If you love Barry Manilow, you’re gonna love the Insane Clown Posse.
I seem to be employed again! For now. My agent at Talent Tree assigned me to a small company over in Queen Anne for the next six weeks, although there’s a possibility that if they like me (and I like them) that I could be hired on permanently. That’s some good fuckin’ news right there, as eight days of unemployment was eight days too long.
(There was a weekend or two in there at some point, but those doesn’t count because they were WEEKENDS.)
So the environment is completely fucking different from the Bookstore. I am an honest-to-jeebus receptionist now in a very small security company. There are maybe twenty people who work here.
On my first day, the woman training me said this: “It can get pretty busy here, the phone might ring five, maybe twenty-five times–”
“At the same time?” I gaped, and she burst out laughing.
“No, no,” she said, “I mean all day.”
Going from 1,000 calls a day to 25 calls a day…it’s sort of weird.
I have discovered that in Corporate America, the amount of work you do is inversely proportionate to the amount you get paid. After three years at the Bookstore, I had so much work to do that I had to come in often on my days off just to finish everything. I had hundreds and hundreds of calls per day. I made 10 bucks an hour to do it. Here, however, in lovely Queen Anne? Shit, I’ve been here since 7:30 (it is just after 9) and I filed like, six folders and answered about ten phonecalls, and I made 12 dollars an hour to do it.
Should that be exciting? I mostly feel guilty. I can’t tell if I’m too badass for this place or what. I mean, it’s really really lovely. The building is on Lake Union and everyone’s been incredibly nice to me. The commute is lame, but the view is astounding. Anyone here ever walked down Queen Anne hill towards the water while the sun’s coming up? Fuck me it is amazing.
…Also it doesn’t hurt to mention that if I get hired here (permanently, mind) my pay rate automatically bumps to 13. Shit, son. I could deal with a little guilt.
However, as I am now starting to feel really guilty, I will log off and find something work-related to do.
October 15th, 2008 at 07:13
dude, dont feel guilty, i learned early on that you should never feel guilty with the work to pay ratio. i always thought, ‘if your willing to pay me this much for the experiance i have, im all good with that.’ congradulations on the awesomely sweet fucking job you have!
on another note, Ray and i are going to re up in the military, which means a few more years in. were so gonna see about getting the HELL outta the south… im SO done with it, if its further east then Illinois and further south then Virginia, fuck that… so, HOPEFULLY in March i think, were going to see about going somewhere else. right now, its either Colorado (which is closer to you so im going to so need to plan vacations if it happens) or Washington. but, its the military, so we cant say anything for sure.
OH! hows things with you and James? you guys trying to be friends at all?
Lovers you
October 15th, 2008 at 18:16
Thank you, lovely <3 And I certainly don’t feel guilty enough to ask them to pay me LESS, I’ll say that much XD Fuck I love it. I really hope they hire me fulltime, because I could use that 13 bucks an hour.
Man, you guys keep changing it up on me! XD I thought he’d decided he did NOT want to re-up? I mean, either way, get the fuck out of the Carolinas. You soooo do not belong there. I cringe at the thought of Mara going to school someday in the Deep South. As much as I’d love to see you guys up in Washington, Colorado would be hella sweet, too. At least then we could see each other from time to time.
James and I are doing pretty good. I’m not mad at him anymore, so we hang out sometimes. He spends most of his time either at work or playing video games in his room, so yeah, I don’t see a LOT of him. Which was probably for the best until we readjusted, you know?
He still owes me some money from the trip, and he might stay for a few months after that to save some for himself, but after that he’ll probably move out. He likes Seattle but I don’t know if he’ll want to KEEP living here. Nat and I have been talking about just getting a two-bedroom when the lease is up, since we’re having such shit luck with third roommates.
loooove <3
October 26th, 2008 at 22:57
I know this post is a week old, but I am just now finding this blog! :D
What you’ve learned appears to be the normal state of being for receptionists everywhere - get a decent rate of pay and spend half of your day bored or only semi-busy. You don’t have to feel guilty - this is what a healthy job looks like! Embrace your weekends. Because the moment you hit a higher-level professional job, your pay may be higher but you’ll be back to unpaid overtime again. :P
It is good to see you again! *smish*
October 27th, 2008 at 01:43
*smish~* Hello again! :D
I’m probably not going to blog here much anymore. I did it for a few weeks then I started to really miss LJ. I think I’m too much of a comment whore to blog anonymously. I merged my sga journal with my embarrassing anime journal (that I’ve had since I was in high school) and kept the name spacehussy because it’s still so awesome. I’m thinking I will be posting there again soon XD
re: work: god, I know. I feel a little less guilty now because they’ve got me coordinating an office party for 20 people. I have never done anything like that before. It’s surprisingly not difficult (probably because nothing horrible has happened yet) but it definitely made me feel I deserved my rate.
<3 <3
February 24th, 2010 at 23:32
Dear Blogger,
I was amazed with how you create and update your blog with informative and interesting features and articles. I’m also a blogger and I found your blog very helpful to the readers like me as we can learn new ideas and insights about any thing from simple to the most innovative things in this fast-changing world. By the way, I’d like to make business with you for the mutual benefit of the both of us. Please email me at janh@receptionist.org if you are interested.
Thanks and more power!