Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!

I received the happiest news I’ve received in quite some time last Monday! I was accepted for the promotion and won’t be unemployed come December! This is excellent news on so many levels.

-I won’t be out scavenging for jobs with like 10% of America.

-I get more responsibility in a job I already love. Well, love is an exaggeration because it’s not like I would rather be at work than at home or anything but as a means of bringing home bacon while doing something that is interesting and challenging and where I don’t have to deal with the public, who can often be crazy or angry or both, I like my job A LOT!

-I will continue to be able to go to school and receive tuition reimbursement.

-The extra money is going to make life a lot easier and less stressful.

-It really re-invigorates my work ethic, which had been lacking lately after the layoff blues.

While this week has been overwhelmingly positive, it has also been a very uncomfortable one at work. I’ll admit when I was called in to see my manager after about 5 consecutive people who had just come out of there red-faced with either rage or tears, I put my chances of getting the job about as high as my chances of being offered a swimsuit model contract. Therefore, I whispered quietly to my co-workers “My turn.” When I was informed that I was being offered the position it was all I could do to stay in my chair. Of course I was told to keep this confidential- an absolute impossibility. I had two choices; lie or give their stock BS answer of “I don’t feel comfortable talking about it,” which is exactly the same as saying “Yes, I got the position but I’m going to awkwardly avoid the topic.” I chose option #2 so I could sleep at night.

It was a relief when they finally announced the results. They are kind of shocking. About half the positions they are filling with external people. I am also one of only 4 band 25s to survive. Even three of the band 30s didn’t make the cut. Making matters worse, there is some serious controversy going around the office because two of the people who got it are young, attractive women just out of high school. I know these two people very little so I can’t comment on their qualifications but I can understand people being upset. I’m obviously not going to detail some of the jokes going around about why they got the job as I’m sure you can imagine what people are saying. I’m pretty sure none of it’s true and the hiring leaders simply saw a certain attitude and drive in them that they were impressed by but it’s gonna be an ugly 2 and a half months of raw emotions until all the laid off employees’ last day.