Work Update

First of all, I should know that I am not smart enough – to be so dumb as to write – a one-word sticky note reminder.

Mark? I’ve got a brother named Mark, but that doesn’t have anything to do with my job. There is an off-site consultant by that name, but I don’t interact with him for anything. Maybe it doesn’t mean the name Mark, maybe it means I need to mark up a draft of something? Who or what is Mark?

Meanwhile, today I discovered that every state employee (including me of course) has their salary posted on a public website. By name. Searchable and sortable. Talk about transparency!

At least it keeps things fair. I can verify that I make the same amount as the other managers in my section. Fair, but low. Sigh. Even with the promotion to management, I still only make just over HALF as much as I made at Sandia. But I’m far happier here, which is what counts.

Our section has a new employee who just started this week. She’s my kid’s age and reminds me of a cross between Laura and Emily. Of course I immediately asked her for lunch. Turns out, sure enough, she’s totally real and open. We skipped straight past all the small talk about the weather, lol, and got right down to sharing our stories for reals, including tearing up at times. And I’m thinking, “Same time, next week, every week? Or how about tomorrow?” But I didn’t say that, because I don’t want to be the lonely middle-age woman stalker! I just miss my family!!!

I interviewed on Tuesday for the permanent management position (in which I am still Acting Manager) and it seemed to go fine, but how to tell? By the next day, I was SURE I was not going to get the job. I was so sure, that I went up to my coworker whom I thought was going to get the job and told him I’ll be happy to work for him. Which I would be! He’s totally the nicest guy. But he said he didn’t apply. He didn’t apply?! Why? He’s got management experience and lots of air quality experience and everyone likes him and he would have totally beat me out for the job. Well, they’ve got a special project for him that he’s excited about. Plus, I think he makes more as a staff member anyway (because – long story).

This raises the stakes. I had been figuring if I didn’t get it, he would, and it would be fine either way. Now I’m like, uh oh. Who’s going to get it? Now my “Plan B” is if one of the other senior staff get it, and it turns out to be not someone I want to work for, I could probably take their old job (because the job they would be leaving would be the same level as the one I originally accepted in September). Whew. I’m totally a Plan-B sort of person. With a Plan B, everything will be ok one way or the other!

Then today they asked me for references, preferably internal. Well, it couldn’t be my management chain, or my employees. Also couldn’t be the two managers who are my close peers, whom I interact a lot with, because they were on the interview panel. And I didn’t want to accidentally ask someone who is competing with me for the job (lol) and I don’t actually know for sure who they are (although I can make some guesses – one likely candidate has been giving my the total cold shoulder recently, uh-huh.) Anyway, that leaves…who to ask?

Well, the nice guy who didn’t apply for the job said he was very happy to do it. And I found a couple of others. Asking people for references is actually a pretty rewarding experience. They all had such nice things to say about me when assuring me they would be happy to do it – who knew?