Space Cadet B^3
10-09-2007, 06:24 PM
As many of you know, I've been employed at the same place for almost 8 years. Over the last few months, my duties have been changing, I was being taken off most of my usual work and placed in charge of laying out the Journal we put out 10 times a year. This aspect of the job is something I really hate. Basically I was being told to learn AP style, do editing, but I didn't have to "learn the style" to do layout.
It sucked, my confidence level was low, and it was taking some getting used to. During the last issue, my boss was on vacation for two weeks, and when she came back she was all in a tizzy because I wasn't done yet. (with her around to answer the various questions, and help me make the judgement calls, we got it done in two working days, an acceptible delay IMHO, but not hers) I got called into meetings with management about it and was really distressed to get my balls crushed over it when I honestly felt I'd been busting my hump to get everything done.
The next issue was more of the same, although I'd been on top of it all from the start, I was going home at night and taking so much time to destress that I didn't even begin to relax until it was almost time to go to bed. I was so dead set on not being the cause for chagrin again, that apparently it was coming through in my attitude and my interactions with co-workers (well, with my supervisor anyway.) I also felt like I was increasingly under a microscope with everything I did at work, getting called on silly shit that had no bearing on me doing my job.
So I found myself called into her office yet again, basically told I had an attitude problem and told she couldn't work under those conditions, and in other words basically told to "shape up or ship out."
I was pretty flabbergasted, sure I know I'd put myself under a load of stress in the last month or so, and maybe I had been short with a coworker or two. But being called to the carpet for not saying "thank you" to my supervisor for taking a small project I had waiting, upon herself to finish, to give me more time to finish the Journal just didn't seem like such a big deal to me.
Shape up or ship out? This job was getting to me, I began to think sitting there in her office with her steely glare upon me... "A cruise sounds nice..."
So I told her I'd think about it and let her know by the end of the day what my decision was, but that maybe it was time for me and the company to part ways.
Let me tell you, writing my letter of resignation was one of the best feelings I've had in a long, long time. The job was the one thing in my life (other than friends) that hadn't really changed since before the divorce, I'd even moved to town and had started making new friends locally. I found that I'd been clinging to the stability of the place, at the sacrifice with personal satisfaction and quality of life. In other words, stability can lead to stagnation.
So I gave them my letter of resignation, two weeks notice (I offered to see the next issue of the Journal through to production to give them time to find someone, but that was quickly shot down) and by the Friday after, was told they were going to pay me my 2 weeks, all of my vacation pay, and the money from the money purchase plan they'd been contributing to (I'm vested) and was sent along my way, told to clean out my desk and begone.
But don't worry gentle souls, I have a plan. :)
I'm canvassing the want ads, but I had been so stressed for the last two months, I decided I needed to take some time off for me. I have been doing a lot of reading, playing video games, watching netflix movies, and just taking it easy. In the meantime I am working on buying a new computer, and the necessary software to go full time with my freelance graphic design business.
I've been doing some odds and ends contract work for the last couple of years, and have a wonderful relationship with the printer I'd been using with work for my tenure there... These are the seeds I must foster, in addition to giving my business card to as many potential clients as I can find. I've been researching the paperwork I need to file with the state to register my business, etc. A friend of mine who owns his own IT business is not only going to send work my way, but will hook me up with his accountant, and be there for advice along the way.
So once the computer arrives, I'm going to be building my web site and online gallery, getting my business identity up and running, and will start pounding the pavement looking for work. There are a lot of small print shops in the area, one idea I have is to contact as many of them as I can to offer my services on a contract basis, for overflow work, etc. Just to get my name out there.
I will still be looking for long-term gainful employment, but I've got money to survive for 6 months in the interim. If the business starts to take off, I will use that to help live on, but I want to find a position that has a more creative bent. If the business does well enough, then I will take a part time job to make up the difference in what I need to earn to thrive.
The main reason I feel like this is a good change for me, is I am taking the helm of my life, I'm charting my own course, and the only limitation is me.
Not only do I kick ass, but I do it with style. I RULE!
It sucked, my confidence level was low, and it was taking some getting used to. During the last issue, my boss was on vacation for two weeks, and when she came back she was all in a tizzy because I wasn't done yet. (with her around to answer the various questions, and help me make the judgement calls, we got it done in two working days, an acceptible delay IMHO, but not hers) I got called into meetings with management about it and was really distressed to get my balls crushed over it when I honestly felt I'd been busting my hump to get everything done.
The next issue was more of the same, although I'd been on top of it all from the start, I was going home at night and taking so much time to destress that I didn't even begin to relax until it was almost time to go to bed. I was so dead set on not being the cause for chagrin again, that apparently it was coming through in my attitude and my interactions with co-workers (well, with my supervisor anyway.) I also felt like I was increasingly under a microscope with everything I did at work, getting called on silly shit that had no bearing on me doing my job.
So I found myself called into her office yet again, basically told I had an attitude problem and told she couldn't work under those conditions, and in other words basically told to "shape up or ship out."
I was pretty flabbergasted, sure I know I'd put myself under a load of stress in the last month or so, and maybe I had been short with a coworker or two. But being called to the carpet for not saying "thank you" to my supervisor for taking a small project I had waiting, upon herself to finish, to give me more time to finish the Journal just didn't seem like such a big deal to me.
Shape up or ship out? This job was getting to me, I began to think sitting there in her office with her steely glare upon me... "A cruise sounds nice..."
So I told her I'd think about it and let her know by the end of the day what my decision was, but that maybe it was time for me and the company to part ways.
Let me tell you, writing my letter of resignation was one of the best feelings I've had in a long, long time. The job was the one thing in my life (other than friends) that hadn't really changed since before the divorce, I'd even moved to town and had started making new friends locally. I found that I'd been clinging to the stability of the place, at the sacrifice with personal satisfaction and quality of life. In other words, stability can lead to stagnation.
So I gave them my letter of resignation, two weeks notice (I offered to see the next issue of the Journal through to production to give them time to find someone, but that was quickly shot down) and by the Friday after, was told they were going to pay me my 2 weeks, all of my vacation pay, and the money from the money purchase plan they'd been contributing to (I'm vested) and was sent along my way, told to clean out my desk and begone.
But don't worry gentle souls, I have a plan. :)
I'm canvassing the want ads, but I had been so stressed for the last two months, I decided I needed to take some time off for me. I have been doing a lot of reading, playing video games, watching netflix movies, and just taking it easy. In the meantime I am working on buying a new computer, and the necessary software to go full time with my freelance graphic design business.
I've been doing some odds and ends contract work for the last couple of years, and have a wonderful relationship with the printer I'd been using with work for my tenure there... These are the seeds I must foster, in addition to giving my business card to as many potential clients as I can find. I've been researching the paperwork I need to file with the state to register my business, etc. A friend of mine who owns his own IT business is not only going to send work my way, but will hook me up with his accountant, and be there for advice along the way.
So once the computer arrives, I'm going to be building my web site and online gallery, getting my business identity up and running, and will start pounding the pavement looking for work. There are a lot of small print shops in the area, one idea I have is to contact as many of them as I can to offer my services on a contract basis, for overflow work, etc. Just to get my name out there.
I will still be looking for long-term gainful employment, but I've got money to survive for 6 months in the interim. If the business starts to take off, I will use that to help live on, but I want to find a position that has a more creative bent. If the business does well enough, then I will take a part time job to make up the difference in what I need to earn to thrive.
The main reason I feel like this is a good change for me, is I am taking the helm of my life, I'm charting my own course, and the only limitation is me.
Not only do I kick ass, but I do it with style. I RULE!