Sunday, April 27, 2008

Very Busy... But Happy

I have neglected this blog shamefully. Work has been taking up most of my time, as many of you know. But, despite the long hours, I can't remember when I've ever felt so fulfilled by my career life. I still marvel at this feeling. I mean, I am glad to be driving to the client's office (on the sometimes nightmarish 101, no less), and I am still in good spirits when I drive home at night. I enjoy the creative editorial work, and I like and respect the people I work with/for. It feels rather odd to be one of those rare breeds of people who actually like their jobs, but I am certainly not complaining!

The only grey cloud in the past few weeks actually came in the form of a Factorie ghost. Last week, I came home to a message from the local Factorie HR rep requesting that I call and answer some additional questions. Considering that I'd been happily free from that former place of drudgery, er, employment for 2 months, I wasn't sure I'd wanted to return the call. Still, my curiosity was piqued. None of my other Factorie alumni friends had received such a call. A tiny, tiny part of me wondered if the organization was actually investigating improper business practices, given the massive turnover numbers... It was a silly and vain hope, but I suppose I ought to be glad that this ability to hope hadn't been quashed by my many years at the Factorie.

To make a long story short, I made the call, and it was a terrible waste of time. The rep basically read me a survey to answer over the phone. After the 20-minute conversation, I actually felt rather upset and angry. Many of the negative feelings and memories that I'd started to put behind me came rushing back. It was particularly aggravating that the phone survey was intended to influence my answers and that the rep actually defended the inequities and poor managerial decisions rampant at the Factorie. I felt like I had to detox all over again! It certainly reaffirmed how glad I am to be out of there and to be working at a much, much healthier place!

Anyway, I am going to ride out my current gig for as long as I can and see where it takes me. Hopefully, it will lead to a more permanent position, and even if it doesn't, it is a great experience and stepping stone. And perhaps it won't always be this busy, so I will have more time for personal writing, including my humble blog posts. ;)