I'm Still Standing

A friend recently noted that I hadn't updated in a while so here I am. It's been a little over three weeks since I posted but over a month since I've really given any sort of personal update (okay, a month and a half) so here goes.

I am about three weeks employed at this point and I've even already received my first paycheck. I am not going to mention who my employer is until I've read the social media policy but I can say that it is somewhere I worked previously and they are very pleased to have me back. I have spent all my time so far in training. There has been some new information on a different product line than I worked with/will be working with and the other stuff is starting to come back to me. I am a little disappointed with the pace and organization of the training and I plan to offer some constructive criticism. It's not terrible but could be improved.

The unemployment came through just about the time I was offered the job. We were hanging by a fraying thread so the timing was very good for both events. I didn't relish the hearing. I felt like my previous employer was stomping on me again and telling me I was a bad person. You would be proud of me, though. I stuck to the matter at hand. I did not argue being dismissed or the methods used and I did not try to defend my actions regarding any of the documented incidents. I stayed on topic and refuted the documented reason for the dismissal. The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission agreed with me that I was not dismissed "for cause" and there was no "misconduct" involved.

One thing the experience did for me was to make me look differently at the unemployed. As a supervisor in a couple different positions I had to look at applications from those that were unemployed. If their skills met our needs I had no problem interviewing them but there was always this feeling in the back of my mind that they might be damaged goods. Why were they unemployed? What was wrong that they no longer had a job? Well, that bias is gone.

I was hesitant to go back to this employer. Although I loved the company, the work environment, and the people I worked with (even the rotten apples), I couldn't stand the work. I didn't want to go back to that.

The more I thought about it the more advantages I thought of in working for the company. I went through the motions and got re-hired but was still cautious. Having been back in the environment for several weeks with the experience of the last two years behind me, I have realized that I am exactly where I need to be. Though the work may become routine again I think I can muster through this time and wait for the training and advancement opportunities.

That's about it, I guess. If you have any questions about what else might be going on, leave a comment or drop me an email.

DISCLAIMER: I do not speak for my employer, and my employer does not speak for me.