Wednesday, December 14, 2005 3:59 pm  <|>
<240> Multi-Multi-Tasking: While everyone ends up involved in "multi-tasking" at various points of their day, I find myself in a somewhat constant state of it at work. Sometimes this is because work is busy, but even when it's not, I always have more than enough to do on my own. Furthermore, I have two computers in my cubicle at work. The PC and the MAC. Now, this means even more computer craziness as I attempt to use both at the same time probably more often than I should. But why not? I'm surrounded by them for 8 hours everyday, I might as well put my time here to good use. The MAC is mostly used for designing and scanning, but my PC is used for just about anything. I rarely have less than 8 windows open at once. I'm usually involved in at least 2, if not 3 or 4, things at once at any given time. Yes, I try to make the most of my time here. I might as well.

Things didn't quite pan out as hoped for my raise situation at work. They came back with the 'highest' they would go after my boss, who I am able to talk with openly about this stuff without worry, fought for even giving me that. It's under the rate I told myself would be acceptable, so with that I'm going to be more seriously looking for another job. It's a really hard decision and one I'm still not sure how to make. There are lots of pluses and minuses of working here. Ones I believe I've covered here in the past, but overall to have the freedom to take days as I need and be my own boss somewhat in the position I have... well it's hard to let go of. Just about anywhere I go for the type of positions I'm looking at I would almost surely have to work under someone more directly and at the very least work with a larger group which I'm not incapible of, but I am just not used to it. I end up feeling greedy for wanting an amount of pay that is well below the industry standard and yet above what I know some other people my age make for putting in the same weekly hours. Yes, it looks like to move to any big step up I will have to move on from where I am working now, but the question is how long do I want to wait before I take that step? At least here they know about grad and know I'm going to have to take 3 weeks off in the summer (which is the whole point of this status switch anyway). If I really wanted to, would I really be here after another year and a half and then would I just simply become full time again? That seems like a far time away considering I've just now reached almost two years with this company. To be here for 4, well, I just don't know. Not so long ago companies actually tried to retain their employees, but here their motto is unofficially that anyone can be replaced to do the same job... it's a rotten way to look at it but I guess it keeps the profits high and so when all you really care about is how to keep the money coming in, I'm not suprised this is the kind of thing that happens. I feel like a dope for sticking it out here with no future step ups and thinking they must know what a cheap deal they are getting out of me... but then I go back to how much freedom I have and think that it could be much worse and so here I stay. We'll see. I'll just keep my options open and see what comes of it.