Tied Up

HS: Yesterday, the HR director called me and informed me that I will now be required to wear a shirt and tie every day. My previously sharp-but-unbuttoned look will not suffice, and my attire demands the addition of a useless fabricky appendage.

Oddly, the President didn’t tell me himself, but mandated the HR director to do so. “It’s an HR issue” he said (apparently). I disagree; in my eyes, it’s a cultural issue. The question then arises [in my mind], “who sets our company culture?” is it our President? The staff collectively? Or is it our main client, who now will be “working” out of our office from time to time.

This isn’t the blog to rant about the strangeness of work, but cmon, why does a graphic designer need a tie?

Week One Down

HS: I’ve neglected this blog for more than a week already, having started my new job and been thrust back into a working routine. My body is still adjusting to a new wake-up time, a new commute, the demands of the work day, eating of heavy foods, limitations on sleep and exercise, and the general force of not being a depressed mess. It’s tougher than I remember. (when working a freelance job back in June-July, it didn’t seem too impactful, perhaps because the commute was much shorter and because the entire relationship more casual.)

So here’s a synopsis of what’s going on. I’m a consultant here, as a number of others. We just moved in to our new office, but seem to be suffering architectural problems already. I was provided with a Mac laptop (in addition to a Windows laptop) but it took several days to set up and equip with proper software. Folks are pleasant, hours are good, commute is manageable, pay is decent, and the work itself is predictably dull.

The oddest and most obvious trait of this company is how they lack systems for operation. I don’t mean computer system, but any kind human system. I have found that when I ask any question beginning with “how have you done ___?” or “What’s your protocol for ____?” they have no answers. It feels as if they’ve opened their doors yesterday.

Also, I’ve realised that I am the de facto project manager in addition to the designer/art director. Now, this isn’t the worst fate to be in charge of contacting vendors, etc., but it’s excruciating to learn that the other members of staff, from whom I need content, information, confirmations, etc. have virtually no idea of how to get something produced. For example, when asked to proofread a document and make corrections, one of my co-workers sent me an email with his desired changes rather than simply crossing out a line on a printed page. He also sent me a scan of a printout of a webpage instead of asking me to visit the page.

So, with the first week down things are starting to make more sense. I’m beginning to understand what came before me, and a little of what we’re aiming for.

The Last Supper

This is the last weekend before I start work on Tuesday. I should be relaxing, but instead I’m worried. Perhaps this is just my nature, but more likely it has to do with my previous campaigns and how scorched I found myself.

They also pushed the start date back to Tuesday, 1 December, in an effort to make it a nice round number and make everything nice and tidy date-wise. But this is the second time they’ve pushed the start date, so I can’t help but smirk a little and their operating manner thus far.

Maybe I’m overreacting, maybe I’m watching a slow-motion train wreck about to happen.

Bad Signs?

HS: Just got an email from the company at which I was slated to start on Monday next week (today is Thursday). The Office Manager had some benign question about whether I prefer to work under my own name or under some kind of company name. (for what it’s worth, I prefer my own name). But she also instructed me that they won’t need me for another week. They’ve finally completed a move of office, and ordered some laptops, which haven’t yet arrived. Apparently, this is the reason they won’t need me until next week.

I am fearing the worst. I fear that the new office will be a hodgepodge of cubicles and bad paintings and olive green carpeting. I fear that a shiny new (Windows) laptop will become an albatross symbolising the tension between my department and the rest of the company regard the tools we need. I fear that excuses are part of the company DNA and communicating through saccharine email language is the what I’m to expect. Oh, why do these fears grip me such?

Also, don’t you think that something as dramatic as moving the start date for a potential new hire should warrant a two-minute phone call?

An Offer I Can’t Refuse

HS: So if you’re following this blog, you’ve seen the saga of the Blind Interview that went well, and turned into a second interview, which in turn went well, and let to a background check, and finally some reference-calling. Well, today, these folks have offered me the job in a temp-to-perm manner.

I’ve already keyed in a few friends who have been paying close attention to my job-search madness, and they’re all “congrats!!!!” with multiple exclamation marks. I, though, remain cautious. If one thing is clear about this role, it’s that it may not be for everyone. The freelance-to-start nature of the offer implies prudence all around to ensure that we are, in fact, a match. Having been so badly burned in my last full-time job, I am perfectly fine with this.

To Receive Unemployment Benefits

I’ve been on the phone with the Dept. of Labor for the last hour or so trying to get a hold of that lovely extension to unemployment insurance benefits that the US Senate, House, and President has deemed mandatory. Unfortunately, my original not-yet-extended benefits had run out two weeks ago. So I now have to file a new claim and try to get those two weeks, in addition to the extended time that, I hope, is coming my way.

Unemployment benefits has been the difference over the past year, since freelance work dried up practically overnight (after the bank bailout and stock market crash). While the money isn’t great, it’s a huge improvement from having nothing, and living off savings. All told, the unemployment pays for rent, and maybe a bill or two, but that’s the biggest chunk of my monthly costs.

Oh, I hope I can still get money. I really, really, really, don’t want to have to get a part-time job at a local pizzeria. Needless to say, I’d rather have a job.

Exhausted

Oy, I’ve forgotten how exhausting a working day is. The wake-up, the commute, the constantly being “on”, the running back and forth to the Xerox machine, and of course, doing the work — especially when there’s some of that “I need it now!” action going on.

Shouldn’t be complaining, though. A day’s work is a day’s work, even if it is tiring. New routines always turn me about.

On-Site Tomorrow

HS: Tomorrow, after a dry spell of, literally, four months, I’m scheduled for a day of on-site work at a popular (but not very sexy) magazine. I’ll be filling in for someone on Jury Duty, so it might extend for a second day.

I’ll be working on “advertorials”, which are essentially ads masquerading as content. That stuff is often set in a different typeface, and requires the word ADVERTISEMENT to appear. Not exactly my bag, but paying the bills ever so slightly.

So yea, I’m a whore.

This job came to me via a friend and former co-worker who is a mentor for the National Organization for Design (NOD). The fella at the magazine wrote to the mentors, and my friend passed it to me. So an in-network connection, if you will.

Otherwise, things are quiet. The other job I interviewed with have completed their background check and will be checking references next. Hopefully, this will wrap up soon and will lead to an offer of some kind. Freelance or perm, I’m bloody sick of non-employment.

I also got a new logo design project with a paying client. Hopefully, I can bang that thing out in 2 weeks or so and put it in the “done” pile quickly. We’ll see.

Background Check

HS: The company I interviewed [twice] with has contacted me asking me to submit to a background check. That’s the bad news. The good news is that this is a necessary step in the recruitment process. In other words, I passed the second interview!

This is the first time I’ve been background checked to such a naked degree. The form I had to fill out informed me that I would be examined regarding credit, income, employment, criminal history, previous residences, and generally anything shady they can find.

Since I lead a very dull life, I wonder what they’re turn up. Will they be looking through my Modell’s card to see how frequently I buy running shoes? Will paying my cable bills on time in 2002 help my circumstances? Will they be able to tell that I got in a half-fight with my landlord in 2004 and left the place fully furnished (ie, a mess) and therefore didn’t get my security deposit back?

More importantly, will any of this hurt my chances of getting the job?

You Are Not Alone

HS: Yesterday, I received a text message from that same friend of mine whom I recommended for a job just a few days earlier. She has been laid off from her incredibly-dull-yet-high-paying job.

While this initially came as a relief to my weary friend, I almost feel the need to mourn. While she may have received a severance package, I don’t think she truly understand the bizarreness of non-employment. At least we’ve got each other…