Category Archives: Jobs

Putting on the Thinking Cap (Again)

Posted in Awesome, Inspiration, Jobs, Work by

Image from We <3 It

Sometimes, life is just good.

Yesterday my boss at Job #1 hollered at me wondering when my coffee break is. Panicking that he was going to fire me because my three-month probation period had JUST ended, I told him. He told me he and one of the editors wanted to discuss something with  me. Cue a breath of relief from me.

As it turns out, one of the sub-editors (if that’s what you’d call her, I have no idea) , is looking for some help with freelancing. Woot! A plus is that I know how to use InDesign. Woot woot! So now I just have to email her some of my clips and go from there. The great thing is that I just packed them into a box this morning so I had to dig them out. That was a lot of work.

Anyway, I’m super excited to potentially getting back into writing again. I was a little worried that I would get rusty and essentially forget how to construct a good story. A plus is that it’s feature writing; Hard news is not really my forte. I’m really looking forward to pulling out the thinking cap and getting some writing done again. Yay  me! Which reminds me, I should probably dig out my voice recorder too, since it’s in a box as well. Ugh.

Career vs. Job

Posted in Jobs, Money, Work by

The other day, as I muttered that I hate Job #2, my friend C (who’s dating the Roommate) told me that I should hate Job #1 and like Job #2. I asked her why should I, when Job #1 is my career and Job #2 is the supplemental job.

My career (Job #1) is what I went to school for. I enjoy my work there and know that I’ll eventually get a position within the company that I’ve dreamt of doing, be it writing, layout or something similar. I don’t hate my work there by any means. I don’t have to work weekends or evenings. I don’t have to fight with 20 other coworkers for a day off.

My side job (Job #2) is my ball and chain, so to speak. It ties me down and all I want to do is run away from it screaming, but I can’t. I need it to survive. I’d living less comfortably if I didn’t have it. I hate mostly everything about it: The drama, the immaturity of some of my co-workers, the union B.S. and so on. (Job #1 is union too but it’s far less political than #2). What keeps me sane at this place is a few select coworkers who make me smile and the paycheck I get at the end of every week.

Maybe what also makes me loathe Job #2 is the fact that I’ve already quit and restarted twice. The first time was for a better paying summer position and the second time was because I got a career job but then my hours there were cut and I needed a supplemental income. Every time I think I’m done working there, something drags me back. I’m just waiting for the day I can finally say “Sayonara!” to that place.

I haven’t had a full day off of work since July 1, although I get one on Saturday (although I asked for the whole weekend off of Job #2 to go to Vancouver, but didn’t get the time, another reason why I hate that place) and then again on the 7th (same story).

Job #2 is wearing me out, making me more cranky and bitter than someone my age should be, and just plain old horrible. That’s why I don’t like it. That’s why I love Job #1, my career, so it’s not really a job at all.

Pointing Out the Differences

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I’ve been at my new job for just over a month now and I can’t help but notice the differences between the two, both positive and negative.

At the old job:

+ I could let my personality show a bit.
– I felt pressured to know everything because of my degree
+ I had great camaraderie with my coworkers.
– I sometimes felt my personal space was being invaded.
+ I was the youngest, but I could still relate with my coworkers.
– It didn’t pay enough.

At the new job:

+ I feel that I have plenty of opportunity to grow within the company.
– I have to hold back my ridiculously twisted sense of humour.
+ I’m not expected to know how to do everything in just a couple tries.
– My coworkers are old school, but not in the Will Ferrell-cool kind of way.
+/- It pays great, but it’s not enough hours a week.

Really, I have no huge complaints about either. I loved my last job, and I love my current one, just for different reasons. I miss the group of gals I worked with at my old job and I don’t think I’ll be able to develop the same kind of relationship with the news ones. There’s just a greater age difference at the new job.

It’s hard not to compare jobs, especially when they’re in the same industry. I just hope this new job brings me the opportunities that are available there. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Waaaay crossed.

Do you compare old and new jobs? Any regrets about leaving one?