Telling nuBossman that I'm leaving the Company is probably one of the hardest things I've had to do.
The look on his face was not only heartbreaking but gut-wrenching as well. I felt nervous and incredibly guilty as he tried to refuse my resignation letter. He told me he didn't want it, and then that he didn't want to believe it, and then asked if there was anything he could do. It was hard to tell him no, that I didn't think he could even match their offer. Mostly I feel bad for ruining his first time in Dallas.
The next day nuBossman started to tell people. During the lunch break he told Old Man and my Japanese buddy Caca. The Old Man did nothing but give me the cold shoulder for the rest of the week, but Caca told me he couldn't believe the news. He looked at me and told me he was so sad that I was leaving but happy for me because he knew I would be happier where I was going. And then he said he was so sad he might cry. Sure enough his eyes began to well up with tears and it took all my strength to hold back my own and not tell him that I would change my mind and stay.
I knew that since nuBossman was already telling them that it was only a matter of time before everyone knew. I waited for the day's training classes to be over and packed up my things then headed over to see White Boy. I wanted to be the one to tell him for two reasons - the first because we are friends and the second to rub it in his face that he may have been promoted over me but I was leaving for a better job with more money. After all, we may be friends but we're still a bit competitive.
When I finally got White Boy alone I told him I have news, I'm leaving. He looked at me and laughed, then said "No you're not." I assured him I was only to have him tell me that it was all just a big joke. It took a solid minute for him to realize that I was serious. He was shocked.
The conversation was repeated a few more times before the evening was up, with every persons response being identical - to tell me that I was lying and that it had to be one big joke.
That first night Caca, White Boy, Koko, and I took advantage of being on the road and went out drinking. Hardcore drinking, where we literally sat in the bar til it shut down and spilled our stories. We talked about life and work and all the people we knew along the way. It was then that I realized how much I would miss them, how much I missed Bossman (the original), and how much the Company had come to be my home.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
When it Rains it Pours
They say in this economy you're lucky to have a job.
Well I'm lucky to have two offers.
I made sure to check in with Oskar before moving forward with accepting the offer from the job in the city. I always preferred it over going to a competitor in Jersey, and it means that I won't have to sever my ties with the people I'm currently working with. Oskar coached me through some of the pointers and in my call with the city job I was able to negotiate for a couple bucks more then they were willing to give me.
I start in exactly 2 weeks.
The timing couldn't be worse. I'm in the middle of traveling, kicking off a huge product launch and my friends from Japan are telling me that a trip is pretty much in the bag. Despite everything I still feeling guilty leaving, but then I remember how they abused me and I say to myself that it's for the best.
Well I'm lucky to have two offers.
I made sure to check in with Oskar before moving forward with accepting the offer from the job in the city. I always preferred it over going to a competitor in Jersey, and it means that I won't have to sever my ties with the people I'm currently working with. Oskar coached me through some of the pointers and in my call with the city job I was able to negotiate for a couple bucks more then they were willing to give me.
I start in exactly 2 weeks.
The timing couldn't be worse. I'm in the middle of traveling, kicking off a huge product launch and my friends from Japan are telling me that a trip is pretty much in the bag. Despite everything I still feeling guilty leaving, but then I remember how they abused me and I say to myself that it's for the best.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Travelling Part IV - Commuting and Tourism
Wow.
Things have been CRAZY and there's no end in sight.
We've got a couple visitors from Japan - Koko and Mr. S. It's their first time in the States and their purpose is to get out there and see customers. This means lots of traveling. It's beginning to feel like I'm simply commuting from city to city, hotel to hotel. Add to that playing tour-guide on the weekends for my new Japanese friends and trying to keep up with my school work and it makes for one busy bee.
Despite the stress of trying to set everything up and make sure that everyone has hotel rooms, flights booked, and that the customer makes time for us to see them, I have been having fun with it. It's not everyday that you get to explore different cities and see things through a foreigners eyes. I also managed to get an interview in there, in person, for the company in Manhattan. It went amazingly well and I don't want to jinx anything but let's just say my chances are good.
I've been trying my best to give Koko and Mr. S the true New York experience. It's definitely a lot easier being the visitor than the host. I'm trying my best to show them the things that they wouldn't see on their own and even brought them on a bus and the subway.
With two possible job offers looming I've been trying my best to do a good job but not too good of a job. I don't want to exert myself for long term projects that I may never see come to fruition but I don't want to shirk my duties either. It's been a tough balancing act especially when my new Japanese friends/coworkers talk about getting me to travel back to Japan on business. It breaks my heart that there's a possibility that I could miss out on the one opportunity I was striving for over the last five years. Going to Japan on the company dime was the whole reason I accepted this job in the first place. I'm just thankful that I was able to go there and see Bossman as well as the headquarters on my own time.
Things have been CRAZY and there's no end in sight.
We've got a couple visitors from Japan - Koko and Mr. S. It's their first time in the States and their purpose is to get out there and see customers. This means lots of traveling. It's beginning to feel like I'm simply commuting from city to city, hotel to hotel. Add to that playing tour-guide on the weekends for my new Japanese friends and trying to keep up with my school work and it makes for one busy bee.
Despite the stress of trying to set everything up and make sure that everyone has hotel rooms, flights booked, and that the customer makes time for us to see them, I have been having fun with it. It's not everyday that you get to explore different cities and see things through a foreigners eyes. I also managed to get an interview in there, in person, for the company in Manhattan. It went amazingly well and I don't want to jinx anything but let's just say my chances are good.
I've been trying my best to give Koko and Mr. S the true New York experience. It's definitely a lot easier being the visitor than the host. I'm trying my best to show them the things that they wouldn't see on their own and even brought them on a bus and the subway.
With two possible job offers looming I've been trying my best to do a good job but not too good of a job. I don't want to exert myself for long term projects that I may never see come to fruition but I don't want to shirk my duties either. It's been a tough balancing act especially when my new Japanese friends/coworkers talk about getting me to travel back to Japan on business. It breaks my heart that there's a possibility that I could miss out on the one opportunity I was striving for over the last five years. Going to Japan on the company dime was the whole reason I accepted this job in the first place. I'm just thankful that I was able to go there and see Bossman as well as the headquarters on my own time.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Job Interviews!!
My mother always told me when it came to looking for a job that if I threw enough spaghetti at the wall something was bound to stick.
Since the White Boy's promotion that's exactly what I've done. Instead of trying to find a job that was my dream job or an ideal position I settled for applying to the jobs that I was doing already. If the description matched my current job description and experience I applied. I also reached out to friends and frenemies, former coworkers that I barely knew and anyone I possibly could.
I like to think that it was mostly my friend Jordan who turned things around for me. We met for a happy hour last week and while in a mostly empty bar drinking $2 mugs I poured my tortured soul out to him. I told him how miserable I was, how my coworkers tortured me, how I was beginning to believe them when they told me how crappy I was. He told me that he would do everything he could to get me out of there. A few days later he linked me up with one of his old coworkers who was looking for a subordinate. I was so under-qualified for the job it was ridiculous but I was willing to do anything to get out of here.
It didn't matter that I never got another call from Jordan's friend because sure enough a day later I got a call about a job I applied to, which I also wasn't really qualified for, and then another call and then another. The last two were right up my ally, one for a competitor in New Jersey and the other a completely new industry in Manhattan.
I already did the phone interview for the competitor in Jersey, and of course they're dying to have me. According to the headhunter they're willing to double my salary. The interview in Manhattan is swiftly approaching.
I'm thrilled!
Since the White Boy's promotion that's exactly what I've done. Instead of trying to find a job that was my dream job or an ideal position I settled for applying to the jobs that I was doing already. If the description matched my current job description and experience I applied. I also reached out to friends and frenemies, former coworkers that I barely knew and anyone I possibly could.
I like to think that it was mostly my friend Jordan who turned things around for me. We met for a happy hour last week and while in a mostly empty bar drinking $2 mugs I poured my tortured soul out to him. I told him how miserable I was, how my coworkers tortured me, how I was beginning to believe them when they told me how crappy I was. He told me that he would do everything he could to get me out of there. A few days later he linked me up with one of his old coworkers who was looking for a subordinate. I was so under-qualified for the job it was ridiculous but I was willing to do anything to get out of here.
It didn't matter that I never got another call from Jordan's friend because sure enough a day later I got a call about a job I applied to, which I also wasn't really qualified for, and then another call and then another. The last two were right up my ally, one for a competitor in New Jersey and the other a completely new industry in Manhattan.
I already did the phone interview for the competitor in Jersey, and of course they're dying to have me. According to the headhunter they're willing to double my salary. The interview in Manhattan is swiftly approaching.
I'm thrilled!
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