The questionnaire

I completed an application today and part of the application process was to fill out a 120 item work style questionnaire. As numerous characters in numerous movies have said, "I'm gettin' too old for this shit." I've taken enough of these little tests and I'm smart enough to know that HR is making an attempt to get my personality boiled down to a few notes, without locking eyes on me.... for KEY-riiist sake! So, I answer honestly but with some care not to sound too needy or too bossy or too dependent or too inflexible...and I know that they know that I know that they know that these surveys are somewhat effective so....yeah. Why not just meet me? I'm old school. It feels a little amateurish to be interviewed in this fashion for a professional job. But for my first advanced practice job, I had to pee in a cup for a drug test and go to an orientation where they reviewed the importance of handwashing. Meanwhile the new doctors did not have to do either such thing. So I''m not surprised by the process...it just makes another age line on my forehead but whatever. However, it feels unbecoming at my age having to flap my arms and do a soft shoe to say "Look at me! I have some skills and actually you would be lucky to get me!"

I've established a work pattern throughout my career of roughly five years on, one year off. The college tuitions are approaching and my clock is running down. I considered a big job change at this point, but the economy is telling me that this is not the time. Nursing is still the best paying gig. Blogging is fun but it doesn't pay the tuition man. But part time work does pay the tuition man somewhat and leaves time for blogging. Ergo...

A friend told a friend, "I'm just better at work than I am at home." And there is some truth in that statement for me although I think I'm at my best when I do both. I'm actually pretty good at staying home and I don't dislike it. I love my quiet days alone. But my days are incompletely filled and the things that would fill my day completely like exercise or hobbies or volunteerism are like my worst nightmares come true. In England, it took so long to do everything without the car, the garage, the appliances and the one-stop supermarkets so my days were full full full and I miss that a bit. I'm a little adrift with my chores easily distilled down to one or two trips a week. So, back to paid work it must be. That's what I've concluded this week anyway.

The next job after this one, they'll need to come looking for me. Beware whomever hires me, I'm never leaving.