At Work With Caty

I have officially been at work for over one week.

On my first day, I sat in my car in the parking lot and applied lipstick I never wear and then took this picture:

(You’ll see a lot of thumbs-upping in this post.)

I took the elevator to the 4th floor where my suite is, and then had Judy – my supervisor – show me around the office.  She showed me my cubicle…yes, you read that right.  I have my own cubicle at work!

It started out looking like this:

Then I ran out to Target after my first day of work to buy a prophetic Eiffel Tower clock, and brought back a few college items…

…and it looked like this:

But now, it looks like this:

It’s been fun decorating it.  The small calendar to the right of my monitor is now next to the football helmet flag on the left under the light, to make room for a future X-Files mini poster. 🙂

On my first day, I was also shown my phone…my own phone…with my own extension!

I’m still figuring out how to use it; apparently, my cube has been dormant for a while and it’s still taking time to get things working like they should.  All in good time!

Judy had also taken the sweet liberty of buying me a pencil holder, with new pens in it, and a Scrabble Slam game to keep at my desk.

I was also given the official manual for my position, with my correctly-spelled name on it!

It made me deliriously happy to be anticipated.

I think it’s finally happening.  I’m finally becoming part of a team, part of an organization, part of a purpose.

And it feels so good.

 

As for Justin and I though, we’re having a hard time adjusting to my new job because it demands such a drastic schedule shift.  We are looking into getting Justin a Vespa and then maybe things will settle down in that department!  But for now, everything is really great.

Gotta go, gotta get back to work!

Never thought I’d say that…

This Just In: Saturday Breakfast is Back!

Man oh man, have I got an announcement to make!

I got a job!  A real job!  A big-girl job!

It was a very fast process, and I’m really excited to get this whole shebang started.

Here’s how it all went down…

After nearly 3.5 years of job searching, I finally took what I always considered to be my last resort – going through a temp agency.  I found a list of agencies through the Durham County (DCo, since Durham is so hip) website, and contacted two of them on April 16.  Express called me and set up an appointment to come and talk to them about finding a job.  I went in on Friday, April 19, and met an angel named Jensen, who has been my constant contact through this process.

There were two jobs that were readily available for what I wanted to do: a temporary data entry position, and a Product Launch Specialist for a secret company.  The Product Launch was a full-time position, one with actual hours of pay and benefits and direct deposit.  I remember telling Jensen that day that I really wanted that job and to definitely send them my resume.  While I was there, Jensen had me take a few tests for the data entry position.

On May 6, after not hearing anything from Jensen for two weeks, I wrote an email to check in.  She wrote back and said that although she hadn’t heard anything about the data entry position, the people hiring for the PLS were hoping to schedule interviews that week.  That got me really excited, but past experience told me not to count my chickens, so I held back.

It was several days before I heard from her again, but she called me and told me that the secret company wanted me to take an editing assessment for them!  On May 20, I was given 4 hours to complete the assessment.  I completed it and turned it in.

The ball just kept rolling.

On May 30, Jensen sent me an email saying that the company wanted to meet me for an in-person interview.  We spoke on the phone a day or two later to discuss details.  I received an email on June 3 to confirm the date/time/location of the interview, which was June 5.  I arrived much earlier than I had anticipated, and spent nearly 20 minutes in my car rehearsing my brilliant answers for all of your general interview questions, none of which were even asked.  A few laughs were exchanged during the interview, and I felt positive afterward.  I headed home to decompress.

The very next morning, Jensen called to let me know that I had been offered the position.  She said that my interviewers had come out of the interview room after I left and told her I was the one they wanted.  They were impressed with me and liked my personality.  And my assessment was the best one they received!  She said she knew the night of the interview, but wanted me to have time to process everything before telling me.  I hung up and started screaming in excitement at Bonnie.

I proceeded to call everyone and tell them that I had actually gotten the job.

Yesterday, Jensen sent me the direct deposit form and the time card for Express.  I am technically their employee until I have worked for Cutting Edge Information for the first 3 months; afterward I will be brought on as a permanent employee.

I have incredibly mixed emotions about all of this.

This was my “test shot” for my makeup the day of the interview.

I am so used to being put in a corner.  I am used to being a second thought, even a nuisance.  Everywhere I’ve worked in the last 3 years, ever since I graduated from college, has sucked.  My paychecks have been forgotten, I haven’t been offered very many hours, I haven’t been appreciated or included as part of a team.  It’s almost as if they forgot I was coming to work and had to scrounge for a 2×4 and two cinder blocks to set up for me so I have somewhere to work.  It’s been hard and really shitty for my self-esteem.

I’m hoping this job is going to change all that.  I want so badly to feel like part of a team, to feel like I am appreciated, like what I’m doing matters.  So far, I haven’t felt any of that.

I’m so tired of having to ask Justin for money to do everything – including money to buy him things with.  I don’t know how other housewives do it.  It absolutely tore at me.  When I told this to my mother, who was a housewife while my father was the bread-winner, she didn’t really seem to understand.  I tried explaining it this way: when you are a parent, you are responsible for your child in every way possible, including financially.  So every Christmas, every Mother’s Day, every birthday, your child is only able to buy you anything because of the money you give them.  At some point, presumably, the child grows up and wants to earn their own money and buy their own things.  I’ve never liked other people buying things for me, and even as a teenager I would request that my mother give me a project or chore to do to earn the money for whatever I wanted.  I like having my own money and being able to buy other people things and not have to save so hard at the grocery store to keep within a stricter budget.  I’m so excited to be able to get my own paycheck every week.

But one of the things I’m most excited about is Saturday breakfasts.  The last time I had a job, May through December of last year, I would get up every Saturday and drive up to Biscuitville to grab breakfast for Justin and me.  It was one of those little things that make the weekend so enjoyable.  It was one of our things.  And then it got snipped, right before Christmas.

But now, Saturday Breakfasts are coming back!

The place where I work now.

I start in the morning, and I’ll receive my first paycheck next Friday.  And then, hopefully and God willing, things finally won’t suck so hard anymore.