Two Weeks Notice

My last few weeks have been... interesting, but in a good way.

Last summer I enjoyed working freelance but I am not disciplined enough at the business side of freelance (i.e.: billing and drumming up new jobs) to keep at it, so I also interviewed a number of places for a permanent Graphic Design position.  Midway through the summer I interviewed at Gatehouse, a former employer for what I thought would be a design position, but what turned out to be an ad trafficker position.  No creativity, just simple changes, outsourcing ads to a design studio, checking them and fixing their mistakes. I got the job but was not given a start date.  In the mean time, I also interviewed with the American Nuclear Society for a Graphic Design position in the meeting department. Right off the bat I was excited for this opportunity because it got me out of advertising. I always enjoyed the creative side of Graphic Design, but felt that my creative designs were always comprimised by the need to sell.  Here was a chance to work on the publication and promotion side.  The interview went fine, About a month later, I got a second interview with them and an interview with a print house near the city.  The print house job was designing circulars and signage for Tsome national companies. Then I got a start date and a salary offer from Gatehouse finally for October.  It wasn't my dream job, but I did want to get back into steady work with benefits, and it was more than the print house offered,.I delayed a few days hoping to hear back from the Nuclear society, but when I didn't I took the Gatehouse job.  Finally during my first week at Gatehouse, I heard that the Nuclear society chose someone else. I was disapointed, but I had a lot of friends at Gatehouse and I got along with them, so I deturmined to make the most of it.

Ad Trafficking was mind-numbing, and the hours were evening and I missed my wife, so when the print shop contacted me around christmas, I said I was still interested, so I interviewed with them again.  It was still not as good an offer as Gatehouse was making, but for some reason, I wanted to take it. I was even more surprised when, my wife and parents actually also seemed in favor of me taking the job, if they upped the benefits package a little. I made my demands and met with the print house again.  They did not quite meet them, but it was close, so I took the job.

Two and a half weeks ago, I gave Gatehouse my two weeks notice. My manager was nice about it and my coworkers were all supportive and excited that I got a new opportunity.  I was nervous because I have not actually quit a job in 16 years, although I did not love the work at Gatehouse, it was stable, and I was leaving that for some uncertainty.  It got down to my last week there, and I got a message from the Nuclear Society that the person they had hired instead of me did not work out, so they wanted to hire me as the graphic designer for the meetings department.  They offered me much more than Gatehouse or the print house so I said yes.  I was sad to have to tell the print house of my decision, but they were understanding and said to keep them in mind if this doesn't work out.  My start date got pushed back a week beacause of the job switch, so now I have the week off and I am eagerly awaiting starting at the job that I wanted all along.

The lesson I take from all of this is one that I first read on a poster of a kitten hanging from a tree branch.  "Hang in there."   It's trite, and annoying when you are going through bad times, but eventually you get through them, and when you least expect it, your perseverance pays off and something good comes your way.

Just wanted to share my good fortune in a time when things are looking bleak.  Hang in there, America.