lillian13 | Entries tagged with job

Wow, a whole week without a second job. I could get used to this.

I've put in applications to Ikea and Barnes & Noble. Borders is next. But what I really need is my full-time job to pay more. Is that so much to ask? Monday I will swallow my pride and ask a couple of folks I know about becoming a tech writer. That position pays quite a bit more than the one I currently have, and while it's nowhere near my first choice, it would serve to help get me out of debt until something I like better comes along. Hmmm. I'll have to see if the online classes for tech writing are still availble at ACC.

I did get my haircut yesterday and I had lunch with

pentapus. We need to have one with more of the Austin LJ crowd. September?

I'm confirmed to be selling at the Austin Celtic Festival the first weekend in November and one in Burnet the next weekend. If I get into the Wheatsville show, I'll be set for the Christmas season. I'll try for Cherrywood, but they've made it pretty clear in the past that they aren't interested in me. What the heck, all they can do is say no!

I'm leaving for Dragon*Con veeery eaarly Thursday morning. If you will be there, I'll be manning one of the two Pegasus Publishing tshirt booths. Drop by and say hi! I may or may not have the laptop with me. I need to send it in to get two keys fixed, and I may do it on Monday or Tuesday.

Niece and I are going to see Stardust this afternoon. I saw the Bourne Ulitmatum on Friday. Jason Bourne, I want to have your babies. That is all. :-)

Current Mood: content

...I have put in my quit notice at the electronics store. I asked for part-time work; they give me 29 hours. Working almost 70 hours a week was not in the game plan...Sunday is my last day there; I'm applying at both Barnes & Noble and Borders next week. (Seriously, I was supposed to get off at 9 Monday night. Walked out the door at 10:30. At least I got out earlier tonight.)

I'm really starting to get the hang of the POS P.O.S., and I'd forgotten how much I actually like working retail. I know, I'm a freak. :-)

ArmadilloCon was excellent, sales-wise. It always cracks me up when other jewelers complain about their sales at SF shows. Let's see. I make interesting-but-still-wearable-to-work stuff out of fossils, minerals, and interesting stones, I change my inventory as I add new skills to my repertoire, and all my necklaces and bracelets are made to be worn by adults (20"-24" necklaces, 9" bracelets). Golly, I wonder why I sell well there?

I saw

ltlj and

alfreda89and

aaron_allston, bought a couple of birthday presents for the niece, and talked to lots and lots of people I only see at these things.

SPN fans, see that tropical storm DEAN will become a hurricane soon and should head for the Texas coast? Did anyone else giggle?

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: home
Current Music: weather forecast

So I have Debt.

Said Debt has been hanging fire over my head for many years now. I have finally come to the realization that Something Must Be Done, as my current job will never give me a large enough bump in pay to substantially pay the Debt down.

So I have taken a part-time job. At a large electronics/DVD/appliance/computer store. No, not that one. Not that one either. The cool one, with the themes? Anyway, they advertise their pay rate as $11-$13 an hour. Not to be sneezed at. So I applied.

Reality Check: I actually start at $8 an hour, and after a probationary period, will make $8/hour plus a percentage of what I run through my register, with a max rate of $13 an hour. Ohhh-kay. The discount is smokin' and my fellow employees seem like a decent bunch. Since I was training last week, I left not long after the store closed at 9.

Last night was my first "real" shift.

I was not in the computer yet. Therefore I got to hang around and watch one of the cashiers and then be the person at the head of the line who shows you which cashier you go to (yes, that store). No breaks, 3+ hours on concrete. Then we had to clean up, restock the cokes, etc. Did I mention the annoying pep talk (complete with cheer, OMG) afterwards? I left a little before 11pm, making my day very, very long, as I get up at 6:30 to go to the Main Job.

I am now rethinking my part-time job at the store. I have to be awake at my regular job. I'm going to talk to my fellow employees today (assuming I have actually been added to the database) and see how common of an occurance this leaving at 11 thing is. 'Cause 6 hours of sleep do not cut it in my world.

So, a poll.

[Poll #1035133]

Current Mood: cranky

Well, damn.

The company I was hoping to interview with "made an offer to someone else".

*sigh*

Current Mood: depressed
Current Location: staring at a Japanese doc set

The interview with the recruiter went well. I wore the Borrowed Dress. I looked pretty good, even though I swear every time I do this that I am throwing away the Blister-Inducing Sandals of Doom. I never do.

My suspicions were confirmed as to the company that is hiring (which is a good thing!), and she was very enthusiastic about me and my mad skillz. We also bonded over jewelry, RenFaires, and not being skinny. :-)

I asked, and she gave, pointers on what I should wear to the actual interview--I need to buy a nice pair of slacks PDQ and get my hair trimmed--as well as what I would be wearing if I get the job, and coached me on what I should NOT say at certain points during the interview. ("I left that job because the boss was a complete train wreck" is apparently not something they are looking for. Who knew?) The clothes will be an issue, as I would be the front desk/office manager/receptionist wrangler/first person they meet at this place, and while it's crazy eclectic, I'll have to look moderately professional. And since this is Austin, there will be a lot of leeway, but....

With any luck, she will actually call my references today. All of them are hoping she does. They all want me to move on to another job; I've been here almost 7 years, and I have no reasonable hope of advancement, since I'm not an engineer. I hope she sets something up soon.

(Of course, this is all happening on top of me trying to get ready for a big two-day festival in San Antonio--going over my stock, checking prices, re-hanging earrings, etc. Setup for this is gong to be enough of a hassle, since I have to get up before 5 am to make it down there by 7-ish, then unload and set everything up by 10, so I'm trying to be extra-organized and save myself the angst.)

Current Mood: hopeful
Current Location: Still at work

Yesterday, I found a job on Craigslist that looked really interesting, so I spent about a half-hour polishing and re-pointing my resume and refs, and sent them off...

...so I'm in my exam room at the doctor's this morning, waiting for the EKG machine (relax, my doc is my brother and he likes to keep an eye on things, since I have hypertension and I'm not exactly svelte), when my cell rings. It's the recruiter! We chat for a few minutes, and I mention where I am--she cracks up and says it could be worse. So, the upshot is that she will supposedly be calling my references today (that I'll believe when I hear from the callees), and I need to go in and talk to her tomorrow.

AT EIGHT AM.

DRESSED FOR AN INTERVIEW.

Um. Well, I called one of my references and mentioned this, and bless her, she immediately offered me the chance to pillage her closet after work since she has to dress like a grownup at her job and I don't. So, with any luck I won't have to spend any money (and I'm tapped out from the Brake Job last week). And when I'm excited or worried I do tend to go with the run-on sentences, don't I?

Anyway, think affirming, giveherthejob thoughts in my direction, EIGHT AM (aiieeee) CST. I'll keep y'all posted.

Current Mood: anxious
Current Location: Why isn't work more interesting?

Well, if your doctor tells you that you need to be evaluated by a neuro doc for carpal tunnel (or as I call, it, "fish hand"), be aware that it will hurt. A lot.

( Cut for pain and annoyance )

Upshot? I have some nerve damage to the base of my thumb area (pad below your thumb) of my right hand. It takes nerve impulses at least twice as long to cross that area as they should, an indicator of nerve damage and "fish hand". So now I'm in a stylish black wrist immobilizer and have a daily naproxen regimen for at least a month. Bummer.

I have a second interview at 7:15 Wednesday morning for a job that kind of fell out of the sky (I should say Monster), so maybe I'll be moving along soon. It's very different from what I'm doing, yet it's something I know I can do--it's just gratifying to have someone actually, I don't know, read my resume and come to the same conclusion. I'm just sayin'.

And I appear to have an extra bed at MediaWest. I am a dealer and a non-smoker. If you have an animal I'm good with that. Interested? Know someone who isn't insane who wants to share a room? Let me know.

I scored MAJOR friend points tonight. We were at Half Price Books and my friend was looking for some mysteries by Somebody Van Gulik. Lo and behold, a mass of them! But woe! Not the exact one he needed! Something made me say "Have you looked in the G's?" As one, we turned our heads. There were the rest of them, including the one he'd been looking for for over two years.
Yah, still got it.

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: In front of the laptop, contemplating the TiVo
Current Music: In the Navy, Village People

Austin Celtic Festival is this weekend. I'm sharing space with my friend Kathy, who knits cool hats and such under the name Platypus Dreams. (No, the girl on her front page isn't her!) Looks to be in the 80's...hope it's cooler, darn it! People buy more at a Celtic show if the weather is foul, as I've discovered from working at the North Texas Irish Festival over the last several years. Hopefully we won't be too close to the music...gets awfully loud.

Next weekend is the Burnet Creative Arts Christmas Mini-Mall. Only one day, only cost me $44 for the space. I did pretty well at the last show run by this lady; here's hoping I'll sell well at this one.

Now, if the damn Wheatsville and Cherrywood shows would get off their butts and get back to me! December deadlines are melting away...

Thinking seriously about getting a part-time job, in order to pay off my gynormous credit card debt load. I really, really don't want to. It will seriously cut into my creative time. But unless the Job Fairy drops some great job on my head, I kind of need to.

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: The Incredibles soundtrack