In the Land of People who Cannot Make Decisions....

[gwendolyngrace]

So Amy and I went last week to "July Jubilation", which for those who don't know (like me, before this weekend), is Wellesley's shopping district sidewalk sale. The bookstore had these *fabulous* dice called "Decision dice." Another excellent concept from those inimitable Brits.

The dice are silverish - I'm guessing some kind of aluminium or similar metal, because they're not magnetized, but they are reflective and heavy. They come in all kinds of categories - like "Kids" "Desk Set" and the ones that really gave me a chuckle, considering: "Change Your Life" and "Mid-Life Crisis." Each die has six choices depending on the category. The two I bought - Night Out and Take Out - had the following choices, respectively:

Night out:
- Bar
- Club
- Movie
- Restaurant
- TV
- Wash Hair

Take out:
- Burgers
- Chinese
- Mexican
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Sushi

Now I don't eat sushi, but otherwise, they're perfect, because, well, I can never decide what to get for dinner.

I'm telling you all this because I wish they had decision dice for jobs. In an odd moment of cosmic convergence (and I hope I'm not jinxing everything with this journal entry), it very much appears like I might be presented with some *major* polarity of options in the next week, just as I'm leaving for Pennsic.

I had an interview a couple weeks ago for a job at Boston Children's Hospital to be a grants manager and financial assistant in the department of Genetics. It was me and one other candidate, and they were very up-front about telling me I was way more qualified. In fact, they were worried I was overqualified and worried I'd move on very quickly - little do they know that I really don't know nearly as much about grant management as my resume implies. I think it comes down to this: if the researchers have more influence and the other candidate's interview went at all well, they'll probably choose the person they think will stick around longer. If the department admin gets the choice, she'll probably pick me because she doesn't have to train me nearly as much. Now. Said Administrator is on vacation this week, so if she had not had a chance to get the other candidate in for interviews, it will probably happen *this* week.

Next, I had an interview today for a rather meticulous position at a pharmaceutical company, as the "traffic coordinator." Basically, that's the person who tracks the progress and development of promotional and marketing materials from concept through editing, design, approval, production, and order fulfillment. In other words, there's a little spreadsheet I constantly update, but I also take minutes at meetings and interact with all aspects of the production - medical review, legal, marketing, editing, graphics, regulatory review, vendors, etc. I'd be poised to learn *a lot* about marketing and, if the company continues to grow at the current rate, I should be able to move into any number of positions or even create them.

In the middle of my interviewing process, my phone rang. Yeah, I know - I'm just *not used* to the darn thing ringing, unless it's Heidi. But no, it wasn't Heidi - it was Grassroots Campaigns. They are working in partnership with the Democratic National Committee, hiring (actually *hiring*) "canvassing managers" to go into the 21 battleground states and manage volunteers. It's a huge opportunity, even if the pay is minimal (19-24K based on experience and fundraising incentives), they wouldn't actually pay for me to relocate (i.e., I'd have to get myself wherever), and while they'd help me find a place to sublet or whatever, they wouldn't actually pay living expenses. Which will sorta suck, because I'll be working 80+ hours weeks, so I'll probably barely see the place I wind up staying. (Incidentally - those of you who *live* in battleground states, heads-up. I might be asking to borrow a couch for a few days or even more if I'm located near you.) And finally, there's the timing - Pennsic is, well, the next two weeks, right when I'd be getting hired and having to move if it happened, and furthermore, there's the little matter of *my cousin's wedding*, which is October 30. And the election is when? November 2. Three days later. Yeah. Thanks.

So far, these are my most likely options - all moving very quickly toward an offer, if there is to be one. (Again, I really hope I'm not jinxing myself, here.) Of course, I've got other outstanding applications and resumes and I *will not* stop following leads and submitting applications just as hard as possible until somethin definitively comes through, because it's never over until it's over and job offered and accepted.

But.... These are all three incredibly different jobs - about as different as they get, I think. So it's crunch strategy time for me: What direction do I want to go?

So, I now present to you: MY FIRST LJ POLL!


[Poll #328871]

Comments

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Consider this: I'm pro Bush, and still I advise you to take the job on the DNC. Why? Because you'll never get such an occasion again, at the age you're now. Because it will be fun, exhausting, thrilling, and will take you places (in the country and in the mind) where you wouldn't have gone otherwise. Because it's being part of history, part of democracy, and you can't pass it up.

Hey Babe!!

[etakyma.livejournal.com]

Well in the sturm and drang of my life I am finally online for a bit. I think you should go for the grassroots campaign. It is the right thing at the right time for you right now. At what other time will you be looking for a job when there is a presidential campaign happening? This is *good* experience that is so different from the other work you have done it can only lead to better places.

With this type of experience under your belt, it will only enhance your hire-ability. And my house ain't goin' nowhere. So I say "Take it!" It will be exciting, exhilerating and exhausting, but we ain't gettin' any younger either.

Won't you always wonder "what-if" if you don't?

Re: Hey Babe!!

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

I'm with Amy on this one. I'm pretty sure that "living to minimize regret" is not on the top of most people's lists of wise life strategies, but it has always worked reasonably well for me. My decisions haven't always been the best ones in retrospect, but they were honestly made and for reasons that I can still honor, so how can I feel bad about that?

It sounds like you would actually be OK with any of these, but the DNC gig sounds like it's the one that really EXCITES you. And if the hours and the cash situation get to you, there's no law that says you can't start looking for work all over again. It wouldn't be fun, but you would have recourse if you decided you made the wrong choice.

Work decisions! One big ball of exciting and scary, all rolled together. Good luck!