Catching Up: Job Stuff

Hey! I’m back! What’s the reason for the unusually long absence from blogging? Well, there are two. First, I was working and second, I was tired. Not exactly the most intriguing reasons, I know, but reasons nonetheless.

So, let’s catch up:

-I don’t have a job right now primarily because of computer problems. Let me explain. The computer that I was supposed to work on in Mrs. Jackson’s office had some major problems. In fact, a lot of work that was done on that computer was lost. So, the computer needed to be replaced (it was a fairly new computer, too). With no computer, I couldn’t do the job I was hired for. It also didn’t help that the job I was supposed to be doing was relatively new for me. So that meant that last Tuesday ended up being my last day. I was supposed to be there on a sort of trial basis for two weeks, but it ended up not even being a week and a half.

One thing I can say I’ve learned from this experience is what it feels like to deal with a tougher boss. The bosses at my two previous jobs were pretty nice. They didn’t let me walk all over them or anything like that, but they were easy to get along with and pretty flexible. In comparison, Mrs. Jackson was much tougher. She wasn’t nearly as bad as she could’ve been, but certainly a wake-up call for me. Let me say this...I was never completely relaxed while I worked there. Plain and simple, it was different than what I was used to or from what I experienced before.

However, let me make myself clear and say that I have no ill will toward Mrs. Jackson. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. I am immensely grateful. She gave me a chance to work and earn some money. She didn’t let me go because of anything I actually did, but because of circumstances. And to top it off, she gave me the chance to work for her again if I don’t have a job by around mid-October. Honestly, I really didn’t get a chance to work with her enough to see who she really is and it seems like I ended up working for her at the worst possible time. I know that I’m very worried about how I come across to others, so it would be really hypocritical of me to not give the benefit of the doubt to people I don’t really know.

My last day there started off horrible. A lot of things went wrong, including something that could’ve been avoided if I acted differently (but it wasn’t technically my fault). By lunchtime (which was after Mrs. Jackson informed me that I was being let go), I felt awful. I seriously dreaded walking back to work and I came very close to calling my dad to get me early. However, the second half was much better. Quite literally, everyone was in a better mood. I saw a side of Mrs. Jackson I hadn’t seen in my brief amount of time working there. Even though I was leaving, I didn’t feel bad at all. Mrs. Jackson also gave me a bit of a confidence boost by saying that she enjoyed having me there and that I was a “pleasant young man.”

Ultimately, the experience was not bad. The people at the Rainbow/PUSH headquarters are nice, smart, intelligent people. Everyone I met that worked there was polite and friendly. And even though I wasn’t working for Rainbow/PUSH (Mrs. Jackson’s thing is completely separate), I have to commend them for the work they do.

I don’t know if I’ll work for Mrs. Jackson again, but I’m more prepared just in case I do. I got some worthwhile experience and maybe made a connection or two. It almost completely makes up for the fact that I’m unemployed again.