work? what's that

Monday, I received a call about that stewardship crew job. I was all set to say no... But instead of offering me full-time, they offered me two 10 hr days/wk (with occassional weekend and evening) for decent pay.

I had to think about that one. Having to drive an hour each way sucks, but I could cope only doing it twice a week. I was definitely going to turn down full time but this... I might be able to work with this...

She needed to know by that afternoon, and I decided I would tell her yes. An hour later, I get another phone call: an environmental consulting firm, regarding a full-time staff scientist position. Set up an interview for Tuesday.

Now I had a dilemma: Do I accept the part-time job with the risk that I would have to quit right away if I was offered the full time? Or do I say no to part time and hold out for this (or even some other) full time position? I hate quitting jobs, but "that's the way it goes" is what everyone advised me. So I accepted the part time.

Yesterday I went to the interview. I have the book "Job Interviews for Dummies" and did a speed-read to prepare. I am great at being personable, likeable, enthusiastic, and energetic (read: I fidget a lot but smile and giggle) but my skills end there. This book actually helped a lot!

Interview went well - I sold myself like a nickle whore! The book explains ways to show how your experience and skills will help the company out, and I even researched the company on the web and brought up what I found. I'll find out Friday if I get called back for a second interview with the president.

The job itself wasn't quite what I though. I want to do field work, but apparently they try to avoid women doing those jobs. "Not that we're sexist, it's just very hard physical labor and we don't want anyone to get hurt." It's statements like that that make me want to do labor to prove them wrong! (Yeah, I'm stubborn like that). I insisted that I get to do some of the fun stuff though and he said we might be able to "work something out". I hate phrases like that!

So I was wary that I would be mostly inside doing budget and project management and writing papers. But wait, isn't that what consultants do? Isn't that what you want to do Lisa - is be a scientific professional? We'll get back to that later.

(Phone rings... answer... just landed an interview as an environmental sanitarian with Livingston county! The fun never ends!)

Then we talk about hours and pay. Minimum 45 hrs per week to get everything done, but to do well it would probably be more like 50-60. Lots of overtime! Now I did work 50-55 hrs/wk often at the end of the summer at Rocky, so it's not that I'm totally lazy (ok, that's part of it...) I don't do overtime unless it's for something I am passionate about or at least enjoy. The pay is ok to start but the opportunity for advancement is huge if you put in the time and effort. Thing is, is that money doesn't mean much to me. It does, but happiness comes first. At this point, I realized that I could DO the job and probably do well if I tried hard, but it would be all work and no pleasure.

I realized that I don't want to be a professional. At all.

I went to college but I like to be simple. I am intelligent but don't want to use only my brain - I want to get dirty and use my hands and keep active. I've thought this is only a phase and I'd get over it and want to be a white-collar worker, but NO! I am convinced that some people are fundamentally designed for certain types of work - I am smart but not driven or ambitious enough to slave away at a desk job and manage people. I dont like people telling me what to do, but I don't want to supervise anyone except myself!

And this whole time I've applied for those kinds of jobs. Screw it. I don't care if I stay low in the food chain as a laborer - it's what I like to do. Like those seasonal National Park Service positions. I want to be seasonal forever! (Except they don't offer benefits, and that's annoying.)

So then I made the mistake of starting to read my latest book, Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. It's about how to be a long-term wanderer. Work a little, then hit the road. Or work on the road. Point is, is that whatever disease infected him is also in my blood, and this book is only encouraging me to adventure on. Get another seasonal fed job, move to Alaska, or even move somewhere forgein.

Some people dream of wealth and power, sports cars and huge houses. I dream of experience and adventure, jungles and mountains.

And now I go to my new job, so I can earn money for my next adventure. ;)