Time for a little update as our job saga continues...
A few entries back, I wrote about a temporary break in the job crisis. Aaron had found a short term consulting gig at a decent rate of pay which would tide us over through the end of the year. It was a DISASTER! The company owner (L) was an absolute lunatic...a madman. Aaron was not there a week when the marketing director came to him and told him that he was leaving on Friday with no notice. He could no longer take the bosses tirades. Here are the bullet points of the nightmare...
- Small company is owned and run by L
- L's live in girlfriend is second in command. She has no particular background that makes her a great person for this position.
-L and girlfriend have frequent screaming fights in the office
-L's parents spent lots of time in L's office, just hanging out. L is a man in his 50's. L fights with his parents the way he fights with the girlfriend.
-L "knows it all". A meeting with L to share input, observations or advice turned into a session where L told you all the reasons you didn't know what you were talking about.
-L changed your job description on a daily basis so you could not focus on making progress
-L was frequently out of the office. L had a stroke 2 weeks before he contracted Aaron. This was one reason that Aaron was brought in. L is so crazy he's killing himself.
-L had a history of getting frustrated that people were not doing what he expected (even though he could not define what was expected...it changed day to day) and firing them.
Needless to say, Aaron was miserable. He was trying to give L what he wanted and L would rip him a new one. One day he came home and told me that he and L had had a red faced screaming fight. Several times Aaron came home at the end of the day desperate to terminate the contract. He hoped to be fired. He'd tell me "it wasn't working out for either of them". My response was....this wasn't about "working out" as far as we were concerned. This was not a career move. This was a paycheck....period.
He stuck it out....until L decided Aaron wasn't working out. L called him in to terminate the contract and Aaron graciously acknowledged and agreed it was the right move. Apparently L was STUNNED that Aaron took it all so well. All in all, the job lasted about 8 weeks out of the expected 16.
So, we are back to being jobless. He has one opportunity which is a good one. He's a very strong candidate but not "the perfect guy". They have been looking for Perfect Guy since January. It's an executive position that they've had filled with an interim person and they're in trouble with that because he doesn't have the management skills to run the department. Aaron has those management skills but he's not an expert in the technology. They seem to be focused on getting someone with the very specific technical background and strong management experience, and they can't find that person. It's time for them to hire my husband! :) I am sending my daily messages to the job gods.
The job is in California but we are not even talking about the logistical problems involved (House we can't sell, child with a year and a half of high school to go). We're just hanging onto every hope that he gets this job, then we'll worry about all the details. It will probably mean a long term bicoastal situation. Doesn't matter, he needs a job.
By the way, Aaron had a communication recently from someone who is still at L's company. He was making sales contacts and forwarded to Aaron an email conversation between himself and a potential client. Upon making the pitch, the clients asked if L was still the CEO. His response to learning that L was still there was "I will not do business with that schizophrenic asshole!" Kind of sums it all up right there....
I also mentioned a photography job that I was pursuing. This has turned into a big run around as it is a county civil service position. About 1000 people have to handle my paperwork and things continue to go missing along the way. I have spoken on the phone a number of times to the woman who would ultimately be my superior and she seems very interested in hiring me. There's just always another hoop to jump through or something that they can't find or don't have. My 30 year old college transcripts? For a part time photographers positions? When I supplied a copy of my diploma? REALLY? OK.......
I'm still hopeful that this will work out but it may be months.
A few entries back, I wrote about a temporary break in the job crisis. Aaron had found a short term consulting gig at a decent rate of pay which would tide us over through the end of the year. It was a DISASTER! The company owner (L) was an absolute lunatic...a madman. Aaron was not there a week when the marketing director came to him and told him that he was leaving on Friday with no notice. He could no longer take the bosses tirades. Here are the bullet points of the nightmare...
- Small company is owned and run by L
- L's live in girlfriend is second in command. She has no particular background that makes her a great person for this position.
-L and girlfriend have frequent screaming fights in the office
-L's parents spent lots of time in L's office, just hanging out. L is a man in his 50's. L fights with his parents the way he fights with the girlfriend.
-L "knows it all". A meeting with L to share input, observations or advice turned into a session where L told you all the reasons you didn't know what you were talking about.
-L changed your job description on a daily basis so you could not focus on making progress
-L was frequently out of the office. L had a stroke 2 weeks before he contracted Aaron. This was one reason that Aaron was brought in. L is so crazy he's killing himself.
-L had a history of getting frustrated that people were not doing what he expected (even though he could not define what was expected...it changed day to day) and firing them.
Needless to say, Aaron was miserable. He was trying to give L what he wanted and L would rip him a new one. One day he came home and told me that he and L had had a red faced screaming fight. Several times Aaron came home at the end of the day desperate to terminate the contract. He hoped to be fired. He'd tell me "it wasn't working out for either of them". My response was....this wasn't about "working out" as far as we were concerned. This was not a career move. This was a paycheck....period.
He stuck it out....until L decided Aaron wasn't working out. L called him in to terminate the contract and Aaron graciously acknowledged and agreed it was the right move. Apparently L was STUNNED that Aaron took it all so well. All in all, the job lasted about 8 weeks out of the expected 16.
So, we are back to being jobless. He has one opportunity which is a good one. He's a very strong candidate but not "the perfect guy". They have been looking for Perfect Guy since January. It's an executive position that they've had filled with an interim person and they're in trouble with that because he doesn't have the management skills to run the department. Aaron has those management skills but he's not an expert in the technology. They seem to be focused on getting someone with the very specific technical background and strong management experience, and they can't find that person. It's time for them to hire my husband! :) I am sending my daily messages to the job gods.
The job is in California but we are not even talking about the logistical problems involved (House we can't sell, child with a year and a half of high school to go). We're just hanging onto every hope that he gets this job, then we'll worry about all the details. It will probably mean a long term bicoastal situation. Doesn't matter, he needs a job.
By the way, Aaron had a communication recently from someone who is still at L's company. He was making sales contacts and forwarded to Aaron an email conversation between himself and a potential client. Upon making the pitch, the clients asked if L was still the CEO. His response to learning that L was still there was "I will not do business with that schizophrenic asshole!" Kind of sums it all up right there....
I also mentioned a photography job that I was pursuing. This has turned into a big run around as it is a county civil service position. About 1000 people have to handle my paperwork and things continue to go missing along the way. I have spoken on the phone a number of times to the woman who would ultimately be my superior and she seems very interested in hiring me. There's just always another hoop to jump through or something that they can't find or don't have. My 30 year old college transcripts? For a part time photographers positions? When I supplied a copy of my diploma? REALLY? OK.......
I'm still hopeful that this will work out but it may be months.
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7 comments:
Got about one word to sum up this post....ARRRRGGHHH!!!!!
and...sorry.
hugs.
Sorry to have to say this to your husband, but welcome to the world of "you're lucky to have job." L was probably an asshole anyway, but this economic climate encourages assholes to be even BIGGER assholes. They don't have to worry about how they treat their employees. Their employees are "lucky to have a job." My husband is in his eighteenth year of being "lucky to have a job" with the company he's with. He's had one raise in the past eight years, and they treat him like a doormat. All in all, employment just...sucks.
So sorry to hear the contract job turned out to be such a nightmare. Hope something good comes through on the job front for both of you soon.
2012 can't come fast enough for any of us. It just HAS to be better than this. Good Luck and stay positive!
Hugs!!!! Hope the holidays were a break in the madness. Thinking of you and yours, keeping you in my thoughts & prayers that 2012 is a much better year for all.
Hope that all of this has worked itself out... Don't see any more posts on this. Sounds like a disaster...
Miss you, Kat! I hope Aaron has managed to find himself again gainfully employed. I am so sorry.
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