Can you say fiasco? Well I can! This week has been just that. I started my new job on Monday; did I tell you I finally got a job? After another two months of being without work I have gotten a new job. Well sorta new.
Here’s the story; about two years ago, when I first moved to the studio apartment after that whole ex-husband thing, I took a temp job with a prestigious car dealership as an operator. This was supposed to be a temp to hire position. It became very clear within a week that I was not going to be hired, as well as I did not want to be hired. The gal they had training me was a very nice person, and about three days in she went on vacation and I think she returned from vacation for about two full days when I left. So I think this position lasted all of a week and a half, maybe two???
Anyway the direct manager was a real bitch, and I do not use this term lightly. She is one of those people that if you do not totally suck up to her she treats you like crap. Her favorite was someone who watched YouTube video’s rather than answer customer calls. This is the joy of jobs like this; you get to see what the managers do not see. The manager liked her because she was great with customers *when others were there* and sucked up properly. What the manager did not see is as soon as she left the room she went back to doing whatever she wanted. You should be aware this company has achieved Elite status for what they do, so customer service is extremely important! Though at times, it was very difficult to get the manager to take calls. This was very frustrating; as you were being timed on how quickly you could get calls distributed. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t have wanted those calls either, but it was her job; and had been for fifteen years! The manager was also extremely condescending, especially to me the lowly operator temp. I was not allowed to do anything but wait for calls to come in, yet there was a lot I could have done. So I sat bored, people watching most of the time, being treated like an idiot.
A couple a days in she introduced around a gal that had previously worked there, and most everyone knew. Later I heard her saying stuff about this person coming back to work there in a couple weeks. Clearly I was not getting hired. So I called my temp agency and explained that I was not happy about this placement, and could I give notice and be placed on another assignment? The following morning I heard the manager on the call with the temp agency, and you could feel the anger from her. She hung up the phone got up and asked me out into the hallway. With a determined refrain she expressed that I was no longer needed and that I should leave now, I agreed and said I just needed to get my things from the desk. She then followed me back watching my every move as though I was going to freak out or steal something *ya right, I just wanted to leave*. She followed me back to the hallway and once out of ear shot of others she started yelling in that undertone thing people do when they don’t want to be heard by others but they do want to yell. She watched me leave; by the time I got to my car I could feel my whole body shaking. I drove down the road and pulled over to cry.
I headed to the temp agency, and before I got there they had called me. They said she called them and told them she let me go, and was I alright? Which tells you they knew she was rude, and angry, and less than professional? Once I arrived at the temp agency, they mentioned I was not the first that had asked to leave this particular position. So once again I am the guinea pig, lovely!
This was already one of the most difficult times in my life, sucky jobs, and sucky people, simply added to it all.
So here we are in the present. About two months ago I put an application in online for a position with the corporate office of this same company. I still do not know why, other than I needed it for unemployment. So I get a call from them just after I moved in to my new apartment. I was asleep when they called, and they conducted a mini interview, and let me know that they would get back to me should they want an in person interview. I remember thinking when did I apply for this? And that I probably wouldn’t hear from them again, on account it was clear I had been asleep. Two weeks pass and I get another call this time asking would I like to be considered for a different position. Though it sounded like the same position, I said yes * I needed the stats for the unemployment claim*.
After deciding to take the interview, I figured no big deal I will go and not worry about it. I went and walked in not caring whether I got this job or not. It was a great interview, the lady was so funny and we got on really well * I remember thinking I would like to be her friend*. I left so not worried about the job, I did not fuss over it at all. Then a few days later I found I kinda wanted this job. At the end of the following week, she sent an email asking me to fill out the website job application for a background check, hmmm… and the following week she asked if I would like to have the job. What you need to understand is that I did not think I would make it this far at all, so when I filled out the info she asked for, I answered no to the question; have you ever worked for this company before?
Come on you would have done the same. Who is going to say yes; and it was one of the top 10 worst job experiences of my life! This is saying something as I think I have had easily fifty jobs over the years, as well as some very awful experiences. Not to mention technically I did not lie as I had worked for the temp company in one of their sites, not actually this company. Are you seeing the issue?
My first day I am doing all the paperwork and login stuff when I open the email they have set up and there are over 5500 emails in it. They send someone to look at it, and say wow that is weird; you haven’t worked for us before have you? *oh Shit!* so I reply oh wait I think I did as a temp a few years ago for a few days and pass it off as if I had forgotten. Gratefully this seems to be ok. Yet it continues to come up the next couple of days. So now several people know I have lied, wonderful. That is not all; I know you thought that is not so bad. Well the next day I am introduced to my direct coworkers in a meeting, there are 5. They go around the room introducing and telling things about each of them. At this point you should know there is one girl that seems a bit stand offish, as well as a bit familiar. I just passed it off as how she was, and she looks like many people I have met over the years. She is pretty, yet a bit snotty. So I get set up at a desk, and doing what new people do while in training. *yet it is bugging me that she clearly doesn’t like me.*
It isn’t for two days or should I say nights before I realize why she doesn’t like me. I wake up in the middle of the night after a dream of the place from two years ago, and realize that she was one of the girls I sat with while at that job. The reason I am sure of that now is that she told a story at introduction that was so familiar; I kept thinking someone else had told me that story. I was right though it was her that had told me that story years ago. Can you say AWKWARD! Augh!!! You can’t really blame her for not liking me, as she only knows what the manager told her, and as mad as she was I am sure it wasn’t good.
So I am now working with her again trying to regain trust and show that I am not a terrible person. The night I dreamt this was just after a company function in which my boss made a comment that if I do not succeed there it will be all on her. Do you think it is possible that the other gal may have said something about the last experience? Yes, me too.
So now here we are I have finished a week of training and have been told I am doing great. I do not hate the job, though in truth I know at the first opportunity I will take a better position somewhere else. I am working in a dealership environment; this is not my place, it doesn’t feel good, and I do not like it. I do like the people and that is the only reason I took this job. They have all been wonderful to me and I feel a bit shitty saying I will leave, but I know at some point I will. I will as usual do my best while I am there, and I will work to have this gal not hate me, though I am sure when I leave again she will not like me even more. Inevitably I will leave, as I always do, and what I want for me is to be writing, not accounting. So it appears I have made another mess…
How does it get better than that???