Saturday, December 19, 2009

The big reveal!

When I signed in to Blogger today I thought my followers said 11 instead of the usual 14 and I was all WHAT THE HELL ASSHOLES?!!! and then I realized that it actually did say 14. So, um, thanks for following guys.

So, for the past few months I've been secretly looking for a new job. Some people knew, but I never blogged about it because I didn't know if any of my clients read my blog and I didn't want to shatter their entire world and tell them I was leaving until absolutely necessary. But now I have a new job so I guess it's necessary to tell them and, also I guess, everyone else.

There are a couple of reasons why I decided personal training was not something I wanted to do anymore as a full time gig. The first reason is my 85 year old body seriously couldn't take it anymore. A couple of months ago I was reminiscing about way back in time when I used to run five kilometers 2-3 times per week and how, for some reason, I couldn't do that anymore without feeling like I should be in a wheelchair and I started wondering why that was. I was blaming it on getting older but, really, I'm only 34 which is not an age where people normally start packing in the running shoes. And then I started thinking that it's really been since I started training that I had to stop running. And it's only been since I started training that I can't sit for more than an hour before my back and hips start hurting and I can't sleep for longer than 6 hours for the same reason, and then I thought, "Hm. Maybe standing and lifting weights for clients and demonstrating different exercises all day, six days a week isn't that good for me. So then I asked my chiropractor if training is an ok job to have for someone with scoliosis and he was like, "Really, not so much," and I was already having second thoughts about my chosen career because it is really damn hard to make a living doing it because I only get paid for the hours I train and if someone is sick and doesn't show up I don't get paid and if someone wants to stop training after their sessions run out I have to go find another client and it's really stressful not to have a steady paycheque and to not know from one week to the next how much you're getting paid. That was the second reason by the way. The pay. And the stress about the pay. Are we all caught up now? Ok.

So I decided to start looking for another job. Much to the delight of Tim I'm sure because I'm pretty positive, after listening to me complain about how sore I was every time we talked, he was almost to the point of blocking me from MSN.

What I really wanted to do was work in Film or TV again or maybe something in Event Planning but after 3 months of applying and not receiving ANY RESPONSE AT ALL YOU BASTARDS, I decided to take my brother up on helping me get a job at the call center where he has worked for the past 4 years.

I hemmed an hawed over it though. Working at a call center was never something I really wanted to do. I don't have the patience for morons nor do I have the patience for someone who is treating me like a moron so I was not sure how long I would last on the phones. It would also be an hour and a half commute both ways. And the hours kind of suck. On the other hand, I would make more than I was making now right off the bat, and I would make that salary every month no matter what, which was something I apparently took for granted at all my other jobs. I would only be working 5 days a week instead of six and I would also get three weeks paid holidays as soon as I started, benefits, and paid sick days, none of which I am getting now. The best part was, I wouldn't have to call people and sell them things. They would be calling the bank with a problem or questions or something and I would just have to suggest things that they could sign up for like credit cards or whatever and that was it. Plus, if I did well, I would have the potential to earn quarterly and annual bonuses. I would also get to work at the same place as my brother so I could see him more and he could help me out if I needed it. Plus, he told me that, because I have a lot of management experience, I would likely be promoted within the year which means my hours would get significantly better. So, I decided, what the hell.

My brother had enough pull to get me a phone interview after I sent in my resume but he said the rest was up to me. I had the phone interview last week and it went well so they called me in for an in person interview yesterday.

When I got there I was very impressed. The building was huge, full of offices and had basically a mall on the first floor. There was a gym, tonnes of places to shop and eat and, best of all, a Starbucks! I could have Starbucks every day and never even go outside!! As my brother and I sat and waited and I drank my coffee, I watched all the different people walk by and thought that I could really get to like this. I've never worked for a big corporation before. I've never worked in such a huge building with people all over the place hustling and bustling with big city atmosphere. THIS is why I moved here. This is what I came for.

And then I started to get nervous. I really wanted this job. My brother and I had gone over the interview questions and practiced the phone role play I was supposed to do, so I was prepared, but I was still nervous. What if I totally froze during the phone interview and stuttered and forgot what I was supposed to be doing? What if I started making up words which I sometimes tend to do? Making up words probably doesn't impress too many people despite the fact that I think it's pretty awesome.

But, it turns out, I'm way more awesome that I thought I was. After the interview the guy went in to my brother's office and said I was one of the best he'd ever interviewed and to tell me to give my notice. So I did! My last day at Goodlife is January 22nd and I'm really excited!

I'm really looking forward to starting something totally different, something that I never thought I'd be doing. I'm excited to work in an atmosphere that I've never experienced before. I'm excited to have Starbucks every day! But, mostly, I'm really excited to not work at a place that's slowly turning me into a 34 year old cripple who is still borrowing money from her parents.

And that, my friends, is a pretty sweet feeling.

6 comments:

Bronwyn said...

Yay for new job!

LynnieC said...

Hurray!! That's great news.

Also, my word verification was "undis" which I take to read as "undies" which makes me laugh.

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy for you!

And for me!

And for MSN!

;)

Hannah M. said...

I'm glad you found a new job, and that it's hopefully one you'll continue to enjoy!

Wanderer said...

I gotta admit, when you first said a call centre job on FB I was like, "are you kidding?!" But it does sound pretty awesome. Although the mall downstairs would be horrible because I'd spend too much. Congrats Jamie - I hope it works out!! Isn't this kind of work where Corie started?

Kat said...

Yay You!!!! How exciting :) When do you get access to those holidays? Want to come to Cuba?