The company I worked for kind of fell apart in April. All four supervisors left and since they were working 12 hours on, 12 hours off it left a huge hole in the schedule. Replacing one is hard enough. Replacing all four within a month is impossible. My sources tell me they haven’t even bothered to try, they just changed the schedule around so fewer supervisors are doing more work.
Many other staff left or were fired. I was one of the ones who left, the day after my fiancee (who was a supervisor) quit. The boss called me into his office and threatened me repeatedly for what she had done. Well, that was enough of that. I emailed my resignation the next day and applied for unemployment insurance which was granted once they heard what I had gone through.
Now a part of EI in Canada is a structured job search. To assist in this, I’ve been going to a local employment center, called SET. They have job boards, counselors, workshops, et cetera. Everything one needs to get back on one’s feet. And I have been taking advantage of these resources, checking the postings and keeping in regular touch with the staff. I have been sending off resumes and cover letters to companies that sound like ones I’d like to work for. And until today, nothing. Just a nibble from a company that failed to specify they were approximate a hundred miles away.
Today my phone rings. It’s London Drugs. I sent them an application online a while back, didn’t hear anything, assumed I wasn’t going to hear. Later on, the phone rings again. It’s Shaw Cable, returning my inquiry about a position there. I also sent a resume to a Mac store here but I think I’m under-qualified for that one.
So here’s my dilemma.
London Drugs- a few blocks away from my place. I’m traveling by foot so that makes it convenient. However, it’s not in the best of neighborhoods. Wages haven’t been discussed yet and there is an aspect of selling with this position, which is not my strongest suit. If the online test is accurate, they offer employees electronics at store cost plus five percent. I could deal with that.
Shaw Cable- way across town, like a two hour walk. Transit is an option but only during certain hours. I don’t drive but I could possibly get a license soon if I work hard at it. Wages are excellent, +$5/hour above what I was making previously. Plus, I get a half price discount on all their services- cable TV, internet service and phone. The work itself is over the phone, which I have done for 10 years but which I am also good at even if I am tired of it. Some selling involved here as well but they aim for an 8% sales rate which I think is reasonable. If I talk to 100 people a day I’m sure I can convince 8 of them to buy something. And if not, it’s something to work on. It’s less intimidating over the phone than it would be in person.
However, there’s also option three, which is the Mac store. I’m a PC guy and I know very little about Mac products beyond their names and that they aren’t Windows. Being assistant manager of the shop probably doesn’t involve much tech work (they have a tech with 15+ years experience so I’ll bet he does the heavy lifting tech-wise) but would probably involve a lot more sales. This one is closest to home, literally four blocks away and one block from my favorite coffee shop. Plus, it’s salaried rather than an hourly wage. I know that means more work equals less money but I have a feeling it would be more many than any poor wage slave. But as I said, I’m under-qualified for this one. My management experience can be numbered in days (I have supervised on stat holidays and for very brief periods of time when no one else was there) and my sales experience consists of a paper route when I was about 10 years old. But the Mac store would be fun! I know all kinds of stuff about PCs but Macs are mysterious and exotic to me!
So I have two, possibly three good opportunities. If all of them fall through, there is a program that will pay for me to get an A+ certification but I’m hoping to be back in the world of paid work soon here. Does anyone have any similar stories of two job offers the same day and the resulting dilemma? Any advice?