My job search

It's interesting. I've been writing all about the housewifing side of being home, but not the other big side - looking for a job. It hasn't been pretty.


So I've divided the three days a week that the boys are in daycare to the three main chunks of my life right now - Housewifing, writing (mostly the memoir but I'm going to expand to all aspects of my writing life), and looking for work.

I started looking for work, "for real," after the holidays. It was quiet at first but then in the past month it's been nuts. I've been interviewing for four different positions at four different places.

Interviewing is exhausting. All the selling yourself gets really tiring. Last Friday I had a first interview that took over two hours because I met separately with two different people.

One, I didn't get. It was a fun one. The Pear Bureau - a non-profit marketing organization that supports the pear growers in Oregon and Washington. It would have been a lot of communication (aka writing), some design, and lots of events. It was low pay but I would be writing, it would be fun and casual and I would get to travel a lot. Unfortunately, they didn't hire me. I was the second choice, but they felt I was overqualified and would be bored after six months. They felt it wouldn't be fair to me. I get it. It makes sense. But I think it would have been fun, but that I probably would have gotten bored with it after awhile. And, it was a sucky commute, so at least I don't have to deal with that after 11 years of awful commuting.

The one I'm most hopeful for is Volunteers of America. In fact, given the choice between Pears or VOA, I probably would have chosen VOA. It's a non-profit organization helping all sorts of people - homeless, elderly, poor, addicted. It does great work. I had worked in social work before Nike and had told myself that I'd work in a big corporation for a couple years to learn, and then come back to non-profit and apply what I learned. So, it took a little more than a couple years, but it would feel good to actually be back on that plan.

The position is grant writing and process developent. I would get to do writing (yay) and develop my grant writing skills (very marketable). I love process development - it's my "thing." The job description was kind of weak, but then when I interviewed the actuality of the job sounded great. Unlike Pears, where it would have been below my skill level, this will require brainstorming with the director, process development, autonomy, initiative, drive, problem-solving - and I love all that stuff.

And what a difference in the vibe of a non-profit vs. a huge corporation like Nike. Everyone's friendly, genuine, relaxed. Relaxed! And they're the ones dealing with people with addictions and problems that seem insurmountable. You go into a big corporation and everything and everyone is all polished and slick. Even Nike, even though I would wear jeans and tee shirts to work, there was still this high-powered, intense, competitive vibe going on. It would be lovely to work in a place that was the opposite of that.

I've had two interviews and they seemed to go really well. They're checking references this week, so that has to be a good thing, right? The pay is crap, but that's to be expected. I think I can probably negotiate working 9 hour days and have every other Friday off and have Dane do the same so that we can have the kids in daycare 4 days a week instead of 5. That would be huge. And I would enjoy the work and feel good about what I'm doing and would be proud for my kids to know that I help people for a living.

Oh, and it's 2 miles away and across from one of the loveliest parks in the city.

There's that and then there's PSU for a department manager. I'm one of two finalists. Interview is Thursday. I thought a Univerity job would be idyllic, but it was kind of bleak. Off-campus, very office-building feeling, dark, drab - they still had a Christmas tree up. I asked one of the staff who would be reporting to me what she liked or didn't like about her previous managers. She said she had 3 managers in the past 3 years - that's saying something. And there's no creativity in the job. Just management. I thought that would be okay with me but apparently it's not.

And then Papa Murphy's. Yes, Papa Murphy's take and bake pizza. No, not making pizzas (thank god I'm not at that point yet) but as design manager. I've had the phone screen and the first interview. It would be a snap since it's the same job as I've done for the past 8 years but on a smaller scale. And that would be better money and all that. But, it would be the same thing as I've been doing for the past eight years and that just doesn't seem inspiring.

Luckily all the jobs lined up to be around the same time so I should have a good amount of information on all of them before I get an offer or have to accept anything.

So, I'll keep you posted. I should hear more this week!