New Job

I have been experiencing the joys of status and income dissonance for the past nine months as I have usually been working while not employed. At some points I demonstrated to myself my sobering level of geekery by tallying how many 'jobs' I counted for in the BLS establishment and Census surveys of employment. Under the much broader and looser Census definitions, I usually have been holding between two and four jobs at anyone time. However I would never have shown up in the BLS numbers except as both a birth and death hedonic adjustment. Yes, I need to get more of a life when this is my random middle of my walk musing.

I'm re-entering the official and stable workforce two weeks from tomorrow with a program evaluation/quality improvement management position with a human service provider. The interview and hiring process started with this company about three weeks ago and after my second interview when the phrase "you're exactly what we need" was used several times by the relevant decision makers, I knew an offer was coming in. I decided to shake a couple of other trees and see what fruit would fall.

Over the past nine months I had made it to the third and fourth round of interviews with several other companies. One of them had offered a contingent offer of employment dependent on an anticipated contract. This position would have been wicked cool and a challenge to my current skills and future development. This offer was made about seven weeks ago with the understanding that they would know if the contract came in by June 15. I dropped a note saying I would likely be off the market unless they made a firm offer. I talked to the president of the company on Monday night and nothing was firm beyond a hope that the contract could come in.

I received a full offer on Friday from the fast company, and I accepted it immediately as the offer was more than fair and the work looks to be intriguing. I sent out an e-mail to the other companies notifying them that I am off the market and then I went to celebrate at Kennywood.

So today as I am checking my e-mail, I see a frantic, blackberry typed e-mail from the president of the other company offering me a position. Too late but I have to laugh. In nine months, I received several offers and opportunities for short term contract work, an offer to be an unethical scumbag (wisely turned down) and then nothing for interesting, challenging and rewarding positions. Now I receive two within forty eight hours after one of these companies could have made a real offer for seven weeks. Somewhere, someone is having a cosmic laugh.

The new position that I am taking may or may not be covered by the Hatch Act. My boss's boss is not sure, but wants the entire staff to act as if we are covered by the Hatch Act as both a funding preservation measure and more importantly to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. I will not be talking horse race politics, or advocate for specific candidates on this blog. I will continue to write my analytical pieces on pretty much anything of interest to me as I should be in the clear on that. Beyond that nothing much should change besides a reduction in posting activity as I'll be at work.