Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Big Ch Ch Changes

I have waited months, maybe even years to say this but last week I quit my job. Yep. QUIT!

Let that sink in.

Now let me tell you a little back story.

Over six years ago I started working with a federal agency. It goes unnamed on here. Always has and that remains unchanged. The first year I worked in that job it was new. It was interesting work and pretty good money. Then every year after that it became worse and worse. The interaction with people was awful. The money actually wasn't worth it and some of the co-workers weren't great. Then I transferred to Sacramento and it was a new location with new people. The money still wasn't worth it but it was more tolerable. Then the daily grind just became too much. I was up for a couple of promotions but kept getting passed over. I noticed all the people who were getting these jobs were people who never really worked hard. Just great at sucking up to bosses. So after all those years, I had had it. I finally started looking really hard for a new job.

When I say really hard, I mean I applied to over 50 state jobs. I took two exams that I had to actually sign up for and go to a testing site. I took numerous online exams and mailed in the old school way (paper applications) around 40 resumes. Then I started getting hit with the interviews. I got four interviews in a two week period and just prayed that one of them would work out. On each job interview, I felt really good about it. I thought I answered the questions really well, let them see my personality and talk about my work ethics. All of the jobs that I interviewed for would pay me more money. They would appreciate my work effort and skills and would allow me to wear business casual/business attire (instead of a uniform). They would also be mainly a desk job which is a major promotion from me instead of doing a lot of grunt work.

I went on the last of the four interviews on a Thursday and the next day they started calling my references. This was a good sign, some places call references to weed out people so I didn't want to get my hopes up too high. Then on Monday of last week my life changed. I got the call and got offered one of the jobs. I was a bundle of nerves. It was mixed emotions of excitement and fear. The OMG what if I screw up and they hate me! What if I get fired and can't pay my bills! BUT I took a deep breath and Beezy and I talked about it. I called my mom. Texted my two best friends. Talking out the fears and realized I'm not the only person to be scared to take a new job and leave behind what's comfortable and what I know.

Next week I'll be starting my new job with the State of California (my department will go unnamed). I'm excited. I'll have my own desk that I can litter with colorful post it notes and personal photos. I'll be able to go out to lunch on my lunch hour. I'll be a downtown worker who wears normal clothing and can take personal calls without fear that someone is calling me because a large meteor is hitting earth. I'll have a work badge that has a real smile instead of a facial recognition frown. I'll have weekends off and a set schedule! No more getting up in the middle of the night to go to work. No more rushing out the door on a Sunday to get to work. I'm excited about it. Really excited.

But you know what having that job reiterated to me... Everything happens for a reason. If I would never have kept that job and transferred out to California. I would never have met Beezy. We would have never met at work and he surely wouldn't be sitting on my couch right now beside me as I write this. That would have been a tragedy. So for all the people out there who are miserable in their jobs and think that you're never going to get treated any better in the workplace. Remember just keep applying! You'll find something great!

9 comments:

Helene in Between said...

how exciting!! i wish you nothing but the best on your new job!

Erica said...

you will have to tell me how the first day goes. woot! happy for you!

Sienna said...

congratulations and how exciting! i hope your new job is everything you want it to be!

Whitney @ EHFAR said...

Congrats on the new job!!

Anonymous said...

Yay for you, change is as good as a holiday, they say, and getting weekends off is a also a good thing.

Why Girls Are Weird said...

I've been waiting to read all the details. I'm really excited for you, I think you'll be so happy!

Shoshanah said...

Congrats on the new position! And I completely agree and how crazy it can be to look back and see how such little changes completely change your whole life. I often look back and wonder what my life would have been like if I never moved to Louisiana, but at this point it's hard to even imagine.

Selma @ Crazy Little World Of Mine said...

So stinking excited for you. You already mentioned you are weekends off earlier to me, so I was already happy for you! You deserve a fantastic, well-paid job that appreciates and values you as a worker. :)
My job search is still going...but it will eventually land into someone's hands and I will be hired as well. Everything does happen for a reason. :)

Nicole P said...

Yay!! Congrats. That's such good news :)