(I've been listening to Weezer's "Miss Sweeney" for the past few days. I'm kind of falling in love with Miss Sweeney, myself.)
So... a couple of months ago I took a couple of exams. Work-related. One was for a promotion, one was for a demotion. Kind of weird career planning, I admit... but see, but I don't really have those kinds of "gotta get ahead" goals. I'm pretty satisfied with things as they are (or, I was, until my three major projects all went poop on me), EXCEPT for the distance from work to home (correction, not the distance, the time it takes to travel the distance, which is only something like 16 miles). I'm just not ambitious. I like to do what I do for as long as it takes for me to get good at it, and then I like to sit around and savor that feeling of adequacy.
I'm being a little facetious here, but whatever, just because I have a blog, that doesn't entitle you to all my self-analyzing.
Anyway, so I took these two exams. And I felt pretty good about them, because they were kind of easier than I expected them to be. At least, I thought they were. Then my results came, both on Mondays when I wasn't home. Patrick texted me and asked if he could open the envelopes, and I of course said Yes.
He was shocked at how poorly I did. Not because he thinks I'm a genius (or maybe he does, he's just never come right out and said that... but I doubt it), but because I've usually done well on exams in the past. I was more accepting of my results because I kind of had a yeah, whatever attitude about this for awhile now. I think I mentioned that I lack ambition? And my reasons for taking those exams were merely to get on some lists so that I might be eligible for other opportunities - closer to home opportunities.
Anyway, he was sweet about it, and said things like "You were robbed!" and "This is an outrage!"... and then he ruined all that good feeling by saying, "Do you think you got these scores because I didn't nag you about the exam like I used to?"
Again: just because I have a blog doesn't entitle you to know everything, so we'll just leave that story there.
So it's been awhile, and I've avoided telling my co-worker, who took the same exam (the secretary one, the one that would be a demotion for me), and who keeps asking me how I did... until now.
On Thursday of last week, the staff assistant for one of the divisions here at my current department called me, and asked if I was interested in an interview. I turned it down because the job location is the same as I have now. I would be pretty stupid to take a demotion just to incur the same commute; I mean, I may not be very ambitious, but I'm not interested in actually sabotaging my career. This woman and I have worked together on some projects so we know each professionally, but we've never spoken about anything personal. I asked her where the job is located, and after she told me it's in the same location, thanked her and explained to her that what she was offering would be a demotion, and that I was looking for something closer to home. Of course she knew my current job title, and she made a comment to that effect. I said, "I have a small child, and I want to be closer to home." And then she told me her story, which is similar to mine, except she's a single mother. And then she told me she lives about a half mile from my house.
I thought that was pretty cool. It was nice to talk to her. Maybe we'll run into each other one day. The only problem is, I have no idea what she looks like, since all our communication has either been through email or on the telephone.
I told Patrick the story this way: "Hey, my score on that sec exam must not have been too bad because I just got a call!" But then, doing that thing I always do that those of you who are smarter than I am will totally recognize for what it is, I said, "But I bet they only called me because she recognized my name and she wanted to get the scoop."
Anyway, today, just now, mere moments ago, that woman's boss, a Division Manager (big deal) just called me. He said, "I have so-and-so [another Division Manager] on speaker, and while I know you already spoke to my assistant, I just want to confirm that you are truly turning down the position?" I asked him to confirm that the job location was in the same building as I am currently working, and he did.
I thanked him profusely for taking the time to call me himself, I mean, they don't usually do that!, and then, as politely and professionally as I could, I said Thank you, but no.
My co-worker, who would probably love to have that job, because for her it would be a promotion, heard the whole conversation, and was kind of amazed. She said, "Wow!" When I told Patrick, he said, "You're a hot commodity!" (This, dear friends, is what passes for a complimentary statement from my husband.) He also said I must have a good reputation. I laughed about it a bit more with my co-worker, and then I said, "That's doing pretty good things for my confidence level." Seriously, the timing couldn't be better.
What would Weezer say? They'd say, "The sun always shines when you're near!"
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