. In what has truly become a continuing saga of short-term spurts of employment punctuated by scrambling for ways to earn a buck, I'm sad to report i lost the full-time job writing for the start-up news website that I started in early March.
It took me totally by surprise. Got a call from the newly hired managing editor who simply said they "restructured" and that it had nothing to do with my work.
I'll tell you what I think it is. Of the 4 of us writers, I'm the only one who's not fresh out of college and making $10 an hour. For the other 3, this is their very first job out of college. During casual conversation while 3 of us were working together on-site, one of them made a comment, "Yeah, it's not like we're getting paid a lot around here" and the other one responded, "Yeah, $10 an hour." I didn't say anything, becus i was making $25 an hour. When I successfully negotiated the owner of the company up from the $20 an hour he offered me, I don't think he sat down to figure out how much more that came to when you're talking full-time work.
And so I think he had to ask himself, why am I paying Patient Saver so much more when the others are doing basically the same job?
Now this thought occurred to me weeks ago, so i was very careful to always try to produce somewhat more than the others, in terms of story briefs done per day. The others did anywhere from 13 to 20, tops. I did 24 to 27 a day. But perhaps that didn't justify more than double their wages.
So, I sent the owner an email with my final time sheet for 2 days this week and told him I'd be mailing him 4 parking garage receipts ($36) he had told me he'd reimburse. He owes me about $1,500 to settle up. I sure hope he doesn't try to stiff me on the parking receipts.
Back to the scramble I've come to know as employment.
I'm really kind of pissed because after 5 weeks at this job, I was just starting to settle in, financially. Caught up on some deferred routine health care, got some home improvements done (the 2 closets that got ice dam damage) and even prepaid my mortgage and put some $$ in savings and my SEP. It was feeling close to "normal," even as i still considered this my "interim" job due to the lack of benefits. But i was extremely grateful for it as it was what would help me survive til i found the next perm job.
It's all blown out of the water now.
If there's one thing I've learned from this incredibly frustrating struggle to find and keep work since my layoff back in September 2009, it's this:
NEVER TAKE ANY JOB FOR GRANTED...NOT EVEN A CONTRACT JOB.
Next week I can reopen my existing unemployment claim. Believe it or not, I think I still have about 4 months of benefit checks left, mainly becus I've worked sporadically, which helped stretch things out.
There's still a possiblity of hearing back from either of the 2 places I interviewed at, though since the Deloitte interview took place back on March 16, it's looking less likely. the other interview took place more recently, on April 1, had said they'd be conducting interviews all last week and then would call back a select few for 2nd interviews this week. So if I'm to get a call from them, it would be within the next 4 days.
The author in my hometown is now ready for me to start editing her book, so she wants me to come over her house on Saturday and collect my first check. (I had asked for 3 equal installments prior to starting the work, midway and the final payment due at the end.) But that's just a $1,000 job stretched out for several weeks, I estimate.
So, yeah....I guess I'm glad I didn't buy those dishes.
Lost the damn job..can you believe it?
April 11th, 2011 at 10:27 pm
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April 11th, 2011 at 10:57 pm 1302562638
Ugh! Is all that I can say. I'm annoyed and it isn't even my life! I am glad that you have a plan and unemployment left. Fingers crossed for good things!
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I have certainly seen that, and of course, I was working for a "start-up," run by an entrepreneur trying to start a small business, someone to be commended I suppose.
I guess this would be considered a journalism job, altho my background is for the most part marketing.
On another note, I had sent a brief email to one of the other writers I worked with to say it was nice working with you and was i the only one let go that you're aware of. I figured if he said yes, then my hunch that i was let go mainly becus owner couldn't justify my wages was correct.
I'm disappointed to say that thus far, that other writer hasn't responded to my email. Possibly becus, this being his 1st job and all, maybe he was nervous I'd get all upset and all, I don't know. It would have been a little closure for me to know, but it's not always possible to get that info.
Thanks for all your encouragement. I remember the words that a few others have said to me before, that I'm a "survivor." I never really thought of myself in that way before, but I guess I'm kind of like velcro. I stick to whatever I can attach to, and it's hard to get rid of me.
April 12th, 2011 at 04:30 pm 1302625809
April 12th, 2011 at 06:39 pm 1302633588
Hoping something wonderful (and long term) comes your way soon!
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April 15th, 2011 at 06:01 am 1302847311
Take care.
April 26th, 2011 at 11:19 am 1303816750