I knew I would have to struggle to find a job at the state after my temporary work assignment ended. I hated that I had a job but knew it had an expiration date. The past six months were torture. I worried all the time about what I was going to do after my job ended. Was I going to get lucky and find something before then? Would I have to apply for unemployment again? I REALLY didn't want to do that ever again. Would they keep extending it?
My temporary job was extended three times (people kept saying that was a good thing, which meant that they didn't want to give me up because I was a good worker) and I was really grateful for that. I got a paycheck, I was able to save some money, I paid off two bills entirely and working on the others and I even got to do some fun stuff with Ben and my friends because I could pay for it.
Sadly, the last time it could be extended was May 13th. I needed to find a job before then and I really wanted to stay with the state. I enjoyed the work and I loved the benefits that are offered. It is consistent and you could actually develop a routine. My favorite perks are the sick leave and paid days off we accrual. We have all holidays off and most of all I finally got my weekends back. Oh glorious weekends!!
I applied for a buttload of various OA jobs, Secretary Senior and even an Admin job here and there. I only heard back from a handful thus making March 11th one of the most busiest and nerve wracking days of my working life. I had an assessment in the morning and two job interviews in the afternoon. I barely got any work done because I was so nervous and full of anxiety. I was uncomfortable because I was dressed up--not in my normal threads, and I kept thinking about how much I needed a job I couldn't screw up. I even went through some interview questions and answers in my head and reread the job descriptions of each.
I finished the assessment downstairs for an imaging job and I still have no idea how to answer the last question and I even got help from someone who worked there. My two interviews I thought went well. I was myself, I added some light humor into the mix and I answered every question the best I could with an example. I thanked everyone and went back to my desk. I was so amped up it was hard to focus the rest of the afternoon. I had some hope.
The next two weeks I checked my email inboxes and phone messages like crazy. I really needed a job. You will not hear from imaging unless you were chosen--I was not chosen because I have not heard back from them. I did get a phone call from the state parks saying that they chose another person but I was knowledgeable about the state parks system and I should try being a ranger or something like that. I guess that was good feedback? I went into work feeling pretty hopeless because I haven't heard back from the third job yet. Later that morning I got a phone call from my new boss asking me if I was still interested in the mail room job. Of course I was even though it was 5.5 hours a day which is considered part-time but more than part-time because I keep my benefits however I don't get paid as much as I've been getting paid. This was one of the reasons I hesitated applying for it in the first place but it was better than not having a job I suppose. She "unofficially" offered me the job and I took it.
The job would start April 18th and I asked my boss since I was extended to May 13th if it was possibly to do both jobs? She looked into it.
A week later my new boss "officially" offered me the job and I accepted it again. It was now okay to tell everyone. Everyone was rooting for me and all were pretty proud of me.
I also found out that it was possible to work both jobs until May 13th. Payroll said it could be done and that I was a special case because it's never been done before. I will have two salaries and will enter them in our program that same as what I've been doing.
The Sunday before I started in the mail room was very hard to go to bed. For years I've been going to bed after 11 every night. This will take some time to get used to it. I tried to tired myself out by doing yard work with mom and dad. We had two burn piles which made my body hate me but it was necessary.
That Monday morning when my alarm went off I wanted to die. No one should have to get up at 4:30 in the morning unless you were getting on an airplane to go somewhere fun. I tried to have everything ready the night before to make my morning less busy. It was a dark ride into Tumwater but no one was on the roads, which was nice. When I got to the parking lot there might have been 6 or 7 cars parked. I got a great spot.
I went into the building with my stuff and went downstairs into the lower level. My badge didn't work yet so one of my new co-workers had to let me in. I put my stuff on my desk and waited for the next task. CMS brought the mail in late that day, around 6:15 instead of 6, and we took everything off of the cart and started putting it in its appropriate areas. They were opened with the machines and sorted to the correct mail stops. I can see myself taking a while to learn this process. It is a lot of memorization and just doing it every day. They had me open the flats with another machine. My new boss got there and started training me in claims mail and claims bills. I was basically opening the mail and sorting it to its correct piles so imaging can come down and pick it up. I did this most of the morning until it was time for me to go to lunch.
After lunch since this job is part-time, I went up to OHR to finish out my afternoon doing IDM. It was really weird leaving at 3 that afternoon. I will definitely have to find another part-time job or find another job within the state that offers a full-time permanent position.
Next Adventure: We've Never Seen an April This Hot Before, Let's Go Tubing!
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