but to leave the city over much of the gang activity lately, the workplace has grown closer and more like a family. The most tight knit families are ones that work and argue, but at the end of the day they all work things out and are closer for it. That is how my work has become. Yes, this is a campaign of 20 or more reps, and yes there are occasionally bruised ego's, mine included, but between mine and the other two 'shared' environments in this office, we are all very close and very friendly.
That said, I found it a little surprising that after the rep that left took his last call, hung up his headset and began saying goodbye, a lot of people were highly emotional and even he seemed to be choking back a tear or two. I was on a call, and I felt very tempted to put the customer on hold, because I found myself pretty sad he was going. He was always a very cool guy to have around, and his personality will truly be missed in this place. He goes now to Edmonton, to a future which he hopes is good, and to a place he hopes will help him move beyond his past. I and all of my coworkers are wishing him the best, but he seems to give the impression of intending to stay out in the northern capital of Alberta, so one day we will need to go out there. Goodbye Kevin.
Well, yesterday was certainly an interesting day at work, for more reasons than I can verbalize here. One of the part timer's, one I personally have issues with the work habits of, decided to take 50 minute coffee break without asking or seeming to care. I got caught writing in Notepad that I was going to send a blog post home to myself, which is a big no-no in the company, though I personally don't see the big deal. In the end I think that as long as I am not accepting incoming mail, the odd email out should be no big deal, but that must just me. We also not have to input our own orders for the ice cream campaign we are doing overflow for, which is a major pain I don't want to learn, and only makes sense as before we have over 500 credit card numbers just lying around.
Well, so long to this day off. I have just been told I need to go right over to my dad's work because his boss needs my help with stuff, which means I might make a little money, but my plans to watch the rerun of yesterday's TSS in a few minutes, but I have to hop in the shower, get dressed, and get on my way to the building which takes 20 minutes to walk to or more. So, no tech news blogging for now, nor anything else of the sort. I will see you all later, likely, or hopefully, in time for TSS at 6 PM. Oh, if it seems I am posting this just so I have something for today, well, it's true. I also want anyone looking for me on my day off to know where I am. Now I am off on a tech support'ish call. For free. Bah!
Well, let's see. Woke up at like 7 to make sure my phone was on, woke up again at 8 to my alarm making sure I was still semi conscious, and then yet again at 9 to my mother calling to tell me the bin I filled up yesterday was emptied and I was expected at my Dad's work to finish the job I started yesterday, on my day off. More on that you ask? Well, on Wednesday I talked to my dad, who told me his boss now wanted me to clean some stuff out of the area that used to house an insurance firm who was convinced to leave. So, yesterday I went there, and worked for an hour or so, and filled the bin completely, though there was a lot of uncertainty about whether or not they could get it emptied in time for me to finish today, or in time to finish by Thanksgiving on Monday.
Back to this morning, I woke up, finally for the last time, and headed over to the building, and finished up in about an hour and a half, got paid, but was then invited to partake in the lunch his boss had catered for my dad's birthday tomorrow, which didn't start until around 12:45, and I still had to be at work in time for my shift at 1:30. Yeah. I grabbed a quick sandwich, and piece of cake(only 5 candles, one for each decade) and headed to work, arriving late for work, though it was dead enough I wasn't rushed. We fell into queue a few times, but overall it was a fairly slow day. Unfortunately since it was so dead, I fell asleep a couple of times, though was spared the embarrassment of snoring. Man, has this been a long day, I am so tired my eyes are hurting.
Let's see, slept in, went to go get money from pay check, forgot about an extra check from the government, had to go home for my bank card, went back to area of banks, got money, forgot glass of Dew on top of ATM, went too Subway, realized forgotten drink, while on way back for forgotten drink pulled out cell phone only to see I've lost antenna, curse, curse more, curse because excessive cursing aggravated pain in jaw from tooth removal, concede no possibility of finding lost antenna unless lost at home or close by, went to retrieve lost cup, went to catch bus to work. I have been up for 4 hours. Yeah, I want so much to go home. Geez!
It is one day to go. Today proved that more then any calendar could. I took over 100 calls, and we(the belated Dodi and I) were stuck clearing the queue for 15 minutes after we were supposed to be off at 11. We were in queue for nearly the entire day I was there, and I am told that was nothing compared to what it was like earlier in the day. We had a 10 queue when I got in, and had a few non queue times during the day in which to relax, but from my first coffee break on we were in queue until I left at 11:15. The worst it got was 39 at one point, but shortly after Dodi got in the querying program we use died, so that removed all advantage we had, even with an ex CSR turned group lead on the phone.
We finally whittled it down a little when the querying program began to work, which I have never seen on a weekend, and that brought us as low as a 4 call queue, and made me really feel sorry for whoever was answering calls from 11 on, as the calls started growing from there, with about a half hour to go, until we were eventually back up to 22 call queue, and led to our overtime being what it was. Honestly, when the D group lead left at 9 we were all sure we would still be clearing up calls at midnight, but that was before the querying program began reacting to comments properly. I was happy to have the OT< and happy it wasn't as long as it was supposed to be, but I fear tomorrow as Monday's are always, always 10 times worse then the Sunday, and this Monday will be the last day of mailing for the promo.
So, this day was interesting, a real crank down from the pressure that has been building for a couple of days at work. I took a lot less calls then I have as of late, and I am thankful that it was the weekend and things were cranked down as they do. The same stuff happened, and it was frustrating as we were busy for a weekend, but it was nice to not be in queue continually until my last hour of work. I actually got some reading done, and enjoyed the pace. I kind of wish every day were like this, but I know that is not really possible since we are two days from the final send date, and it will get busier as people realize they missed the date. I am a little tired, and have had a horrid time getting to work on time, so after SG-1 and setting the VCR, I am off to bed.
Well, let me see. I got up around 9 to meet my parent's out back, then went back to bed for a couple hours. I got up around 11 or 12, and ate lunch, had a shower and all, and I left in time to be at work for 2:30. I got there a little late because of some problems along the way, and got to work at 2:40. I was 40 minutes late. Yeah, I messed up, but they understood as they know I would not have been that late without calling had I known. Then, to make the start of my day any worse, the phone line died as I was taking my first call. Yeah, bloody great day. Then, we were in queue all day, up until about 10 when Harvey came in for his day off to get some overtime, and helped us get out of queue, though I left them at 10:30 with a 5 call queue. It got as high as 37 at one point.
Then, as an improvement to my day, truly, I got home to an email from the Gnome himself, :gnome:, asking me to join the Bits & Bytes team. Ok, so I had emailed him and asked, but it was nice to see the offer there, and I hope I can contribute a little to the group and the popularity of the newsletter/blog. My first post was small, and not really ground breaking, but it was cool enough. Just to let you know, the Bits & Bytes Posts category are all the posts I make to the newsletter, which can be read here, or there. I don't know how much I will be posting there, but I look forward to the time when Bits & Bytes becomes as big as the other newsletters from Lockergnome. More soon, but supper first!
Man, my day has been long, and it is still not nearly over. I woke up at 7 AM and have not really relaxed since except for a slight nap at around 5:30 while my parent's were doing some shopping. The first thing I did was get some groceries dropped off, which was much anticipated and very nice to have now that I don't need to worry about my lunches and suppers. As soon as I had that dropped off I had to go with my parents to help them with the basement they are renovating, which lasted from 9 until 5:30, and then they did some running around for a little before dropping me off, which allowed for the nap.
I got home around 6:30, and have struggled and fought to stay awake for I know if I go to bed anytime before midnight I will be off my routine and fall asleep at work, which is never a good thing. Thankfully, this is a major premiere night, including Smallville, JAG, Guardian, Smallville, and anew episode of Enterprise, though I still wish I could have seen the premiere. Otherwise, I have had supper, and have downed a lot of pop. I want to stay up to catch the second episode from the TSS set, but I think I may jut fall asleep before then. That said, I have a few things to do around the apartment to make it look decent once again, so I will see you all later. Take care.
Well, today was much slower then I thought, and for once when I was offered to go home, I said no. It was a pretty lax day, with very few calls and not one supervisor call all day, which is never a bad thing. I did have one that had the potential from the beginning, but I saved it and my call times while I was at it. It is actually a lot slower then we all thought it would be with 2 weeks to go, but we have no doubt it will gain speed from here until about 2 or 3 months after the end of the month when the people are whining they didn't get their shit. I won't blog my views on here, because it is too likely some of those form work will read it and I will get in shit, but I really don't think this is a worthwhile investment, for the buyers at least.
