Funemployment, Week 2 in These Foolish Things

Well, here I am on a Friday, deep into unemployment! Is it bad that I’m enjoying it for the most part? Well, I’m enjoying not going into that effing office (save for the couple of friends I loved), but none of that weird work shit that I just didn’t get (I kind of think a lot of that was to throw me off track so the company could say goodbye to me), and NO MORE SUPPORT GIRL. I’m actually very curious to hear how she’s doing, though I really shouldn’t give her any more of my mental energy.

I may have to go for a goodbye lunch or happy hour in the next week or so just to be able to say goodbye to the people I really did like.

And then give the figurative big fat finger to the rest of those motherfuckers.

I’m just out of a zoom meeting with my therapist. For the most part, I told her that I’m excited about the future and the possibilities (more on that later), but that there’s also a shame that I feel about getting let go. Here’s the thing. I was with the company for NINE years. You’d think if I was an asshole or doing terrible work, I’d have been let go a long, long time ago, right? But to work for the company for nine long years, and all of the sudden, get let go…that everyone would know that I’m not a jackhole.

But they treat you like one when they let you go. You are treated just like you’ve done something terribly wrong and you’re not even allowed to say goodbye. Like, if the tables were turned and I quit, I’m pretty sure the company would have let me hang out for two more weeks and I would have gotten to go to lunch with the friends I liked and have had time to say goodbye to people.

But this way. This feels just gross.

Still, I can’t spend too much time dwelling.

My conversations with the two companies continue and I’m even talking with another couple of companies as well.

Company #1, we’ll call Dream Job Company is moving very slowly with me. The last conversation I had with the hiring manager, she told me that she needed to write up the job description, have it approved and get it out to me. And she said that would likely happen quickly. But it hasn’t. So I got back in touch with her this week and she said it’s still going through approval, so I don’t know what to think about that. I did end up taking the bull by the horns and drove to the small city this week to check things out. I still believe this could be my absolute Dream JOB. My calling! My passion. I would move to this location in a heartbeat and it would work out just fine. I want more talks! Let’s work this out!

Company #2, we’ll call Giant Tech Company, and I had Interview #1 with the hiring manager on Tuesday. I spent several hours prepping for this video call. The “instructions” for the interview told me to prepare for at least 60 minutes, but as it turns out, the hiring manager had a “hard stop” in 30 minutes, so that was all the time we had. Our conversation flowed very well, and I felt like I had a really good rapport with her, but I haven’t heard anything back yet - and this company says it normally will get back to the interviewee in 48 hours…so. Not sure what to think about that. I was thinking that I should likely hear back by the end of today??? We’ll see.

Company #3 is a company that is based in a nearby city, but has a product line that I don’t have much passion for, so I don’t know. I told the recruiter that I’d talk with them, but I’m going to use it as practice and see what comes out of it.

Company #4 is a company that I’d actually forgotten that I’d put in a quickie LinkedIn application and the president of the company contacted me and asked if I was still interested since the job is not remote and I’d have to relocate. I told him that yes, I’m interested and now we are working on a time to talk next week! Their product line is right up my alley, so if nothing works with Companies 1 or 2, this could be something very interesting if the pay is decent and they have some kind of relocation package.

Company #5 is something I’d just heard about recently through Brown Nosey - do you remember her? I worked with her at my last company until she was canned (for being a dick to her boss!). She’s encouraging me to put in an application at her current company, and I’m reluctant for several reasons. Now don’t get me wrong, outside of work, Brown Nosey is a decent person - one I’d even call a friend, but a work she can be super rigid and she is clearly a brown-noser (and tattletale!). And the job is not exactly what I’d love, so I’m hesitating. Still, I should look at this as an opportunity.

So, while I feel like I’m kind of not doing a whole bunch of anything, there are things going on. I guess they are percolating. I just need to somehow make something happen with my top two or get to work on making something even better happen if nothing comes out of those two…

Lots to do, but I’m optimistic!

Better roll. I think the dog needs to go for a walk and it’s gorgeous outside! Nice being able to just get up and take a walk in my neighborhood anytime!

Happy Weekend, friends!
GS