Thursday Thirteen

13 Reasons I have decided to start looking for a new career:

1. My kids. This is my main reason. I hate that I have to put them in day acre all the time. I hate that I am expected to work all kinds of funky hours and subject them to it. Oh what I wouldn't do to be a SAHM.

2. Gas prices. Even though my company considers me a "sales rep," they certainly do not treat me as such. I am expected to drive all over God's green earth for business, yet I am not even given a car, mileage, an expenses account - NOTHING. It all comes out of my pocket.

3. No more flexibility. When I first started at this job I was told, "we don't care how or when you get your job done, just get it done." It has now become a "Where the heck are you its 8:00 am/ its not 5:00pm?" job. Yippee.

4. Office Days. When I took this job eight years ago, I had basically just finished "padding" my resume in a call center for 2 1/2 years. I did my time on the phones. We have now gone from coming in once a month to cover the office phones, to every other week, to now, once a week - yet my goals for production have not changed. So, let me get this straight. I am STILL supposed to bring you over $1 million of production but I am now called away from the field ONCE every freaking week to answer the phone (because the customer service rep on the office doesn't????)? WTF ever.

5. The economy. This job has become a crap shoot. I am supposed to get people to put in more money to their retirement program ... but most of them can no longer afford to put gas in their cars. How can I talk them into anything with that argument? Then, on top of that, they hear that we are going thru inflation, recessions and the market is taking tumbles every day. Happy, happy. Joy, joy.

6. My home. I would do ANYTHING to find a job that kept me there all week ... shoot, I would settle for 2 times a week ..... less driving, less day care expenses, more time with the kids .... its a win-win situation!

7. Coworkers. We used to be this great team. People would help each other out of the numbers weren't great. We would cover for each other and hang out. Well, times have changed. A few scary people have been hired that just don't fit my "nice people" bill:
Coworker A - (we will call her "Queen Bee") Queen Bee is supposed to be on the phones all day long. The last time I was in the office she took a total of FIVE, yes, FIVE calls. When it is time for her lunch, she first, takes off her shoes and changes into walking shoes. Then, she goes to the bathroom for about ten minutes. Then, she chats with her office buddy for a few minutes about where she is going to go for lunch. THEN and ONLY THEN, she signs out for lunch. Only to take an additional half hour to reverse this process when she gets back.
Coworker B - (we will call him Pat) Pat started about 2 years ago. He has since become the top producer. Why? He is a poacher. He has been found in other people's territory - he steals, connives and lies his way to the top ... AND we wonder what it TRULY is that he has going on with the boss. Pat can do no wrong.
Coworker C- (we will call her Turncoat) Turncoat used to be a friend. Helped me out, told me how great this job is for raising kids. Used to tell me how to work only a few days and then make it look like I worked all week. Suddenly she has become best buds with the boss and I have been under the microscope ever since. And, oh yea ... I never did get a thank you for the gift I gave her at her wedding ......

8. Clientele. I think I am just OVER going and sitting in Streets and Sanitation departments, county hospitals, rodent control offices, etc. I need to feel professional again.

9. My salary. I used to think I was getting paid well. Until everyone else in this world got raises and COLA's ... and I stayed stagnant. I don't get paid enough to go chasing production at $4.50 per gallon five days a week!

10. Traffic. It seems that what used to take me an hour to get to, now takes and hour and a half ... no matter WHAT time of day it is. And could they EVER be done with construction?????

11. Complacency. I can honestly say that I just no longer give a shit. At all.

12. Jealousy. I see other people out there, making more, smiling more, getting the hours they want. I want to be that girl.

13. My Boss (we will call him Will). This is numero UNO. I think is he were gone I would think twice about leaving. He is just an all around ass. I have absolutely NO respect for him .. and no "like" for him either. He treats people like dirt and thinks he is the greatest. Working for a gay man, trying to get him to understand FAMILY situations is like asking a vegetarian to understand why I need a burger! And there are other things:
1. He is SO un-PC. He is consistently making comments about how he hates our President, church, government, etc. The other day I asked who was downtown since I saw Secret Service everywhere ... his comment? "Well, Shrub ( I guess this was supposed to be Bush) is out of the country, and the Vice-Asshole (I am not exaggerating) is somewhere else" WTF?????
2. He cannot stand that I have family obligations and makes it a point to make me feel bad about it. "I would have given this opportunity to you, but I knew you wouldn't want to put the effort in because you have a child." Ummmmmmmm - isn't that discrimination??????
3. He is the world's HUGEST, BIGGEST, LARGEST micro-manager anyone has ever had. He calls my cell phone literally 5 times a day, checking on me, telling me stupid shit that could wait until he saw me next, or asking me asinine questions. I had to pick up a guy from Corporate on Tuesday and take him to my locations to see what we do all day. I picked him up on time, we were where we needed to be. Will was at a golf outing. The man called me FOUR effing times to see if I picked this guy up. WTF? He then called later in the afternoon to make sure that I was taking care of him. Dude .... I take care of two kids all day, every day ... don't you think I can handle hanging out with a grown man? Get an effing life!!!!
4. He loves to micro-manage, but when it comes to HELPING. He sucks. I asked him OVER A YEAR AGO for contact information to help me get into one of my locations. HE has YET to give me an answer .... how am I supposed to get my numbers in when I cannot get into my territories .. and when I ask for help it goes unanswered?!?!??!?!?!
5. He has no clue what I do. He is a numbers guy. HE has NEVER been a sales rep and has no idea of the lifestyle of one. He should quit trying.
6. Everyone keeps telling me - hold off - he will be out of this position soon. They have been saying that for 4 years. Enough is enough already.