Take This Job and Love It!

Well, I think I told you all about all the stress I'm under. Well, I'm about to embark on an even more stressful life event...I'm changing jobs. Yes, that is right. I have been an administrative assistant at my current place of employment for almost 7 years. I absolutely love my job and 99.999% of the people I work with. We have pot lucks, celebrate people's birthdays and babies, and grandchildren. In fact, we celebrate anything. It is like a giant family and I would hate to lose the friendships I have built with most of them in the past 7 years.

The problem is that I work for a huge corporation and everything must be approved through corporate office. My boss, whom I adore, has tried to get my job upgraded to a higher grade 3 times in the past 3 or 4 years and Corporate HR (who has never met me btw) continues to shoot her down. I am a walking, talking prime example of an employee who is very underpaid and under jobgraded for what I do. I can't blame my boss. She has truly tried over and over again. The other drawback is that there is really no place to which I could move up in my current employ unless I were to get clinical training. I have more interest in gouging my eyes out with red hot pokers than I do in getting clinical training.

Another entity within our organization has wanted me to come work for them for about 1-1/2 years. Because they had to again fight Corporate HR to get authorization to create this position, we all had to be patient. Well, they finally authorized it. The folks I know with the other entity who have worked with me in the past in my present employ, called me and told me to apply immediately, which I did. I was called for an interview, which went well. So well, in fact, I was pretty convinced I was going to be offered the position and went to work and started cleaning up my desk area. People at work just thought I got that spring cleaning bug in the middle of August. (I hope.)

The new job would be half as far of a commute, plus my husband and I could ride together as he works right down the road. The VP told me that the hours would be very flexible as they are not even in the office itself many days and I'm a morning person - the earlier the better in my opinon. I would be located right next door to the the company for which I worked for 10 years. I could have lunch with the girls I used to lunch with every day. My very close friend, the massage therapist, lives about 2 minutes away. My cousin, with whom I'm very close lives right down the street. My hubby and I could "do" lunch (get your mind outta the gutter...I only get half hour! : ) There is every fast food restaurant known to mankind very nearby, a library two doors down, all the stores to stop in on the way home. It would be like coming home again since I am so familiar with that area after working for 10 years at the company next door. As I said, I love my present job and the people, but the location is in a very, make that VERY elite neighborhood and the lowest cost lunch around there is an $8.00 burger and that doesn't even include fries!!!! (No fries? Blasphemy I say!!!) Oh, I never told you I was a "potato person" did I? I love potatoes in any way, shape or form. And anyone who know me, knows this. I even had a cardboard cutout of McDonalds fries adorning my desk at one time. I've never met a potato I didn't like! : )

So, I got the call Friday that I was, in fact, chosen over many other candidates for this new position. Panic set in immediately. The known versus the unknown. I think of not seeing my current coworkers every day.

The new position is a lateral move - no raise except the $40-50 I'll save on gas per week riding to work with my hubby. There is also room for advancement in this position. There is also the sheer thrill of creating this brand new job - a job no one else has held yet. A position for which I will set the standard, no make that set the bar - and I'll set it high, too.

I accepted the position. My current boss and my boss-to-be negotiated a last day at my current position and a first day at my new one - Oct. 3rd for my last day at my present job and Oct. 6th. as my starting day with the new group. My job was posted immediately to try to get someone in so I can train them before I go. I am very glad I can do this for my boss and coworkers - train someone to do the job simliar to how I did it - make the transition a bit easier for them. My boss and all my coworkers are sad I'm leaving. I am sad I'm leaving. I am so going to miss seeing them everyday. I know I will remain lifelong friends with a handful of them (Coworkers if you're reading this, you know who you are) but the lack of day-to-day contact with them will be tough.

But there is one bright spot to the sadness I feel in leaving them - they are having one last blow-out pot luck for me on my last day. Take a guess what they came up with to send me off in a manner in which I'd never ever forget - A POTATO POTLUCK!!!!!

And in ending this post, I'm quoting Sammy Hagar again, "It's the best of both worlds!"