Thursday, March 27, 2014

Looking for a Job?

I didn't share this the other day and really should have because it is so stupid pretty funny.  Well, as you all know I am on the hunt for a new job because my current job is about to place me on a four month layoff with a projected back to work date.

This means that (on the bright side) if the workload increases I may be called back to work early OR (on the dark side) when I return to work on the date specified and the workload has not increased my lay off will continue.  This is understandable from a budgetary standpoint.  It makes sense and I'm very okay with that aspect of it.  I'm just not okay with the part where I'm not independently wealthy and cannot handle a lay off like that, but if it happens I will become a hobo and ride the rails continue onward.  On the bright side again, my Stitch from Stash will be zero until the end of time! Yes, even now my first thought is always about cross stitch and crafty stuff.

Now knowing I have two months to do something about this until my block leave starts, I get on the short bus top of things and start the hunt and find prey a good prospect right away.  This was Monday night. 

At this point I have to do a small flash back to last Friday which also includes the entire week last Friday is attached to. For state jobs we go to Workplace Alaska to apply.  Recently the state broke upgraded to NeoGov which is a program that pretty much every state agency uses these days according to the spin that was plastered all over our website months prior to the breaking upgrade.  Once the switch had been made I had a really hard time wonderful learning experience figuring out how to get my resume input, attaching cover letters and certifications and screaming really appreciating the NeoGov system.  

However.......I did spend a good amount of time NOT being able to attach my cover letter to anything and missed two stupid jobs opportunities because of this.  My third try, I finally figured I was like duh and then I was like doh! and then I was like passing out there is a drop box with choices on what you want to upload, clicked on cover letter and VIOLA!! The gates of cover letter upload are open to me.  I certify the application, hit finish and am rewarded with a message that read:  YOU CANNOT APPLY FOR THIS JOB. IT HAS EXPIRED.  Apparently NeoGov feels it is important to be early.  I was 14 minutes too late. All was not lost, I did manage to figure out how to get my cover letter attached so I was ready to punch something for a go at another position.

Back to current, or rather Monday, I had found an opening that was very interesting and the more I read the more I thought this is the one for me. The yelling and freaking work really began at that point.  Where are my certifications and why are they with my divorce papers? Where is my file with letters of appointment and reference?  Where are my last three performance evaluations?  After two hours of digging, I found everything but my home has been devastated by Hurricane Carla.

At this point you may be getting bored, but I have to tell you there is MORE.  It gets even more boring than a little exciting from here, I promise!  

I spent four hours writing my perfect cover letter,  inputting, improving and uploading everything.  It's all there, and I start to hyperventilate get excited and worried that NOW something will go fantastically wrong, or I have forgotten something.  Fortunately, I am given the opportunity to review 32,000 times before I FINALLY get to finish, and for some reason I closed my browser completely. I am now sitting there looking at my pretty wallpaper on my monitor and wondering wth just happened?

Re-opening the browser, logging back in, clicking on the job opening and LO!  the application is just sitting there like I never went anywhere or closed my browser!  HURRAH!  If that is a glitch I hope it stays.  Now I carefully click on the correct button, review AGAIN, make sure all of my uploads are in there, certify and FINISH.  I'm so excited I leap up and spin around and trip over the box of crap that was behind me. YAY!!

This traumatizing event was complete at 12:21am.  House destroyed, papers stacked and piled everywhere, crafty stuff shoved aside to make room for more mess.  It was horrible to see. So I went into denial and went to bed.

What was the end result of all of that?

A job interview, that's what!  In your face NeoGov!!

Today I came home and slowly started putting my world back together.  When I spotted Day 1 sitting there I felt bad because I have 1/4 left to do on the over two border.


I did manage to get a few more stitches in on Panda Delight during lunch the other day, but today and yesterday where way too busy for more.


Want to know what's really great?  I have a three day weekend starting tomorrow at 4:00 pm!!!


I'll finish cleaning up the destruction tomorrow and then have book club on Saturday and then the rest of the weekend is CROSS STITCHING!!  Tell me that isn't worth the struggles of this week??!!

And that is that, happy stitching!!






13 comments:

  1. You should have called me about Neo Gov. I have been playing with for months. The good thing about it is once you do one application, all the other ones are a snap, except the cover letter of course. Good luck on the job interview - break a leg etc... and then find me a job.

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    1. Right, and I knew that EXCEPT for the upload part. I had done it once before but for some reason could not remember how I had done it...now I wonder if I had actually done it or not. I didn't know you were using NeoGov, and am actually sad that you are, we are employable and reliable and all that and yet here we are :(

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  2. Ok, I giggle so hard at parts of this that I startled the cat. Is this the job I crossed my toes for, if so that's good, cause I was starting to walk funny. Dad just handed me some scotch so I guess that's Slainte to you, Good luck on the interview, and enjoy the weekend, I'm off tomorrow but skating is on so not much stitching happening.

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    1. Startled the cat? That's awesome!! Wish your dad had given me some scotch, sure could have used it! I'm taking Emily out to dinner tonight and then will come home and MAYBE finish cleaning up, or not. I'm exhausted at this point so having a full belly will NOT motivate me at all :D

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    2. Said cat is easily startleable. but she's cute. Forget cleaning, eat lots, come home, and have some scotch and a nap.

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    3. I barely made it home!! I had a Mama Burrito which is the equivalent in size to a loaf of bread stuffed full of veggies, meat and cheese and two glasses of red wine. Went to bed early hahaha!

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  3. Oh my, job hunting sounds like quite an adventure - but it surely is fun to read about ^.~ Good luck for your interview, and have fun stitching this weekend :D

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    1. Thank you! So far so silly!! I should be in Google+ this weekend so if you want to chat we certainly can :D

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    2. I don't know yet, still got Felix here who is still struggeling with math, we will be so happy once the exam is over. Will you be there on sunday as well? Because usually I'm alone on sundays.

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    3. Oh yes, I will be here on Sunday. I sure hope Felix does well on his Math exams, it sounds like he has the same mental block on math that I do :(

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    4. Usually he is actually quite good at math, I'm not sure what is the problem this time - but at least it's the very last exam ever, hurray!

      Hope to see you later, then :)

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  4. I'm all for joining up on a hangout this weekend if you are on when I am. ^_^ Sorry to hear about the chaos that is your job application process right now. I know it sucks but I'm sure everything will work out in the end.

    And I'm sooooo going to keep you in mind though if I ever need a cover letter ;)

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    1. Leonore asked for tomorrow, so if you aren't busy on a Sunday I'll be here :D And no worries, I'm pretty sure I will have a new job before the lay off happens :D And yes, I have made skills when it comes to cover letter writing! I will even read it to you tomorrow if you'd like....I'm not proud of it or anything :D

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