If anyone has read any of my previous entries, I was a part of the long term unemployed. Luckily, I landed a job at the beginning of this year. Finally! Gainful employment! JOY! Truth is, I was overjoyed. I decided to start over and get an entry level position in an industry I had previously worked with on the policy side. I couldn't fix congress, so I could fix a computer. I started over in IT.
Fixing and rebuilding computers was a bit of a hobby of mine and I had light IT related duties at my previous job so this wasn't much of a leap. I worked on my skills while unemployed to remain relevant. The job I took was about a 60% reduction in pay, but that didn't matter. It's money. I wasn't complaining. My husband had referred me to an IT recruiter and I was placed at a position 40 miles from my home. I took early hours to avoid traffic. I put 600 miles a week on my car. There was some sort of Healthcare offered, but after I calculated it, at 260$ weekly it came to about $1040 monthly for a family.(They offer you a lovely pamphlet on how to apply for medicaid if you can't afford their benefits! way to go! Price out your employees, push them towards medicaid and lobby against a public option.)
I was to replace a few employees moving on. I learned quickly and immediately became comfortable. I made friends right away. I even trained some new people! Within 4 months, after training the new comers, I was told that there was no longer any money in the dept to keep me on. Since I was a "temp to perm" I was told I had a week left. I had trained new people to take my job. awesome.
It was OK since I was a contractor. My recruiter called me right away with a new position lined up. It was a high volume call center as a "temp to perm" for the parent company I temped with. So, essentially, I would be supporting recruiters. That sounded pretty awesome. There was talk of a "good corporate culture" and "many chances at advancement". I decided, since my experience wasn't visible on paper, I would draw upon my skills at business management and pursue a career in software development project management. There were classes at the college campus where the offices are located. My plan was coming along! Work, learn, wait for an opportunity for a jr. project manager position to open up and everything would just fall into place.
Oh, I was so wrong.
It started about two weeks after my first day . I noticed a bit of a gender imbalance when I started. Whatever...I'm a girl in IT. We're not very plentiful, but that was changing. I'm pretty easy to get along with, too. I am willing to help and always willing to learn. What I wasn't ready for was going to happen. I was pulled aside and told to "be quiet, someone had heard something and didn't like what I had to say." I asked, "Well, can I know what was said? I am nothing but professional, I can't imagine what may have been said." It started with "You offended someone" and then morphed into "Well, really, you are just loud". Okay. Keep quiet. Check.
As time went on, I noticed the fact that no one really wanted to speak to me. I was actively ignored by management and my coworkers alike. I started to peruse job openings within other departments. I started talking to people about my career goals. I was a very good performer, showing up on time and doing an excellent job. I was just..not really liked.
It wasn't until I was pulled aside by my recruiter and her account manager that I realized I how bad things really were. My manager had said I was considered "unapproachable" and "Domineering". No matter how good I was at my job, the guys I worked with were afraid to say anything to me. Instead, I was scrutinized for every "i" that wasn't dotted and "t" not crossed. No matter what petty mistakes were actively made by others, I was taken to task for those same mistakes. If others were late and otherwise not actively on the phone taking calls, it was never questioned. If I had done the same, I was questioned why. It was apparent that what was once a personality clash has now become an all out effort to push me out. I got the message. It was time to move on. I applied to another position.
I haven't heard a thing. the account manager took me to lunch and blamed me for "causing an upset" stating that "I had to have said or done something" to upset people. Nope. Nothing that I was ever reprimanded for. I said, "Find me another job." To my recruiter...but I feel like I won't get the same treatment
My contract will be up for renewal soon. I suspect the option to renew won't even be explored. I have no healthcare, shitty pay, a stressful job environment (pressure to take as many calls as possible for under a certain number of minutes is really high. some days, we can't even use the restroom without getting approval if calls are waiting.) is this better than unemployment?
Well, yes. It actually is.
BUT THIS CANNOT BE MY ONLY OPTION!
I want to be able to say, "This job is not a good fit for me " and take another offer. I want to be able to get a competitive pay rate with awesome benefits. I want to be able to not be afraid to approach the big boss with suggestions on how to change a hostile work environment into a positive one without fear of repercussions. I want to make myself better. do you hear that, republicans? I.Want.To. do. better. I want to e employed. I want to tighten those boot straps, start over and learn a new profession.
But I'm stuck here, miserable, underemployed and just trying--like everyone else--to make a better day. We need more job opportunities.....we need to occupy Congress and make the changes ourselves.