NoJoMo 1 in Book Four: Ichi-no-Tani 2017

It is November, a time when NoJoMo becomes a trending Subject Line around Prosebox. Though, the two times I’ve written the word on my work laptop, it was first NoKoMo. Maybe my “typos” at work revolve around me using a personal laptop I had to buy just for work because I figured using my actual personal laptop for work was a potential breach in privacy and opening both the firm and myself up to significant liability. And yeah, just a reminder… the firm that offers Zero Health Insurance and 30k a year… has me use a personal laptop (paid for by me), my personal cell phone (paid for by me) and offers Zero re-payment on those. They are supposed to be covering my parking pass; but they “dropped the ball” on that, so I had to pick it back up. So… I’m paying to park here, I’m paying to use my own laptop, I’m paying to use my own phone. I was notarized by the State when I was a prosecutor, so they didn’t have to pay for that Necessary Lawyer Step. If they are at all intelligent, they got FIRM BASED malpractice insurance… so while I do avoid that payment, it should not have been a startling increase for them. So… yeah, it becomes apparent that my bosses are just extremely cheap while simultaneously being very demanding. Super duper combination there. Amaryllis was certainly right yesterday. The more I look into it… the more it is apparent that “Entry Level Jobs” don’t exist anymore… unless you want to be hourly. Entry Level Jobs in the professional world are now Unpaid Internships that transition into Unpaid Experienced Worker Programs that transition into Low Pay Entry Level Position. Thus why an “Entry Level” job can require 3 years of experience.

I got distracted by checking my e-mail. Chinese Boss in her infinite capacity to say “Take every case from a Chinese Person no matter what” has decided to take a Student Misconduct Hearing case. Let me break this down for you. This is a “case” where a student was part of a group that submitted a Homework Assignment. All of the group’s names were on the assignment despite the fact that one of the students was absent from class that day. This Chinese Girl has been called to speak before the Conduct Board of the University in a matter that (by School Code) can not effect her (will not be on her transcript, will not result in suspension, will not result in expulsion). In other words, the Administrative Conduct Board wants to talk to a student about something that is a Conduct Violation; but have no intent (or ability) to punish her. Chinese Boss took $1,000 and said we’d (I’d) work the case. This is where the Firm and I disagree in fundamental ways. Live your values. I would not have taken money from this girl. I would have given her a 30 minute free consultation; informed her that it appears this matter has negligible effect on her academic or immigration concerns; and encouraged her to stay as out of trouble as possible as future Conduct Hearings may be more serious. But this is who I work for. Money before People.

Speaking of, I got a phone call from China last night. 7:00 p.m. Iowa Time… so 8:00 am.m China time. Chinese Boss had several more projects she wanted me to work on, so she called to describe them to me. Forget that I am at home, forget that she herself has asked for everything in writing. Then this morning, I woke up to a long string of text messages. About 12. Some were pictures (they’ve signed an exclusive US Partnership deal with another Chinese Law Firm) some were details of other things that needed to happen. This, by the way, means Chinese Boss worked for 12 hours straight. So, since she does it, she expects everyone else to. As Wife says, “NO wonder they were such boring people when I met them. All they do in their life is work. No time for hobbies, or friends, or anything besides work. What a sad way to live.” AND I agree. If the only thing in your life is your work… I don’t envy you. But that is what my bosses want from all of their employees.

Would now be a good time to say that I still haven’t heard from The City Attorney or had an offer for an interview in anything I’ve applied for?

NO JO MO 1

How Was Your Year To This Date?

Those who read me are pretty well aware, so instead of a long entry into this considerably morose topic; I’ll phrase it thusly:

At the beginning of the year; my Wife and I were desperately trying to leave a dying town. We wished to come home. Home: a land of friendship, family, opportunity, stores, entertainment, and a thriving City Life.
Middle of the Year; or close to it, we were given an opportunity to return home. I admit, even then I was a bit cautious. The prospect seemed good (offer of team work, teaching, and support) but the money was a significant deterrent. I would be getting paid half what my previous job offered and zero Health Insurance to take a job that had zero reliable working hours. This hesitance… this concern… was similar to the kind I felt when contemplating the Tiny Town Job Offer. But, for similar reasons, I took it. I took Tiny Town because “It is a job offer. You haven’t had one of those in two years. Take whatever you can get!” This time it was, “It gets you back home. Nobody else back home is willing to hire you. Take whatever you can get!”
End of the Year; or close to it, I am in a Firm that shares few if any of my personal values… that has not lived up to their promises but has been the nightmare equivalent of what I was worried about initially… a cheap firm that wants to stay small to keep their profits higher but wants to be large (covering all of Iowa and China)… a firm where the Support Staff turns over literally every year (if not more than that). I’m back to sending out applications… even to non-law jobs. BUT I CAN’T KEEP UP THE BULLSHIT OF THE LAST TWO YEARS! “Take whatever you can get” seems to continually get me into worse and worse positions. Yes, I needed to do something to get my Wife and I back to Iowa. Tiny Town. Yes, I needed to do something to get my Wife and I back to Des Moines. The Firm. And yes, I need to do something to get out of this shitty firm. But this… constantly moving to the next “bottom of the barrel” bullshit… is making for a worse life, not a better one. Which is why I so desperately want The City of Des Moines to call me. The closing for Applications was yesterday. I told my parents I wouldn’t lose all hope until two weeks have passed. Arguably, two weeks is more than enough time for a small government body to sift through applications and decide. But I’ll confess I’ve fairly well lost hope on that job already. And as I scour websites for “JOBS IN AREA”… it is routinely what I’ve already applied for. Except the CDL Driver, the Receptionist, the Retail Associate, or the Accountant. I’ve applied for the Attorney positions, the Banking positions, the insurance positions. Again, I don’t want to continue with “Take What You Can Get” as that has been a destructive force in my life, clearly.

But when you can’t get much… take what you can get seems like a wise enough strategy.