All right. So the job.
The work insults my intelligence. I know, I'm a brat. What did I expect from temp work? I can swallow my pride and do something completely mindless for a while, but it still didn't stop me from thinking that one of the last things I did at FergFlor was help plan a national press conference for Senator Kit Bond. Sigh.
It's pretty much just shipping. I sit at a computer all day typing out packing slips, UPS and FedEx labels, bills of lading and other random labels. Oy.
What makes it worse though is that it is a smoking office (hence the smelly title). They neglected to tell me that. So the pregnant woman who was training me was practically chain smoking in my face all day. I know I go to bars all the time. I know one of my best friends smokes. But to sit in it for 8 hours is just nauseating.
But none of these things are the real problem. When the temp guy called me on Friday, we went round and round and round because this job is "temp to hire". I didn't sign up for temp to hire because I know I am going to Mexico. I told him this up front. I mean, I mentioned onblog how badly I need money, but I was still honest. He appreciated my honesty and we worked it out that if I could stay for at least a month, he would still give me the position. He didn't expect that they would ask anything about permanence for quite some time.
And they didn't ask me. Just asked if I would be back tomorrow. I said I would. But I feel like a God-awful liar. It's a sin of omission. And my conscience gets to me because I can tell that they really need someone in the position for good. They said 5 people have gone through the job in the last year. They call it the cursed position.
At the end of the day, the boss and I were small-talking about getting home and traffic. She mentioned that she lived in Florissant. I said that was the location of my last job. She wanted to know where and then what I did. When I said public relations, her eyes got big. I mean, dude, she's not stupid. She's gotta know there is no way in HELL I would want to do this job permanently.
And what if the temp agency has someone who might actually be interested in a permanent job?
So I called the temp guy with the intent of being very honest and seeing what he thought. But he isn't in today. So I will go back to work tomorrow and call him at lunch. I feel bad, but I know I am doing the right thing. Only, now I won't have a job again. Hopefully, it won't take so long for the agency to find something TEMPORARY for me. And maybe I will just have to sign up at another temp place too. Or maybe I SHOULD go get a cocktail job somewhere. Ugh.
Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas?
Posted by kristen at July 12, 2005 05:34 PMI think it's GREAT that you have a temp assignment for the moment. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all those other cliches, you know?
That being said: you have been honest with the temp agency. You could certainly reiterate that you do not want this position permanently - and you could cite the smoking as part of it. That's a big deal. Perhaps tell him that you recognize the company wants to get someone in this position permanently, and so if they have a person who wants temp to hire at the end of this first month, then they should move you out of this position and into something else.
Posted by: tanya at July 12, 2005 06:25 PMFor what it's worth, cocktail waitressing would likely be in a smoky atmosphere, too....and if it relies on tips, you won't have a fixed amount coming in. And I've never heard of temp cocktail waitressing jobs.
My employer had some "project" positions, but I'm betting a) you have no interest in this company and b)i think they're filled now.
Posted by: tanya at July 12, 2005 06:27 PMI talked to the temp guy and essentially, I am still thinking about it and will get back to him. I DO need a job, but in all liklihood, the temp agency would find me something else before too long. Something that actually IS temp and wouldn't have me smelling like a bar every night. I thought about the fact that cocktailing would be smokey too, but somehow, that's more bearable because it IS a bar afterall. I don't know. It's the guilt that gets to me more than anything. Yesterday I was SURE that I would quit and let someone who really needed the permanent job have it. Now I am still thinking. I just wish I knew for sure whether or not they would have something for me.
Posted by: Kristen at July 13, 2005 05:11 PM