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01/24/2005: "sudden employment"
I finally got my butt in gear and got my first real broadcast letter in order today. I printed out a résumé, printed out the broadcast letter, signed it, found an envelope, printed a lable for it, and put on a shirt and tie to go deliver it. Just before I stepped out the door the phone rang. It was opportunity calling, and it would change all my plans.
Way back in November I talked with a local company that does contact drafting services. It's not unlike the company I first worked for when I graduated from university, with the differnce being that they have no employees - instead all the people they "employ" are independent contractors. We talked a few times back then, looked at a couple of leads, and they promptly disappeared off my radar screens.
Today, they called me out of the blue and asked me if I was still looking for work. Of course I said yes. After a bit more discussion they asked if I could come down to their office and take a test. (Drafting proficiency tests are not uncommon. Sometimes they're used to see how good someone is on a certain kind of CAD software. In this case, it was to see how good my drafting skills are.) Apparently my skills are good enough, because after looking at my work, I was offered a position starting tomorrow morning.
Huh, wha? Yes, I start tomorrow. The position isn't exactly what I was hoping to get, nor is the pay as much as I'd want, but on both accounts it's a whole lot better than sitting at home on pogey waiting for something better. Even if this isn't what I'm going to be doing for the next five years, it certainly sounds like there's room for growth, both from within this client, and from the company that I'll be contracting through.
I made sure that it was clear that I would maintain my jobsearch while working, as being a detailer isn't going to keep my interest for very long. All they require is one week's notice if I'm going to leave, which is good. What's even better is that they will keep looking for other contract and permanent positions that are more in line with what I'm good at and what I want to do.
Bottom line: I'm working again, and quite happy for it. I'll report on what work is like later.
