I have a strange job. Well, to be honest, right now I have NO job. However, the employment that I usually partake in is unique. I work on a temporary basis and on a contractual one. We usually work anywhere from 3 months to 9 months at a time, sometimes more, generally not less.
Normally this works for me. I work for 9 months, a year, two years...and then I spend my money traveling for a while. Once done traveling, I call up my boss and tell him I am ready and if something comes along, he calls me and off I go for another 3 months, 6 months, whatever.
Usually it is in a different place every time. You may work in Florida for 9 months, Louisiana for 18 months, Texas for 3 months...etc. It is never guaranteed. You live in a hotel and you work with a different group of people each time.
It is interesting. You meet people from all over the US, with all different personalities, ages and weights. Okay most of them are overweight, retired Texan men. Just kidding. Okay, not really. Some of them are from Florida.
However, the worst part about this job is the waiting. There is not always work. Once you are done with one contract, you go home and you wait for another one to manifest itself. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't. And you never know which one it will be.
Right now I am waiting. Hoping to get work. Wondering what I will do if I don't. Wondering what my cutoff date is....when will I initiate Plan B? WHAT IS Plan B?
The problem really isn't whether or not I get work. If I was to get a call today that said FOR SURE, we will NOT be giving you work, at least I would know and could move on to Plan B. The problem is the not knowing...the waiting to plan...or actually, the inability to plan.
Should I go camping this weekend, or will they call me and tell me they need me to start work tomorrow...in BFE Nebraska?
Should I make plans to meet friends in the City next weekend or will they call me and tell me they need me to go to BFE North Carolina?
I am a planner. I like to know what I am doing in the future. I like to say YES I can do that. Or...NO, I have plans. I do not like to be a flake.
Right now I can't make plans. I am a flake. It is day to day, week to week.
I am in Limbo.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how our paths crossed and then ran parallel for what? a year?!?
We are also in limbo. Potential jobs lined up, but nothing certain and no actual dates set, so nothing at all in the future to look forward to. It's a really weird feeling. I've applied for a few jobs, but my hearts not in it, because I don't know where we'll be in two months, 6 months, a year, etc! I can't give any guarantees....so we wait. If we were on the road, we would just enjoy this time, but now there's that tick of uncertainty in the back ground!
Hang in there! I know this stuff always works out...maybe it's like watching a pot to boil?!?
I used to work an on-call job and I HATED IT for that exact reason. You just never knew. The not knowing and always having to cancel plans at the last minute because of work made me miserable and was the main reason I quit that job!
ReplyDeleteI think that could be a lot of fun for awhile, but would get old. I like the adventure of packing up for wherever, but I also like knowing whether or not to make plans for next weekend.
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