Phone Interview Today
Here I thought I had found the company of my dreams a year ago and I'm already looking for a new job. Some of you may know that this last year has not been good work-wise. I have been waiting it out for some new positions, but nothing has been posted. Looking on the bright side, I've been able to raise Fozzie "correctly" and to start my craft business. I have some seriously mean coworkers who feel threatened by me, a new boss who has never managed before and the work I was hired for isn' the work that is there (I can count on one hand how many days I've been busy). This is my manager's first time as a manager and he sure has some real winners to contend with. Due to conflicts in the group, HR became involved and we have "team building" meetings starting at the end of next week. My take on it, if you haven't figured out how to be on a team by your mid-40s, it ain't ever going to happen. I'm so tired of this BS. I get paid well, but I barely do anything. When I do, I get nitpicked to death and seriously yelled at. It's been bad. If I sit around any longer, I'm just going to go crazy. It's like I feel as if I'm dying inside and wasting my life away. I think about all the other stuff I could be doing at home and hang with the pups. It will be a difficult move as the company I work for is great, makes a ton of money (no debt), good benefits, gifts.... I worry that if this new thing doesn't work out, would I be able to go back to another group? Anyway, this new potential position fell into my lap. A former coworker of mine who has a similar personality and health issues, is very happy with her new job and get this...WORKS FROM HOME! She has been highly recommending me and I've been talking to her a lot. The company appears to be an up and coming and is doing extremely well financially and may go public in the very near future. It was 59th in the INC 500 annual ranking of fastest growing private companies this year. Wish me luck!!! When it rains it pours! I have a million things going on! |
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| Good Luck!!!! |
GOOD LUCK!!!!! What does one wear to a TELEPHONE interview   |
Tasker's Mom wrote: GOOD LUCK!!!!! What does one wear to a TELEPHONE interview
You're so silly! I guess my sexy voice? |
Stacy wrote: Tasker's Mom wrote: GOOD LUCK!!!!! What does one wear to a TELEPHONE interview You're so silly! I guess my sexy voice? HMMMMM, what KIND of job are you applying for then |
Good luck, Stacy!!  You're far too young to be saddled in a job you don't like. Let us know how you make out!! |
| OK, I spent a misguided youth on the phones as a salesman ...
#1 Actually physically smile while you're on the phone. It comes across that way. Be animated and awake. It helps to be standing, and definitely not be lying back in an easy chair. #2 Ask questions and then don't interrupt; the more they talk about the company and the position and their experience with the company and how they came to work there, the more brilliant and interested you are. 
#3 Let them hang up first. After you both say goodbye, don't "slam down the receiver" or snap your phone shut or whatever. Just be silent and wait to hear the other side hangup. If you don't hear that in a couple of seconds, quietly use your finger to hang up. Get the job! ..and then recommend me, too!  |
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Great points, Ron! Good Luck Stacy!! |
| Thanks for the pointers, Ron! I do think they need Project Analysts badly as well. They do all the database design. Any experience in clinical trials?
Four minutes now... |
| No, but good experience in project management, requirements specifications, systems design, management in general....
Don't worry about me... go get'em! |
| I've got my fingers and toes crossed for ya!!!! |
| Good Luck stacy, everything crossed here for you. |
| Ugh! I have no idea how it went. I've had a migraine all day and took an Excedrin which started to make me shake. I feel like my voice was really shaky. Maybe he couldn't tell as I was on my cell phone. It was really short and quick so that may have been a bad thing. I'm just hoping that my friend has hyped me up so much that he didn't feel he needed to ask me many questions. He said that HR would get in touch with me next week for the next steps. Based on what he said, I may get flown out to corporate for an interview. I hate interviewing! |
I hope you hear back from them soon, the waiting will suck... good luck! I hope this is what you've been needing!  |
| Good Luck! |
| I hope you hear back soon too.
Where is the corporate office that you may have to go to? |
| Hi,
Oh I know how stressful things can get and especially since work takes up so much of our time you want to be at a job where you feel happy. Best wishes with your potential new job..it sound wonderful. Keep us posted and I'll be crossing my fingers for you!! Marianne and the boys |
Good LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!  |
| Boy you sure do have a full plate! Don't stress about it, the
worst they can say is no. That has no impact what so ever on anything you might choose to try for from here out. At least you have something right now, even if it stinks. You always have options that way! Shellie |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote: I hope you hear back soon too.
Where is the corporate office that you may have to go to? New York or New Jersey |
| At least it's a good place to go. |
Tasker's Mom wrote: Stacy wrote: Tasker's Mom wrote: GOOD LUCK!!!!! What does one wear to a TELEPHONE interview You're so silly! I guess my sexy voice? HMMMMM, what KIND of job are you applying for then No wonder the girl works from home! Could you imagine that call center? 100 people in a room with that sort of thing going on? What if you got interested in a conversation you'd hear in the background? Think they'd let you switch operators?  Just thought it might help Stacy ease her nerves about the interview! If you are coming to the east coast, let us know!!!! |
| OH Stacy! We've got all of fingers crossed for you!!!! Good luck, dolly! Can't wait to hear! |
| Good luck!!! |
| Interviewing does stink! Good luck with your next step. When you go to HQ for the second interview, we'll all give you fashion advice! |
| I'm bummed as I still haven't heard anything either way. My friend is quite surprised, but says that it seems upper management and HR are really swamped. I can tell she's really trying to stay optimistic for me. I did leave HR a followup message today and hope she calls back.
My current job gets worse every day. I've never been in a work situation where everything sucks. There's usually been one aspect that's tolerable. It's just bad and I'm really down in the dumps and feeling useless. They really haven't handled the group dynamics very well. We have our first "team building" meeting tomorrow...a Friday from 1-3pm. Mind you this is now 4 months after the "initial" incident I had with a coworker. This is really affecting my health. |
Still nothing  I think they are now ignoring me. They probably sent out one of those letters and hope I get it soon so they don't have to talk to me on the phone. So bummed and demotivated. |
| Keep positive Stacy! No news is good news right? |
| Well, my pessimism has overriden any ounce of optimism that I had. No matter how hard I try, I'm still really depressed.
My team met with HR yesterday afternoon (great for a Friday) to discuss HR things, ie what we need from one another, where we see our team headed...blah blah blah. Well, it ended up with people telling one another how they feel about each other and me crying, of course. I finally told them how awful they've been treating me and that I don't understand why they view me how they do. What it came down to is that they are jealous, think I'm doing "special" projects, and they didn't want me there from before I was even interviewed. It was just awful! "Special" projects??? All I do is sit around all day even though management knows I'm not doing anything. It really isn't my fault. I think my coworkers realized this by the end of the day and one even said "you were set up to fail". She even started to cry. I hope this will at least alleviate some of the tension for whatever time I"m there. Still need to get OUT! It's like I"m in junior high. Why are women in the workplace so nasty to one another? I just want to help and feel like I"m contributing something this world. It just sucks! |
| gawd crying because your unhappy at work. harden yourself
its your job not your life take your paycheck and go home suck it up and get over it |
Anonymous wrote: gawd crying because your unhappy at work. harden yourself
its your job not your life take your paycheck and go home suck it up and get over it Um, that seems awfully rude to me! People spend more time at work than they do at home, so even if someone has the most fabulous life outside of work, it can be really difficult when it is a bad work situation. Stacy is being proactive and trying to get another job, but still has to deal with her current situation as best she can. Some of us out there are sensitive and DO take things personally at work, which isn't a bad thing. |
| I agree with Steph, that was a very rude comment.
Especially since you don't know what Stacy has to deal with an a daily basis with these people she works with. |
| Thank you Steph and Elissa for your support.
I didn't read too much into the comment from Guest because I have no idea who they are. I suppose for people who enjoy their job or have found their calling, getting through the day with a few icky people isn't so bad. |
| It is rude, but not far off the mark, just way too blunt.
This is just your job. If you got fired tomorrow you'd find another job, and then another. There is no such thing as loyalty from a boss anymore. The minute they feel the need to let you go they will. You must understand that this is a game. The rules of the game are to get as much money as you can from the company and give them back some of your time in return. I had a boss who used to say: "As long as at the end of the day you go home with the cash and prizes, who cares?" Of course you must always try to do your best, that's part of the agreement you have, and it's a good thing to be a dilligent worker. But working with idiots... that's just an "I don't care". Ignore them. You don't have to like them. Sure it would be nice if it was all one big happy family and a party at least some of the time, but since it's not just do your job, keep your head down and your nose in your own business and if you aren't happy or can't survive in this particular environment, go find yourself another position that either pays better or has a more collegiate atmosphere. If you're crying over it, there's something wrong, and that something could just be your expectations for what your work life is. You can't allow your current job to affect you personally to the point where it causes you to cry, you'll only make yourself sick. So while I think our rude Guest was over the line, I think he/she made a good point. PS I speak (type?) from experience... I was told that I didn't have a thick enough skin to be successful in that company...and they were right. It took me a couple of years to develop it, and by then it was too late there. But my next place, I SWEAR I'm gonna be ruthless and cynical. I swear! |
Yes, it is a game, unfortunately. For some reason, people can be downright evil  People like myself who don't have a thick skin, I need to be in an environment with supportive people, not ones who are out to get me for no reason at all. I'm disappointed in the crappiness of fellow human beings. Also, I'm not exactly sure why I was hired as there isn't enough work to be spread out in our group. It would be easier if I was busy with actual work; however, I'm not and it's not for a lack of trying or asking for work. Therefore, the fact that there are so many interpersonal factors at the moment and no work, the days are extremely long. It makes for a lot of time to ruminate about the interpersonal crap. |
| I agree. Not everyone has a job that they are passionate about. Probably more than half of population have "a job" as opposed to a passion that brings in money.
You try to do what you can to make the hours pass without dwelling on the unfair treatment, crappy pay, lack of opportunity etc. etc. That is a lot easier to do when you are busy, and have something that you can put your head down and get into. If you are not occupied there is little else to do but analyse things to death. When it comes to feeling victimized, however, that is not healthy at all. Time to get out. No real suggestions from me, just sympathy and understanding. |
| Thanks, Nicole. Yes, I need to get out of this toxic dysfunctional environment. I'm trying...
I've had other jobs where just one of the factors was bad and that is manageable. I can recall one job where I had nothing to do, but I wasn't alone in that situation. Therefore, I could go out to lunch with coworkers for two hours and have a good time. At the last job, there were some odd dysfunctional people who got in my face; however, I had a ton of work in which I was very good at and had very strong and supportive management and coworker support. I'm still friends with my old manager and some people from that organization. This job....nothing. I'm on a lonely island by myself for 8 hours a day. All I can think about are the sighs and swearing from across cube walls and all the other things I could be doing do at home or outside that would make me feel like I'm accomplishing something during the day. Just stinks |
Bosley's mom wrote: I agree. Not everyone has a job that they are passionate about. Probably more than half of population have "a job" as opposed to a passion that brings in money.
I absolutely agree. Many of us spend a majority of our time energy and life on our Careers, if we are very lucky it is doing something that we feel passionate about. Too many people go through life on auto pilot, doing a job every day that they hate and are unhappy in. NO ONE should have to "harden themselves", or "suck it up". We have all had jobs that were less than perfect and while we may have to learn to live with them for the time being, NO ONE should have to accept that as their "fate in life". You should always be seeking opportunities to find that job that not only provides a paycheck but fullfills a passion in your life. I am very lucky to have a job I love doing something I feel VERY passionate about. But it hasn't ALWAYS been that way. I have lived through those jobs where, you dread getting up in the morning for, can't wait for Friday, and yes even cried on my way home. One of lifes very important lessons and opportunities is in learning to take the energy spent crying and turn it into energy finding the job that you are ment to do. So while you do your best at your current job, take the energy you spend feeling depressed and angry and put it to good use. I hate to sound like a motivational speaker but only you can change your situation to something positive, don't let your current unhappiness paralyze you into settling for staying miserable. |
| Ginny!
I would have thought that of all people, a nurse ought to understand becoming hardened to the work environment! OK, I'll give a little insight into my experience here. I don't know why I'll do this so publicly, but maybe someone can learn something from my 5 years of experience with a large Boston based "bank." I put "bank" in quotes because this firm had about 25,000 employees, and did just about everything in back-office financial services, and almost no banking at all. In fact while I was there they closed 2 of their 3 branches (all located in their own employee office buildings) and turned their employee banking accounts over to another bank. I was heavily recruited to join this large firm by a former boss. He was the Managing Director of my old company and he was a Senior VP at the new large financial firm. I talked with him for 6 weeks about roles and responsibilities and expectations and salary and everything that goes into something like this. So I interviewed with his colleagues. I found out later that not one of them thought I would be a good match. Before I was hired I HAD heard that one of them thought I was too "thin skinned" to be successful there. (He was absolutely right, but how the heck he knew that from the interview, which I still remember well, I'll never know.) So I joined the firm. Long story short, after many disappointments, tons of backstabbers and ladder climbers and lots of anguish I was finally ostracized and internally exiled. I was functionally demoted and sent to work for one of my former colleagues who didn't want me on his team, but wanted to utilize me as an individual contributor resource. I gently refused to do anything he asked me to; I am pretty sure I said "I'm sorry, but that's not what I was hired to do." and sat surfing the Internet 8 hours a day, with no responsibilities. He tried to get me fired but couldn't get my former boss to fire me. I went to my former boss and asked him to lay me off and he refused, telling me that "nobody is going to get a (severance) package." I was working diligently to find a new position, both internally and outside the firm, without any luck -- I was being paid WAY too much money. So I sat and nearly went insane. Think "Al Gore". I even grew a scruffy beard. I told Joan what was happening and how it was affecting me. I described it to her as if I was sitting isolated in a glass phone booth for 8 hours, day after day after day, and felt I couldn't quit because of the money. Finally she told me: The money is good, but not if it is going to make you sick. If you want to "just up and quit" go ahead. That saved me. Once I realized that I didn't HAVE to be there anymore and had "permission" to quit, my mindset changed; it wasn't torture any more. I studied the other people, and their personalities. I saw the fools, the jesters, the diligents all for what they were. Nothing had changed except my mindset. I still surfed the net 8 hours a day. So this dysfunctional department is disbanded and redistributed throughout the organization. I am sent to another department in another city, where I am given light but interesting duties, none of which are in my area of expertise (into which I dive) spending my time thinking up new ways to improve things at the new division. Every project I specify is well accepted and advocated by my management, but not funded by the corporation. I start to run out of both ideas and zeal for the job. Talk about not making any difference! I got the largest bonus of my career. I wangle a second office in a third town, one that is closer to my home, and I am then able to spend some time at both locations. I don't have a set schedule and the company has no expectations of me. I spend most of my time "between offices". (Ever wonder when and why I started this forum? A hobby for worktime. )
The department is reorganized again, and rumors start swirling about layoffs. I get hopeful, and sure enough I am laid off. I got that severance package that included some amount of time considered to be still on the payroll and still employed, but still not working. Cool. My benefits package just barely vests during that time period! I understand not having anything to do. I understand working in a hostile environment. (You think things were nice around that department where I flatly refused to do any work that I didn't want to do?) I had a lot of time to sit and think about things like work and life and the balance between the two. Unless you're self employed or land in that "calling" job, where you really are making a difference in your world, then it's just a game. You play it, you give the fair amount of time for your compensation, and you go home to what really matters, your family -furry and fleshy- and your friends, your hobbies, your charities. Those are the places where most of us really make our difference in the world. If you have options to move between jobs, you have that "permission" that I was granted from Joan. The permission to leave and go someplace else, start fresh, meet new people and learn something new. Once you have that mindset, the personal angst that you're feeling should go away. Good luck. |
| The "permission to leave" frees you emotionally to ride the wave and endure the difficult time, knowing that it isn't a life sentence, there IS something better down the road.
"Sucking it up and hardening yourself" implies a life sentence to which one must forever be indentured. It implies that there is nothing better out there so stay put and shut up. As a nurse I know all to well about difficult work environments, difficult people, horrible hours, rotating shift 5 times in 6 days, forced overtime. But doing something I feel passionate about makes all that unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Those same work difficulties in another occupation (say I worked at a hamburger joint) would be unbearable if I had no passion for the job. I think Stacy is absolutely doing the right thing to continue her search for the "right" job. And I'm glad she has this forum to come and vent to about her frustrations. By doing that maybe she won't have to make herself sick until that better job comes along. So yes, sometimes you do have to put a wall around yourself to endure the temporary difficulties of a transiet situation. My point is that you don't have to accept that the job that you hate is the end all be all and there will never be anything else. |
| Stacy,
Be glad that you have some options and still have a job as many other people in this country are still unemployed. Just keep looking and it will end up working out in the long run. Please try not to get your hopes up with your friend's recommended position - you don't want to look desperate either by calling them too often. I can understand the "guest's" point of view a little. I know how hard I work personally for the business, and really have sacrificed a lot of personal life, including keeping healthy, to deal with some really demanding clients. I've worked around the clock more times than I care to remember to meet really impossible deadlines. One of the reasons I did the whole dog show thing was just to forcibly remove me from anything related to work. For you to say the you do nothing at work all day sounds like paradise to me. I guess that would drive me crazy after a while, but I wouldn't mind coasting a bit, and what a bonus to get paid for it too! As far as co-workers are concerned, try not to take it so personally. Maybe it's not in your make-up to ignore that kind of thing, but try to concentrate on the people that truly love/like you, as the other people really don't matter... Good luck with everything, eventually something will work out. |
| Something will crop up and work out for you stacy, don't ever change who you are. I know work enviroments and some people there can be frustrating, but most places of work have those sorts of people, just bear with it and keep searching, something good will happen when you least expect it
Keep up the craft work, that is a good release to take your mind off the work enviroment. |
| I have to say, I really hate when people say, "It's just a job." I agree, that's true, but you spend the majority of your life there so it really is hard to just look at it that way. I get way too emotionally involved sometimes myself. I don't get chronic migraines because I'm a relaxed person!
I love my actual job, but every office has morons that run the gamut of annoying behaviors, from just being rude or lazy, to overstepping their bounds or being incompetent (I have a specific person in mind as I type!). Some days, it's really hard to maintain a professional demeanor when a 55 year old woman is throwing a temper tantrum in front of you. I've learned to take episodes like that in stride and just laugh about them later because it really is just plain ridiculous. I am regularly asked to do things that are outside of my job description and it's taken me almost 5 years to learn how to say no. I've really learned firsthand, how no good deed goes unpunished so I pick my projects and battles carefully. Whenever I'm ready to throw in the towel, I think about the things that I do like about the job and then I try to start work harder on the projects that I really like or take some vacation time and just chill out. There are going to be people at every office that will bring you down or bum you out in any environment. I think there comes a time where making your own personal adjustments are going to be the only way that you'll find any sort of happiness. It's always easier to change yourself than expect others to! |
| Hey Stacy, just remember that when you have a bad day at work nobody dies. At least you can say that! |
| Not since The Incident, anyway. |
| Ssshhhhhh!!!!!!!
People are listening!!!!!  Silence is our only hope! |
Maxmm wrote: Hey Stacy, just remember that when you have a bad day at work nobody dies. At least you can say that!
I had a Boss that was always negative and complaining. Luckily he worked outside of the office and I hardly had to deal with him in person. He did occasionally stop in to the office after his appt's. He would come into the office and complain to me when business was slow and complain when he was too busy, ALWAYS COMPLAINING!! I would listen to him and then always say to him. "Bill, things could be worse, You could be DEAD!" I always got a smile out of him. |
Pepsi's Mommy wrote: things could be worse, You could be DEAD!"
I'm not sure if that would be worse. At least he'd be out of his misery. |
Stacy wrote: Pepsi's Mommy wrote: things could be worse, You could be DEAD!" I'm not sure if that would be worse. At least he'd be out of his misery. LMAO... he did have a lot of debt and owed the IRS Big time. But since then he has gotten married and moved away. I think he may actually enjoy his life now. |
| Well, I didn't get it My friend go in touch with the HR person because she thought it was weird noone had called me back to let me know either way. What they told me is that they really like me and my qualifications are good and I had an excellent referral, but they are in a period where they have a ton of projects and they don't have the resources to train me on an aspect of their business, electronic data capture experience. She said things could change at any moment and to stay in touch. She also told my friend this as well. I'm bummed. I was looking forward to working from home and not dealing with office BS. Oh well |
| Sorry to hear you didn't get it |
| Stacy...I"m so sorry. You and I can go job hunting after the 1st of the year...or we can start our own business! |
| You guys would be great together if you started your own business
Sorry to hear Stacy! |
debcram wrote: Stacy...I"m so sorry. You and I can go job hunting after the 1st of the year...or we can start our own business!
So, what should we do? Want to help me market craft items and be my accountant? |
| Beginning of the new year! Time to be job hunting!
What's happening? |
| Thanks for checking in, Ron. Gosh, I's like to stay with my current company as it's doing very well and supposedly has no debt at this time. Imagine that! The benefits are good and overall the people in the company are great. There are many great people there that I've worked with early on in my career. However, my group still stinks and I'm bored to tears!
I've been actively looking and networking within the company. However, there isn't anything that appears to be a good fit at this time. They are pulling in projects/functions that have been previously outsourced; however, they are just now hiring a manager and field monitors for that work. Since, I enjoy sleeping in my own bed and spending time with my family, I'm not suited for a field monitor position. My big dilemma is...do I stay until there are inhouse supportive positions? Or do I try to find something else and hope that I could possibly come back one day when departments are more organized? I'm concerned that I"m going to run out of companies to work for in my industry and become unemployable. I do have an outside interview this Thursday so we'll see. Steve didn't accept the position that only offered him $500 a year more than what he's currently making. They negotiated and only came up with another $2000. It was too risky of a move for him So, we're in the same place...
Next project up...complete bathroom remodel. I've found out that it's very hard to set up appointments when noone is home during the week. I keep asking Steve if I can quit my job and "supervise" the projects around the house. He says, "Not yet and how will we pay or all these projects?" |
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