I've been light on details about the job. Just now I'm typing one-handed, with a sleeping baby on the other. No long stories tonight...
One reason for lack of details had been that even going into interview #3 I didn't know precisely which job I was applying for. They had a couple positions they were considering me for--one they hadn't been actively recruitiung for yet. That's, of course, the one I got.
There was one amusing bit to share quick from that last interview:
"So, tell us what you know about the position you're applying for, and how [all this] relates to that.""Actually, that was one of the questions I've been meaning to bring up..."
Details when I'm not typing-challenged.
Today I got and accepted a job offer. It's the second best pay I've ever gotten. (The first best was computer work I got on a short-term contract type basis through a client of Dad's). It's the best benefits package I've seen. It's better hours, and at least not a worse commute.
My boss at the dealership is happy for me (he would never begrudge someone taking a better opportunity--that's one of the things he's cool on), but not happy about how it affects the dealership or him. There are a number of skills I bring them that they just don't have. They're going to have to make changes to adapt to me leaving...
My stomach was in knots since last night when I found out the offer was coming. I didn't know the details. I still didn't until mid-afternoon today. I'm not nervous about taking it. I'm not worried about leaving what I have now. What's to be worried about?
Actually, it'll be a relief. There are still some questions unanswered. They're overnighting me a benefits package. I start Monday November 13. I still don't know what my hours will be. But they'll be Monday through Friday, so they'll be better. :-)
A couple days ago we got a sale flyer from the Chevy dealership at the Auto Mall in Huntley. There was also a scratch-and-win thing. Normally Amy just recycles these, but on impulse she did it.
We won the Grand Prize, a free vacation. 1 chance in 52,000. So tonight we went to find out.
The sales guy hardly waited for us to get out of the car, and was waiting behind the car just about before we'd turned it off. He was introducing himself before we had even gotten to the back seats for the car seats fo the kids. We told him we were there because we had the thing which said we'd won. He took the flyer and barely looked at it. There was never a single "congratulaions," which was Red Flag #1.
It was hard sell before we'd even sat down. He proceded straight to getting information from us, wanting to run my credit before even answering questions. When I didn't follow the script, we had a floor manager talking to us. I had to work (hard) before they'd accept they weren't running credit on me.
Then I had to work to get the info on the "vacation."
Things he lied about said which I don't believe:
Once he eventually realized we weren't buying anything right then, he dropped us as if we were contagious with barely a handshake. It was only then when I was finally able to get the "vacation" details. (It's just a three day hotel stay. Nothing else included.)
Getting into the car on the way out we had a "floor manager" come stop us to see if there was anything they could do to get our business that day. In retrospect, I was far too polite to this guy, and should have told him exactly what I thought. I'm torn on whether to call or email the dealership tomorrow. I'll tell the story at work tomorrow and see how they react.
In the mean time, if someone asks me for a recommendation on where to buy a car, I can honestly tell them Huntley Chevrolet was the WORST car dealership I've ever experienced, and I would not recommend them under any circumstances.
(Oh, and in other news, there'll be a blog post coming soon about the interview I had earlier today. It looks like I'm going back for a 3rd with the company president.)
Yesterday I had a job interview that may have gone very well. More details on that probably after the second interview either later this week or early next week. I need to buy a second suit, first, though.
Sunday was a family day, in part as an observance of fall. We went to the Stade Dairy Farm in McHenry. They were having a fall festival thing. They had kid funhouses, a variety of mazes including a big corn maze (a maize maze) and and a maze made inside two cattle trailers. That one was his favorite.
But there was one moment in the petting zoo that I had known was going to happen, sooner or later. I just hadn't expected exactly what would happen. But where there's a cow, sooner or later there's ... cows do that, you know.
So kids were petting the cow while parents watched on. And then the cow did one of those things that cows do. Some parents looked away. Some older kids looked away. Someone said "eew." Some parents turned their children away or covered their eyes. My kid just cocked his head and watched.
And what did my kid say to fill in the silence that followed?
Holy cow, lots cow poopie.
Sunday we had some family and a friend over for a Work Day in the garage. The garage has been a huge mess, over-stuffed with stuff, for far too long.
So we pulled everything most of it all out of the garage and spread it all out, sortof into semi-organized zones. We got the walls and floor swept (it needed it).
Thanks to Freecycle, we had gotten some free gondola shelving. Those got assembled along an entire wall (20 feet long, 8 feet tall). Lots more organizing space. There was another shelf system we'd gotten, but it needs to go against the wall that'll get built for Amy's workshop. That's another Work Day all by itself.
Tiring and frustrating, but very needed. Now the known garage sale stuff is all in one spot. We can find (most) things if we need to. Things are (mostly) grouped with like things. Boxes are off the floor, and backed safely away from walls (a few boxes had gotten nasty where they had been up against the concrete foundation and had gotten damp. We might also have the biggest garbage pile we've ever had at the end of the driveway. Naturally, the recycle pile is bigger than the garbage pile. Today is garbage day. I'm hoping the garbage and recycling trucks take it all.
In other news...
Things have been a little slow at work. There have been a couple of units sold that they've been waiting to determine accurate costs on before paying me, so between deals still being finalized and finished deals waiting to be paid on there are seven all stacked up for me. Some of those I'll get paid on this afternoon, some next week, and a couple the week after that. I need to get some more deals in that pile and keep it going... :-)
I have started looking for a "regular" job. Something 9-5/8-5 Monday-Friday. Something with consistent, predictable pay. Something with about half the commute, letting me get home a good hour and a half sooner each day. Something with benefits. I have applied to a few things, and have an agency working a couple more for me. Later this morning I'll call a couple more agencies--ones I've used with some success in the past.
Or maybe I'll sell cars. When I got hired at the dealership there was a training company that has a lifetime job placement service. I'll call them, too, but any kind of dealership job I'd probably need a signing bonus to make work. If it might be a couple of minimum-pay weeks at the beginning (and it's reasonable to assume that) then I'd have to be able to afford that. I can't right now.
So, we'll see.