Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Waaahhh

My Day:
Get to work – see message on phone – retrieve message.
Message is a recruiter stating that X department would like to extend me an offer for position 1. 

First reaction:  WhooHoo!  I’ve been waiting for this moment for almost 5 months.  Yes, yes, yes!!!
Second reaction:  Hold on a minute…this position comes with a TON of admin work.  Are they going to treat me like an admin forever?  Are they going to give me the kind of work I WANT to do?

Go to final interview for a different position.  We’ll call it position 2.  I’ve had a bit of heart burn about position 2 because Hubby was doing some research on the group and came back with some not so nice stories.  Specifically – they gave a sinking project to someone who was on vacation.  They “threw someone under the bus.”
During final interview, I ask pointedly about the ‘rumor’ that they ‘throw people under the bus.’ I get some crap answer that leads me to believe they routinely take these types of actions. 
My favorite part by far: as I was leaving one of the men in the room says, “The moral of the story is: if you are walking down the street with a group of people from X company, make sure you aren’t on the curb side.”
Yeah.  No longer thinking about Position 2 after that!

All thoughts interrupted by conversation with Recruiter for position 1.  New information includes:
They are putting together a business case to give an unexpected pay raise.  Nothing official yet, but it’s in the works.  Recruiter’s exact words were “you appear to be grossly underpaid and we’d like to remedy that situation before moving you into the new group.”
Career path is part of the plan.

First reaction:  Pay raise?  Career path?  YES!
Second reaction:  Better talk to the hiring manager. 
Set up meeting with hiring manager to discuss career concerns.

Recruiter then contacts me again to set up a separate meeting with someone who is not the hiring manager to discuss “roles and responsibilities” for the position. 

Reaction: This is a dual reporting role.  Hmmm.  Not sure person who is not the hiring manager (NHM) but will be managing me is someone I want to work for.
Spend 2 hours fretting about situation.
Call someone who I have worked with in the past and is frank, to the point and VERY opinionated.  Also holds the role of Executive Assistant and has been privy to more info than most people.  Turns out she’s worked with NHM at various times throughout both their careers.  She has a high opinion of NHM and thinks I should jump at the chance to work with her. 

End of day:  Feeling better, though still a bit uneasy about what I might be walking into.  I know it will all be very clear by Thursday afternoon.  By Friday I might be looking at the timeline for a new position.

Wouldn’t that be nice!