Subject : Fired From Work
Posted Date: : Feb 14, 2007 11:59 AM
Once more I've learned a very important lesson the hard way. Money and the possession of money isn't all it's cracked up to be.
When I was at my former company, the pieces fit. Sure I wasn't making as much money as the new company offered me by about 3 times less... but the pieces still fit. It was a close drive from home, they treated me well, the benefits were INCREDIBLE, my boss was my friend, I trusted the people I worked with, and I never had to worry about anyone there hitting on me or making any kind of sexual advances towards me because they were mostly women!
The new company, though I did get to do some design work that I thoroughly enjoyed and was quite good at, had problems. Yes, HAD. I've been stalling on writing this one because I wanted to make sure I had time to clear my thoughts and emotions and keep the two separate. Once said, something can never be UNsaid, so I never speak in anger. I was let go yesterday.
I say let go because it wasn't exactly firing me. They did just that - they let me go. We pretty much mutually agreed that it was a bad fit and that I truly didn't have enough experience to be able to handle what a 30 year veteran would do in a flash. They didn't have the time to train me and wanted me to train myself in everything. They wanted me to put together a budget without supplying me with budgets from previous years. I'd never put a budget together before! There were more issues, too.
The drive time was killing me. Traveling through Downtown Los Angeles traffic meant an hour and a half EACH WAY every day, giving me a total of 3 hours every day that I had to deal with the frustrations of Los Angeles traffic. Some days I was lucky and it only took me an hour. Other days I wasn't so lucky and it took me three hours to get home, and that was with illegally using the carpool lane.
Though I cant complain of the treatment I received at the new company, I can quite fairly complain of the LACK of treatment of any kind I got there. I was virtually abandoned into my little corner - my glass and concrete cage - with not a soul giving me any feedback except my own assistant. I was thrown projects from several different angles and expected to know which ones were most important.
The benefits did start right away, which was certainly a welcome relief since I hadn't had any for a few weeks once I left IDX. After breaking my toe this past August, I realized just how important benefits really were and I'll admit to a slight case of panic when I had none at all. The benefits did NOT cover dental, chiropractic, or eye care, however. IDX always did. The benefits at the new place were Kaiser, the benefits at the old place were Blue Cross / Blue Shield. I loved it. I had MY doctor, not some stuffy office building full of diseased patients that I had to go to anytime I was ill or needed a check up.
Michele over at IDX, even though she was convinced I was overpaid, was always my friend. She didn't want me to leave when it came right down to it, and was completely open in telling me so. She and I have been friends since the day I walked into IDX on that late October day in 2005 for my initial interview. That will never change, no matter where I work. I know that and so does she. Though I got along well with the bosses at the new place, I can fairly say that there was no friendship there. We were cold, dry co-workers and nothing more.
I never had to log out of my computer to go on a lunch break or to go to the bathroom when I was at IDX. I trusted everyone there not to poke around in my things if I were away. I also trusted Michele to make sure that nobody did that, since we shared an office anyway. At the new company, I constantly was looking around the corner to see who was watching me and had to log out every time I stood up to say something to my assistant. I just never knew who was going to mess with my work. Call it paranoia - but if I were paranoid, I would have been the same way at IDX and I wasn't!
Nobody at IDX ever make any sexual advances towards me, and that's most likely because the majority of the people there were women. I got along with everyone, though that's nothing out of the ordinary for me really - I am pretty easy going. Still, the night I signed the contract to work at the new company, the new boss tried to kiss me. This is the FIRST time I have admitted that to anyone, and it's likely to be the last since I would rather just forget about it. THe OTHER boss told me that I was 'dangerous' and that he'd have to 'watch out for me' in a manner most suggestive. The CEO and attempted kisser, after having MET my Pete one day when he came to pick me up for lunch (yes, he drove an hour and a half to take me to lunch one day) found out that Pete had to work on Valentines Day. 'You'll be free to spend it with me then' he asked me in front of another co-worker. Embarrassed, I walked out. He never did it again.
In conclusion, the money just wasn't worth it. The job wasn't worth it.
My friends, my family, and my sanity are.
When I was at my former company, the pieces fit. Sure I wasn't making as much money as the new company offered me by about 3 times less... but the pieces still fit. It was a close drive from home, they treated me well, the benefits were INCREDIBLE, my boss was my friend, I trusted the people I worked with, and I never had to worry about anyone there hitting on me or making any kind of sexual advances towards me because they were mostly women!
The new company, though I did get to do some design work that I thoroughly enjoyed and was quite good at, had problems. Yes, HAD. I've been stalling on writing this one because I wanted to make sure I had time to clear my thoughts and emotions and keep the two separate. Once said, something can never be UNsaid, so I never speak in anger. I was let go yesterday.
I say let go because it wasn't exactly firing me. They did just that - they let me go. We pretty much mutually agreed that it was a bad fit and that I truly didn't have enough experience to be able to handle what a 30 year veteran would do in a flash. They didn't have the time to train me and wanted me to train myself in everything. They wanted me to put together a budget without supplying me with budgets from previous years. I'd never put a budget together before! There were more issues, too.
The drive time was killing me. Traveling through Downtown Los Angeles traffic meant an hour and a half EACH WAY every day, giving me a total of 3 hours every day that I had to deal with the frustrations of Los Angeles traffic. Some days I was lucky and it only took me an hour. Other days I wasn't so lucky and it took me three hours to get home, and that was with illegally using the carpool lane.
Though I cant complain of the treatment I received at the new company, I can quite fairly complain of the LACK of treatment of any kind I got there. I was virtually abandoned into my little corner - my glass and concrete cage - with not a soul giving me any feedback except my own assistant. I was thrown projects from several different angles and expected to know which ones were most important.
The benefits did start right away, which was certainly a welcome relief since I hadn't had any for a few weeks once I left IDX. After breaking my toe this past August, I realized just how important benefits really were and I'll admit to a slight case of panic when I had none at all. The benefits did NOT cover dental, chiropractic, or eye care, however. IDX always did. The benefits at the new place were Kaiser, the benefits at the old place were Blue Cross / Blue Shield. I loved it. I had MY doctor, not some stuffy office building full of diseased patients that I had to go to anytime I was ill or needed a check up.
Michele over at IDX, even though she was convinced I was overpaid, was always my friend. She didn't want me to leave when it came right down to it, and was completely open in telling me so. She and I have been friends since the day I walked into IDX on that late October day in 2005 for my initial interview. That will never change, no matter where I work. I know that and so does she. Though I got along well with the bosses at the new place, I can fairly say that there was no friendship there. We were cold, dry co-workers and nothing more.
I never had to log out of my computer to go on a lunch break or to go to the bathroom when I was at IDX. I trusted everyone there not to poke around in my things if I were away. I also trusted Michele to make sure that nobody did that, since we shared an office anyway. At the new company, I constantly was looking around the corner to see who was watching me and had to log out every time I stood up to say something to my assistant. I just never knew who was going to mess with my work. Call it paranoia - but if I were paranoid, I would have been the same way at IDX and I wasn't!
Nobody at IDX ever make any sexual advances towards me, and that's most likely because the majority of the people there were women. I got along with everyone, though that's nothing out of the ordinary for me really - I am pretty easy going. Still, the night I signed the contract to work at the new company, the new boss tried to kiss me. This is the FIRST time I have admitted that to anyone, and it's likely to be the last since I would rather just forget about it. THe OTHER boss told me that I was 'dangerous' and that he'd have to 'watch out for me' in a manner most suggestive. The CEO and attempted kisser, after having MET my Pete one day when he came to pick me up for lunch (yes, he drove an hour and a half to take me to lunch one day) found out that Pete had to work on Valentines Day. 'You'll be free to spend it with me then' he asked me in front of another co-worker. Embarrassed, I walked out. He never did it again.
In conclusion, the money just wasn't worth it. The job wasn't worth it.
My friends, my family, and my sanity are.
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