Shoes, a Simile for Employment
A new job is a lot like a new pair of shoes.
It may be worth noting right now that I abhor shoe shopping and have difficulty finding shoes that fit well. This may color how I view the process.
It doesn't matter how careful you are, the shoes never fit quite like they did in the store once you've purchased them and brought them home. You have to wear them around, get used to how they feel. Discover how they pinch or rub, let the leather stretch and mold. Sometimes they are almost immediately a disaster, and if you have my luck, you end up never wanting to go to a business again after the owner accuses you of cutting in front of other customers and screaming when all you did was wait off to the side until they walked over to give you a chance to talk quietly to see if the shoes could be returned (but I digress). Other times you have to decided if the pinches and rubs are bearable until the shoe breaks in and hope that fixes the problem, or if you need to get a different pair or go back to the old faithful. I could also go on about how any job is like a pair of shoes, a really good pair you can repair and wear for a life time, etc. Let's just stop the analogy there.
When you start a brand new job you often don't really know what you're getting in to. You can read the job description, meet some of your future co-workers, tour the environment, but some things you just won't discover until you've started the new position.
For various reasons I've found myself in a position where I'm not really sure if the new shoes fit at all. They might fit amazingly, horribly, or about average with the normal rubs. So I'm in the process of trying to decide what to do, and how I feel about things. I'm not particularly enjoying the process, as I like to find a space, settle down, and not move on. I had an amazing interview today, and will be interviewing at another library on Friday. Do the old shoes still fit, do they just need a refurbish? Would these new shoes fit any better?
I haven't made up my mind about anything. Perhaps the best thing about the application process in this case is that it takes time. In this case, allowing time to calm down from serious upset, and at least attempt logical review. I have met with the relevant parties involved and attempted to explain. A number of my concerns have been addressed, and others I have been informed will not be. I'm worried that by asking too many questions and trying to make sense out of a seeming utter lack of logic I may fail my new hire probationary period. It seems I have a more marketable than usual skill set, but that's only useful when libraries are hiring. In what direction do I want to ultimately take my career?
All I want is a good comfortable pair of shoes that I can wear all day, day after day.
It may be worth noting right now that I abhor shoe shopping and have difficulty finding shoes that fit well. This may color how I view the process.
It doesn't matter how careful you are, the shoes never fit quite like they did in the store once you've purchased them and brought them home. You have to wear them around, get used to how they feel. Discover how they pinch or rub, let the leather stretch and mold. Sometimes they are almost immediately a disaster, and if you have my luck, you end up never wanting to go to a business again after the owner accuses you of cutting in front of other customers and screaming when all you did was wait off to the side until they walked over to give you a chance to talk quietly to see if the shoes could be returned (but I digress). Other times you have to decided if the pinches and rubs are bearable until the shoe breaks in and hope that fixes the problem, or if you need to get a different pair or go back to the old faithful. I could also go on about how any job is like a pair of shoes, a really good pair you can repair and wear for a life time, etc. Let's just stop the analogy there.
When you start a brand new job you often don't really know what you're getting in to. You can read the job description, meet some of your future co-workers, tour the environment, but some things you just won't discover until you've started the new position.
For various reasons I've found myself in a position where I'm not really sure if the new shoes fit at all. They might fit amazingly, horribly, or about average with the normal rubs. So I'm in the process of trying to decide what to do, and how I feel about things. I'm not particularly enjoying the process, as I like to find a space, settle down, and not move on. I had an amazing interview today, and will be interviewing at another library on Friday. Do the old shoes still fit, do they just need a refurbish? Would these new shoes fit any better?
I haven't made up my mind about anything. Perhaps the best thing about the application process in this case is that it takes time. In this case, allowing time to calm down from serious upset, and at least attempt logical review. I have met with the relevant parties involved and attempted to explain. A number of my concerns have been addressed, and others I have been informed will not be. I'm worried that by asking too many questions and trying to make sense out of a seeming utter lack of logic I may fail my new hire probationary period. It seems I have a more marketable than usual skill set, but that's only useful when libraries are hiring. In what direction do I want to ultimately take my career?
All I want is a good comfortable pair of shoes that I can wear all day, day after day.
i too have similar experiences, ive been fired a lot, you can tell. and i feel really strange at most new places, and mainly under sold. iv'e only had one job that i truly enjoyed it lasted 6 months, it wasn't too far away to afford owning a jeep wrangler that got terrible gas mileage, i had my own desk and, it used little thinking power. now so far it has been the best job iv'e ever had most likely the best i will ever have had. now after experiencing that and knowing what i had, but being forced to go drive box truck and deal with a terrible crew and not make enough to eat or buy gas on the weekly, i would have to say that sometimes you have to ride things out even if your seat is made of wood. i understand and my view on this is to wait and see at least stick around till someone fires you, or if in fact you get the urge to look for better and do better and take a risk to gain a reward. nothing is certain but something are worth it. please excuse my grammar and horrid writing style. dave
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