Workin' for The Man
Yes, that's right, I am now an official employee of "The Man."
After leaving Motosport, I spent some time off work trying to find something that wouldn't suck and that would pay me. I was able, after some time, to land an interview for a Programmer/Analyst position with the Benton County Information Resources Management department. First of all, it's very hard to find work in this line in the local area. Sure, if I wanted to move to a bigger city, or if I didn't mind driving a whole bunch, I could have had an easier time of it.
But I wanted to be here.
So, I was limited in the available positions. Getting an interview was a good enough thing. Getting an interview with an employer like the county was an amazing thing. They are, frankly, a great employer. Pay sucks. Everyone knows that. But, on the other hand, the benefits are good. And I'm not even anywhere near getting the really good retirement package employees who have been with the county for a while not get. It's not available. But the one I'm on is still pretty darn good. And the fact that I could have my fiancé, now officially declared as my life partner, on my insurance is a wonderful thing.
After a short while with Benton County, I've learned a few things:
- Be careful what you say around whom
- Don't get all stressed out; just do you work, do your best, and people will be happy you're there
- It's good to be just a code monkey again. Worrying about everyone's workstations, all the servers and the network is tiring
- There are good people working for the county and they are hard workers
- Working 7 minutes from the house is GREAT
Anyway, I'm loving the job. I enjoy the work. I'm very lucky to have great co-workers. And I'm getting used to being home before dark.
April, 2006