1.24.2002

it's time to bail out when...

i talk to the aquamarine fairy tonight. he's none too happy with his current work situation. i assess the parameters and check for red flags. there are plenty. it's resume posting time, for sure. and i tell him so. he agrees; he'll start this weekend. he's got a healthy slush fund (a jobfairy must) and antennae perked up @ maximum sensitivity. he's in a good position. but he's still a little unsure about bailing. we're chatting some more, and he tells me about these contractors that were let go from his company. one of them left promptly to look for other work. good - it's a natural reaction. the other one is staying behind, even though he's not getting paid, in order to be first in line for a new job when it opens up. and they're letting him do so. he's still got his old desk and his corporate email and a company phone number and voice mail. last, but not least, although no one is quite sure what the hell it is he used to do for the company, he is still responsible for it. better yet, other employees (the kind that still get a paycheck) are told to interface with him and critical parts of their work are dependent on a great quantity of his output. they are less than happy, to say the least. and now that he no longer draws a paycheck, he's utterly out of control. does he care? not really. what are they going to do - fire him?

i tell the aquamarine fairy to run like the wind!!!

i love it... how naive do they think i am? recruiter calls to see if i'm off assignment. so i tell him i will be soon. he tells me about some vague future opportunity - long on promise and short on details. i don't like calls like that - they're fishing expeditions. if you really wanted me for something, you'd have more in the way of specifics. he then makes polite inquiry as to how the assignment went and what it was. i don't name the name of the company, nor do i mention the name of the agency through whom i went, but i tell him it was something medical. after i get done telling him of my troubleshooting prowess (he's not really interested; i'm just wasting his time and enjoying doing so) i tell him that they are experiencing further network issues. this piques his interest. then i let him down slowly - i mention that the agency in question is sending out another technical team in a couple of weeks to help the staff solve their problems. he is audibly disappointed, wishing "his agency could have gotten a chance to bid on that business". nice sentiments, to be sure, but what have you done for me lately? why should i throw you a bone when you've yet to place me anywhere, ever? so i'm a ho. that's ok; i'm a good one. and rule number one is no freebies. if you wanna play, you gotta pay. rule number two is you keep your mind on the money and the job takes care of itself (attributed to claudette). now, if you think you're not naive... who among you really believes the agency through whom i had the assignment has this new business yet? jeepers. hey - there's this really nice recruiter i want you to talk to... i think he can do something to your career!

"The larger the company, the more likely the average employee will be average." - Al Ries and Jack Trout, "Marketing Warfare"

1.22.2002