More Deets For You

Okay, so I can take some time to give you more details on the new job. Yesterday I was stuck in an office all day working on a mass mailing – I was able to do 579 pieces and have another 463 to do today. :thud:

So, the new job…

Well, I’ve been looking for a new job since February. I have had so many phone interviews I can’t even begin to tell you. The phone interviews with the various companies would all go really well, but the minute we talked salary they would say, like clockwork, “I’m sorry, but we can’t pay even close to what you are asking for.”

And I’d move on to the next phone interview. No joke – I had at least 6 phone interviews with 6 companies that all ended that way. Then in the middle of May two things happened. First, I also got a call from The Company, based in Florham Park, NJ. When discussing the job with the HR woman from The Company, I asked about salary (it became my leading question after six failed phone interviews). She quoted a price that was a full 17% less than I’m making now. While the job sounded interesting, I told her I couldn’t take that much of a paycut. “But if you don’t fill the position and decide to raise your budget, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

Secondly, about a week later I got a response from Healthcare Company in Newark and went in for the interview. The HR woman and I got along famously, but we just couldn’t coordinate the interview with the actual person I would have been supporting.

Then, in the last week of May I got another phone call, this time from The Company. “We’ve upped our budget for the position in our NJ office – are you still interested?” Sure! I arranged to take a vacation and made arrangements to meet with them early in the morning. I then called Healthcare Company and told the HR woman that I was available on that day in the afternoon if she could set up an interview. She said she’d do her best.

The day of the interview came, and I showed up at The Company. Immediately I felt comfortable with the first person I interviewed with. He was quiet, well-mannered and really easygoing. He also gave me the full scoop on the people I’d be supporting and what the job would entail. I met with 3-4 other people that morning and by the time I left 3 hours later I felt really good about my interview and The Company. I hadn’t been able to meet with one person they planned on, so I was told to expect a call about setting up a second interview. In the parking lot I called Healthcare Company, who still hadn’t confirmed any interviews with me for that afternoon.

“I’m so sorry,” the HR woman said, “But I haven’t been able to confirm anything. Will you be available all afternoon?”

“Sure,” I said. “Just give me a call and I can be there within 30 minutes.”

I went home and waited. And waited. And waited. And around 3 p.m. I finally took off my skirt and pantyhose. And will waited. I never got a call back. At all. Not even to say, “We can’t do it.”

At that point I opted to never go back to Healthcare Company for ANY interview. Around 5 p.m. I got a call from The Company, who said that they loved me and that the person I hadn’t met with was going to be in the city the following day, did I want to meet him for lunch near my office?

Sure! So on that next day I went downstairs and met up with him as well as the first guy I interviewed with. The new guy was very nice, very open and it was a good lunch and we obviously got along well.

That afternoon I got a call back from The Company. “He loved you – now we just have one more round of interviews for you, probably next week, to meet the President of the group. Are you okay with that?”

Sure! So the following week I took a halfday and once again showed up at the crack ‘o dawn for another round of interviews. This time I met 6-7 people, including the President. Then I went to the HR department and took a computer skills test (and was informed I scored the highest score EVER in all of their time of test-giving).

Upon arriving at my office that afternoon I immediately emailed the HR woman I had been dealing with and told her I was very interested. I also told her EXACTLY what my current benefits and salary compensation was so that she would be able to work on a good offer. At this point I knew they REALLY wanted me so the ball was kind of in my court.

And it paid off. On Monday of this week they called me at 5 p.m. with an offer. They came up another level from the salary they weren’t going to offer, so I’m only take a 3% paycut (instead of the initial 17% cut they planned on). They also guaranteed a minimum bonus amount for me, to be paid in April. So I know exactly what I’ll get MINIMUM in April and can go up from there if I do well and perform above expectations, which is nice.

I formally accepted the offer on Tuesday and on Thursday (yesterday) I turned in my notice here at my current company. I’ll miss a lot of the perks I enjoy here, but I won’t miss the commute, I won’t miss the drama, I won’t miss the public transportation, I won’t miss the tourists.