I Accepted the Job
And not just for the bathroom
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There’s a recession coming. Probably. There still may be time for a Hail Mary pass, but don’t count on it. Hope for it, but never count on it. In times like these, stable full-time employment looks a lot more attractive to people like me who really don’t particularly like working at a full-time job.
But even a recession might not have been enough to lure me back to a “real” job. I can be quietly stubborn when I want and I’m highly individualistic. It might be the bathrooms.
I wrote about the women’s bathroom with no gaps in the stall doors. It’s a thing of beauty. So is the office and the building. The thing is, it would be pretty silly to accept a job based on aesthetics. And silly is one thing I’m not. Not for real, anyway.
I’m taking the job for all the right and sensible reasons, of course, but also because I can’t quite believe I’ve found a job with my dream company. It isn’t the industry it’s in, or the cachet of the name — trust me, you’ve never heard of it even though it’s a very large private company. It isn’t the job itself, which I’m overqualified for. I’ll be making less than my usual full-time salary, but it’s actually a fair price for the job.
Thank goodness for Medium. And all my other side gigs, which I’m not giving up because combining them all with that “real” job is still the best way to accumulate a lot of money really fast, regardless of what any content creator guru has to say. And no one is making a killing in stocks during a bear market.
In 40 years of working for the man I’ve never worked somewhere with this much diversity, from top to bottom. Diverse in every way you can think of. Think about that. This company prides itself on transparency and excellent benefits. HR is responsive, and the doors to the C-suite are open for questions. This company walks its talk. My manager is fantastic, my department is close-knit and drama-free.
The company offers a permanent hybrid schedule for everyone. Everyone works from home on Mondays and Fridays and the office is closed. We come into the office Tuesday through Thursday and we have flexibility if we need it. Or just ask for it. This is how I make my side gigs work.
These are the things that matter to me. These are the kinds of things that should matter to everyone, and that every company should offer. Most don’t, but if you find one that does, latch on.
I’ve temped here for four months. That’s been long enough to peek behind the curtains and talk to people about their jobs. I don’t own rose-colored glasses any more. I can’t think of a better place or way to work when I don’t really want to work.
Also, those bathrooms really are nice. There’s even a shower in there. Just saying.
