Roller Coaster Ride
Well here I am again, back for more. I’m not exactly keeping to my once a week posting idea, but you all know the saying about the best laid plans…besides life always has a way of messing things up. And the last couple of weeks have been no exception.
First, some good news: Well, hopefully good anyway! Over the last two days I have had three phone interviews for Administrative Assistant jobs in California. To clarify, two of these calls were with recruiters, meaning they were ‘screening’ interviews, but I made it past the first round in both of those calls, and my resume was forwarded to the hiring manager who has the option to call me if he or she is interested (so keep fingers crossed!). The third one was with the actual hiring manager; that position would have me working in Los Angeles but supporting managers in both L.A. and Denver. (These positions are all with my current employer, Wells Fargo.) The other two positions were in Long Beach, and Woodland Hills, neither of which are exactly "local" to L.A., but still within commuting distance.
I’m not a good judge of my performance, as I almost always find things wrong with pretty much everything I do, so I can’t say definitively whether I think I did well overall or not. I was satisfied with my performance in some parts, but stumbled in others. I created a ‘cheat sheet’ of standard interview questions - and some not so standard - for which I wrote out answers, and I will keep building on that list with each interview, identifying questions that tripped me up so I can refine my answers for next time (assuming there is a next time). The types of questions that request ‘examples’ of certain situations are the ones that almost always mess me up, because I suck at thinking on my feet and then even when I know what I want to say, the words won’t come out right because I’m nervous. I should know either way regarding all three positions by late next week or early the following week.
My backup plan, should I fail to get a job before the end of my lease in August is to simply pack it in and move back to L.A. and get a job there. It’s not the ideal decision, but I have given it a lot of serious thought. I would need to bunk with either one of my parents for a few weeks, and sign up for temporary jobs. The Administrative Assistant field is a very popular and sought after in the contract job market, so with my level of experience I am confident I would get a job in a reasonable amount of time. But as it is not a revenue-generating or specialized position, it is not the type of job for which companies will usually seek out-of-state applicants, which is at least one of the reasons why I have had so little luck in my job search. I’ve heard all the arguments against quitting my job, and I’m aware of the risks. However, with nearly two years of job hunting under my belt, the prospects are not exactly good. These three interviews this week were a total surprise, as I’m used to having my applications summarily dismissed without so much as a phone call. (I’ve received the standard “thank you for your interest” e-mails from Wells Fargo so many times; I’ve pretty much memorized them.) And I really, really need to get out of Boston…
Which brings me to the not-so-good news part of today’s post; more residual problems from the earlier frozen pipe fiasco, involving a leak in the basement that required the back of the driveway to be dug up. This in turn required me to move my car out onto the street for two days, which wouldn’t ordinarily be a huge issue, except for the fact that the city where I live does not allow street parking overnight - even for residents - and maximum parking time during the day is two hours. I had very little notice regarding this event (only got the call the night before), and thus had no time to procure a temporary parking permit for “special circumstances”. Fortunately I didn’t get a ticket - which the landlord would have paid for me anyway, but still a hassle I didn’t need. Happy to say that my car is back safe and sound in its “spot” (like Sheldon Cooper), and hopefully this will not be a repeat occurrence. Honestly, I could throttle my downstairs neighbors for putting me - and everyone else - through this mess.
In addition, my car battery froze up last Friday, and I needed to call AAA for a jump start. Pretty much the only good news from that is that I didn’t have to replace the battery. It’s only two years old, so I would’ve been very surprised (and a little pissed off). The car has been running okay since then, but I do have to go out and start it up regularly to keep the battery from getting too cold. My little Honda is a good, resilient car that has gotten me through four winters so far with no issue, but the cold this year has been particularly brutal and the poor battery simply couldn’t take it. I don’t drive to work during the week, so my car sits in the driveway a lot. In California, this is not a big deal. But on the east coast in the winter, it can be a problem.
Meanwhile, the cold weather continues. Winter feels absolutely endless this year, perhaps due in part to my increased restlessness and desire to leave, but either way it has been a very trying season. Physically, I am in a state of near-constant exhaustion and fatigue, brought on by the seemingly endless train of problems & inconveniences. I’ve struggled with anxiety before, and while it is usually manageable, this winter has pushed me a bit too far. I’m seeing the doctor for a physical next week and if the anxiety persists, I am considering seeing a therapist. Am also getting a mammogram the week after that, to make sure everything is still good in that department. The ups-and-downs (mostly downs) of the weather are a nightmare for me, and when you add the occasional snow storm in the mix it’s a cocktail of nerves that I just don’t want to take anymore. So those Facebook posts that I make about the weather are not just bitching and moaning.
Everyone has been through the wringer this year with the weather (with the exception of California, it seems), and from what I’ve heard, the cold is expected to linger at least a couple of more weeks. We all have our limits, and it seems that most people have met or exceeded them. If I never hear the words ‘arctic’, ‘cold’, ‘frozen’, ‘polar’ or any variations of them again, it will be too soon. With the possible exception of any reference to the polar bear, because, as we all know, they are awesome and I love them.
Now to something else that has been nagging at me. I was hesitant to say anything at all, but it has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks and I felt it was worth mentioning. "Funny" posts, comments and jokes have been made - mostly on Facebook - teasing those who are not used to the cold. I’m sure they were meant in fun, but for some of us it is not fun. I’m on the east coast, and I know it gets cold in the winter. But this is a different kind of cold. I’m not used to it, and I don’t like it. I am not a veteran New Englander, hardened to the trials of a difficult winter. Even some veteran New Englanders I know were caught off guard by the arrival of a certain Mr. Vortex. And I can only imagine how much harder it was for those in the South, dealing with snow and ice for the first time in years. Sorry for going into preachy-mode, but I would like to ask that we exercise a little tolerance and patience. We’re all in this together, right? We don’t know everyone’s situation. Some have more trouble dealing with it than others. And now I will get off my soap box.
All of the good intentions toward resuming my writing are still there, although I'm a bit wobbly at the moment, given all of the stress. Hoping to get back on the horse this weekend. I'll be a lot more myself once Spring gets here.
As not to end on a negative note, Spring is only 48 Days, 2 Hours and 20 minutes away….
First, some good news: Well, hopefully good anyway! Over the last two days I have had three phone interviews for Administrative Assistant jobs in California. To clarify, two of these calls were with recruiters, meaning they were ‘screening’ interviews, but I made it past the first round in both of those calls, and my resume was forwarded to the hiring manager who has the option to call me if he or she is interested (so keep fingers crossed!). The third one was with the actual hiring manager; that position would have me working in Los Angeles but supporting managers in both L.A. and Denver. (These positions are all with my current employer, Wells Fargo.) The other two positions were in Long Beach, and Woodland Hills, neither of which are exactly "local" to L.A., but still within commuting distance.
I’m not a good judge of my performance, as I almost always find things wrong with pretty much everything I do, so I can’t say definitively whether I think I did well overall or not. I was satisfied with my performance in some parts, but stumbled in others. I created a ‘cheat sheet’ of standard interview questions - and some not so standard - for which I wrote out answers, and I will keep building on that list with each interview, identifying questions that tripped me up so I can refine my answers for next time (assuming there is a next time). The types of questions that request ‘examples’ of certain situations are the ones that almost always mess me up, because I suck at thinking on my feet and then even when I know what I want to say, the words won’t come out right because I’m nervous. I should know either way regarding all three positions by late next week or early the following week.
My backup plan, should I fail to get a job before the end of my lease in August is to simply pack it in and move back to L.A. and get a job there. It’s not the ideal decision, but I have given it a lot of serious thought. I would need to bunk with either one of my parents for a few weeks, and sign up for temporary jobs. The Administrative Assistant field is a very popular and sought after in the contract job market, so with my level of experience I am confident I would get a job in a reasonable amount of time. But as it is not a revenue-generating or specialized position, it is not the type of job for which companies will usually seek out-of-state applicants, which is at least one of the reasons why I have had so little luck in my job search. I’ve heard all the arguments against quitting my job, and I’m aware of the risks. However, with nearly two years of job hunting under my belt, the prospects are not exactly good. These three interviews this week were a total surprise, as I’m used to having my applications summarily dismissed without so much as a phone call. (I’ve received the standard “thank you for your interest” e-mails from Wells Fargo so many times; I’ve pretty much memorized them.) And I really, really need to get out of Boston…
Which brings me to the not-so-good news part of today’s post; more residual problems from the earlier frozen pipe fiasco, involving a leak in the basement that required the back of the driveway to be dug up. This in turn required me to move my car out onto the street for two days, which wouldn’t ordinarily be a huge issue, except for the fact that the city where I live does not allow street parking overnight - even for residents - and maximum parking time during the day is two hours. I had very little notice regarding this event (only got the call the night before), and thus had no time to procure a temporary parking permit for “special circumstances”. Fortunately I didn’t get a ticket - which the landlord would have paid for me anyway, but still a hassle I didn’t need. Happy to say that my car is back safe and sound in its “spot” (like Sheldon Cooper), and hopefully this will not be a repeat occurrence. Honestly, I could throttle my downstairs neighbors for putting me - and everyone else - through this mess.
In addition, my car battery froze up last Friday, and I needed to call AAA for a jump start. Pretty much the only good news from that is that I didn’t have to replace the battery. It’s only two years old, so I would’ve been very surprised (and a little pissed off). The car has been running okay since then, but I do have to go out and start it up regularly to keep the battery from getting too cold. My little Honda is a good, resilient car that has gotten me through four winters so far with no issue, but the cold this year has been particularly brutal and the poor battery simply couldn’t take it. I don’t drive to work during the week, so my car sits in the driveway a lot. In California, this is not a big deal. But on the east coast in the winter, it can be a problem.
Meanwhile, the cold weather continues. Winter feels absolutely endless this year, perhaps due in part to my increased restlessness and desire to leave, but either way it has been a very trying season. Physically, I am in a state of near-constant exhaustion and fatigue, brought on by the seemingly endless train of problems & inconveniences. I’ve struggled with anxiety before, and while it is usually manageable, this winter has pushed me a bit too far. I’m seeing the doctor for a physical next week and if the anxiety persists, I am considering seeing a therapist. Am also getting a mammogram the week after that, to make sure everything is still good in that department. The ups-and-downs (mostly downs) of the weather are a nightmare for me, and when you add the occasional snow storm in the mix it’s a cocktail of nerves that I just don’t want to take anymore. So those Facebook posts that I make about the weather are not just bitching and moaning.
Everyone has been through the wringer this year with the weather (with the exception of California, it seems), and from what I’ve heard, the cold is expected to linger at least a couple of more weeks. We all have our limits, and it seems that most people have met or exceeded them. If I never hear the words ‘arctic’, ‘cold’, ‘frozen’, ‘polar’ or any variations of them again, it will be too soon. With the possible exception of any reference to the polar bear, because, as we all know, they are awesome and I love them.
Now to something else that has been nagging at me. I was hesitant to say anything at all, but it has been on my mind for the last couple of weeks and I felt it was worth mentioning. "Funny" posts, comments and jokes have been made - mostly on Facebook - teasing those who are not used to the cold. I’m sure they were meant in fun, but for some of us it is not fun. I’m on the east coast, and I know it gets cold in the winter. But this is a different kind of cold. I’m not used to it, and I don’t like it. I am not a veteran New Englander, hardened to the trials of a difficult winter. Even some veteran New Englanders I know were caught off guard by the arrival of a certain Mr. Vortex. And I can only imagine how much harder it was for those in the South, dealing with snow and ice for the first time in years. Sorry for going into preachy-mode, but I would like to ask that we exercise a little tolerance and patience. We’re all in this together, right? We don’t know everyone’s situation. Some have more trouble dealing with it than others. And now I will get off my soap box.
All of the good intentions toward resuming my writing are still there, although I'm a bit wobbly at the moment, given all of the stress. Hoping to get back on the horse this weekend. I'll be a lot more myself once Spring gets here.
As not to end on a negative note, Spring is only 48 Days, 2 Hours and 20 minutes away….