Maybe we could eat venison?

The Cranberries






 




A career change can be scary. When you are giving up a job that most people think should be good, that pays a salary rather than minimum wage, comes with benefits and allows you a lot of vacation time for things unknown, you want to be sure. You are never sure. So next, you want to know that you will at least get another job. But of course, this is no guarantee either.


So giving up what some might say was a good job, and going back to school and then being on the job market was terrifying. When I saw the ad for my dream job, I thought I was vindicated. True it was in a rural Northern New England, but one had to make some kind of sacrifice right?


As we were both in the exact same boat, both my husband and I applied for the job. It wasn’t clear if there was more than one position and it was a large company. As he had experience and I had none, I was sure he would get it and I would not, but still: nothing ventured, nothing gained.


We both got interviews. With different last names, they didn’t know we were related and we were fine with that. We set up the times in two days in a row and decided to stay over, making a little holiday of it. I was up first.


I arrived, polished and on time. I got a tour of the facilities, which I found fascinating. I told them, yes, I did know their business. I had heard of them. I knew people who were their clients. Packed my belongs in their second hand boxes to move. I was very excited to see the inner workings.


I like them. I really liked the job. It was a computer processing job, essentially, probably boring in retrospect, but I adored the idea. They seemed to like me. At the end of the several hours we sat down to talk about brass tacks. The benefits were almost non existent. Well, that was okay. I had anticipated that. But the cost of living in that state was low, so as long as the salary was reasonable… Then they told me the salary.


“What?” I asked stunned, they had to be joking. It would be $10,000 dollars a year less than I was currently making at two part time jobs working 15 less hours a week.


They were no joking. They told me the hourly rate and I choked.


No, there must be some mistake I countered. I was working no skill jobs and my hourly rate was over $3.00 more. This was a skilled job. This was a professional job. It was a job that required a graduate degree.


I was heart broken. I couldn’t take this job if offered. If offered to my husband, we couldn’t move on this salary. And I knew exactly what he would say to this and it wasn’t kind.


“I’m sorry… I can’t…” I explained, nearly tearful. I explained my current work situation, the severe disparity in income. I explained less income and more working hours was not a good direction to travel in.


“But there are other benefits!” My future employer countered in what had suddenly started to feel like a hard sell, car sales events.


I was starting to get uncomfortable. I couldn’t imagine what else could be said, salary, health insurance, vacation, retirement….what else was there? But I blinked, forever hopeful.


“Well, if you live here, you get to see deer in your yard every morning and on your way to work.”


I thanked him for his time and let him know too, that the interview they had scheduled the next day would not be happening either.