Job History

I have been neglecting my blog a bit lately. It's not that I don't like to update, I really do. It's more that I feel rather boring lately I suppose. I just haven' t had too much exciting going on in my life so I thought I would share a little about my current jobs and how I've gotten here.

I'll start with my first real, taxes are taken out, not baby-sitting job. In 1996 I turned 16 in January, got my license in February, and went on a job hunt soon after that. I found my first job in March at Rally's (if you don't have one of these it's a small, mostly drive-thru style, fast-food restaurant). It had okay hours, I was paid above minimum wage, and I would be working with a friend. Sounded good to me. Well, that only lasted through May because I started dating one of my managers (he was 21), which was a big mistake, and a story for another day.

Anyway, I wanted to find another job and Arby's was just across the street, so I applied there. I got the same wages, which worked for me, and better hours. Again, I started dating my manager (Please no comments on this! LOL!) but he was a better guy to say the least. We only dated about a month but it got me over the 21-year old jerk and it got me to the church that changed my life (again a story for another day). I ended up working at Arby's through the rest of my high school years. Eventually when I graduated in January of 1998 they wanted me to be a manager but didn't want to pay me much to do it. As much as I liked it (for fast-food it was a great place to work) and the people I worked with I didn't think I could stay. To top it off they made me Employee of the Year and I got to go to the big company banquet. Even with that I needed more money so I scoured the land for a job yet again.

This lead me to my position with Stanley Steemer. I believe I mentioned this in an earlier post, my having worked for the company in the past. I started there in August of 1998 as a Customer Service Representative (fancy for SECRETARY) answering the phones and scheduling jobs. By the time I had been there a year I was the Office Manager and loving it. I started college in January of 2000 but I took night classes and they worked around my schedule in every possible way. It was a great job at the time. Well January of 2001 rolled around and things were about to take a major change. I came into the office on a Monday morning thinking things were the same as normal. How wrong I was without even knowing it. Frank sat my assistant and I down for a little talk. He told us the office would be closing down in a week and that we would no longer have jobs. He and the crew would stay but all of the office work would be taken care of out of a central office. I was stunned to say the least. I had worked there for 2 1/2 years and all of the sudden I was being let go?? My assistant was lucky, she only had a job for fun money, so it wasn't nearly so big a deal for her and it was for me.

Of course I freaked out and decided I would be getting another job ASAP. The people I talked to that day kept saying not to worry about it because I could go on Unemployment and find a job at a leisurely pace. That did not compute. I was only 21 but for the past 5 years I had gone to work. I had gotten up and gone to my JOB. I couldn't imagine the next Monday coming around and not having a JOB to go to. Well I filled out online applications, sent off my resume, and called just about anyone and everyone I knew that might help.

The very next day I was called for an interview with a department at the university with which I am currently employed. I went for the interview on Thursday and was offered the job Friday. I went to work the very next Monday and didn't have any down time. I still received 4 weeks of severance pay so that was even nicer. That's when I started working for IU. Wow, that position is long and drawn out and way more than you want to know but by about a year into it I knew I needed out. I started looking for another job and eventually found the one I'm in now.

I started here at the end of May 2002. This position has also had it's ups and downs to say the least. I am in a very specialized area and I'm sick of it. I am an Accounting Major. I want to do accounting. I want to do bookkeeping and take care of taxes. I don't want to arrange cell phones or airline reservations anymore. I am sick of what I do. I don't want to sound like a horrible complainer but I definitely know this is NOT what I want to do for the rest of my life. I can't do this for the rest of my life. I think if I tried I would explode. I know I need something different, I just haven't decided what that is yet.

Also, I have a second job right now. Many of you know this but I will tell you a little about it too. I decided to get a second job last spring when DH had been on lay off for months. I again went to the want ads and decided to try for a part-time medical transcription position. I had no medical experience but I had done research transcription at my previous position so I was hoping they would give me a chance. After an interview and a few weeks of waiting I was hired. I work full-time from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri and part-time from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Mon & Tues and 8 hours on Saturday. Sounds like a lot but it helps pay the bills and that's what matters.

Okay, so I'm boring, I know this. Like I said, I would really like to find another full-time job I'm just not sure where to start. I have a few years of seniority in and okay benefits so that's a hard thing to walk away from. I know I would love a position that would allow me to put my accounting skills to use but I'm afraid of finding that new position. I'm thinking the private sector may be where I'm headed back to but I guess I'll just have to see what the future holds for me there.