Something Tells Me I’m in for Something Good

I heard that song when I was in the womb. I did so!

With all the job crap I’ve been through in the last 5 years or so, I deserve a job that’s better that what I have now. A job that’s challenging, that I look forward to going to the majority of days, that enables me to be a little creative, pays me a lot of money and most importantly, has me reporting to an awesome boss. Ideally this boss doesn’t breathe down my back for the smallest things (or as I’ve thought of it lately, going into the office for my daily colonoscopy), who trusts that I’ll get the job done and doesn’t question my methods of doing them. A job and boss that make me feel appreciated. I deserve better than this place that’s for sure.

Every morning I sit on my bed and come up with reasons to go to work. Some days I can’t come up with a single one, so I have to think about saving all my paid time off (PTO) for a summer vacation in NC. Do you want to stay home today or save that day for the beach? It’s usually an easy answer.

So let me give you a very brief history of how I came to have this job. I was out of work and got a phone call from a temp agency saying that LittleBigCo needed a temp asap to replace an admin who was relocated to another part of the country. No interview no nothing. So I work for Admin A, replacing Admin B. Three weeks later Admin A gives her 2 week notice. MuckyMucks at LittleBigCo sha-freek and offer me Admin A’s job. I accept as I need the benefits.

Picture reward for making it this far! Although I don't know how much of a reward it is. I should have cleaned the mirror before I snapped the shot. Sorry for the toothpaste splotches. But the pics from after work were worse. You can tell I've had a bad week and I wouldn't smile. They're really bad. Trust me, the toothpaste splotches are the better choice.

I work here a year and am mostly OK with the job. It’s paying the mortgage (and for yarn ) and I have benefits so what the heck. Then last December the job Admin B was relocated to gets eliminated. Co-inky-dinka-lee they had a p/t admin job here in our NJ office open, so they bumped it to f/t, offer it to Admin B and back to NJ she moves. Admin B was/is everyone’s favorite. Everyone here loves her and adores her and calls her George. All along I had concerns that all the work I was doing was going to go to her and then I’d not have anything to do. I expressed this concern on 3 separate occasions to the bosses.

Now I have nothing much to do. I saw it coming and none of my/our bosses have done anything about it. I started planting some seeds in the other department when I hear an off-hand comment about their area needing an admin. Oddly enough they already have an admin position open for that area and let’s see if we can slide you right into that job. Well, as it turns out, the job was offered to someone else. Wanna guess who? Admin A.

There are a couple of things I don’t get about this. I’ve worked in a lot of other companies and if there is a qualified candidate in house, they have first crack at the position. Apparently not here. Also, having worked with Admin, I have a good idea of what her skill set is. She was very good at the job I have now (or part of it because I actually replaced 3 people), but not so much on the admin side of things. She was brought in at the same level and title as me. Well that really chaps my ass. My computer skills are leaps and bounds over hers and she’s making around the same money as me? It’s no wonder I have a Pez dispenser of Xanax on me at all times.

Another reward picture! Arrow points to the “coral” I crocheted which will be included in the NYU exhibit. It’s much prettier than the picture. Picture stolen from here. Thanks Justine!

As if those two things weren’t enough to have me worried about where I stand with LittleBigCo; ever since I had my review I’ve had the feeling that I’m being watched really closely and scrutinized on every little thing. They question whether or not I’ve made up time when I’ve had to leave early (which isn’t a frequent thing). I’ve noticed that my boss has printed documents from my computer when I’ve been away from my desk. He snapped at me that the first aid kit supplies were past their expiration date (who knew alcohol pads had an expiry date?). They never can find supplies in the supply closet and so they assume it’s not in there and so it’s my fault that “it wasn’t ordered” when it was right in front of their faces all along. All the work on my desk has been gone through and rearranged. Needless to say my blog reading and commenting has been greatly effected.

A perfect example just occurred– I got an e-mail from my boss via his blackberry, (obviously sent on his way out the door) saying “the mail is here”; which means I have to get it and distribute it immediately. Maybe I should call him Minutia Man.

I’ve been trying to second guess what they’ll freak about next and head them off at the pass, but that’s just feeding into the crazy. Mine, theirs, or both; I have no idea but it’s demoralizing to feel like NOTHING you do is right. And I don’t have that much to do. I work extra every week so they can’t accuse me of not putting in my time, when in all actuality I’m putting in a couple hours OT a week that I don’t get paid for.

This past week my boss is trying to find me billable work since all I’ve been doing is non-billable, and the less billable I am, the less justification I have for my existence. The only thing he’s been able to dig up is a job in another division of LittleBigCo, working with folks in another state. He’s hoping that I can be their admin from here in NJ. How sad is that? Two people come in and take my work (and potential work) from me and now they can’t find anything for me to do.

With all the crap I’ve been going through in the jobs I’ve had the last few years, this better be leading to something really good.

Like marrying a multi-millionaire.