Waiting

Waiting, or the more correct term, patience, is something that at my best I'm excellent at. I can easily sit and idle while I wait for something to occur. At my worst it's something I despise doing. I'm constantly pacing and looking at my watch counting each second that goes by as an eternity that I could've used doing something better.

I am currently somewhere in between my two extremes when it comes to my patience. I have been unemployed now for six weeks to the day today. While some leads have come and gone and there are others that are still very strong, I yearn to have a job. I, desperately, want to be doing something else with my time other than looking for employment, chasing down leads, and keeping the house clean on a daily basis so that we can sell it. How much longer will I have to wait?

Currently, I'm waiting on five prospective jobs:

The first job is here in Memphis doing toxicology extractions. I had a call back interview yesterday and it went very well. However, I still may end up having to wait two more weeks before they let me know anything. This will bring the wait on this job to a month long period. If both of the people who I interviewed with said that they really like me then why not just hire me already? I kinda do and don't want this job. If I get this job, it's a pay cut, but the work is easy and it's a very laid back atmosphere. Also the schedule I'll be on allows me to continue looking for a better paying job if I want to.

The second job is also here in Memphis. I know that the company is very interested in me. At least according to the recruiters they are. However, there has been some misinformation on their part so who really knows if they are considering me for a job. However, according to them the wait is due to the fact that the hiring personnel have all been in and out on vacation. I've been waiting to hear something about this job for three weeks now. This is the company that I hope will end up hiring me since it is a real possibility that I will truly enjoy the work I'd be doing and it likely won't be much of a pay cut if any. If only they'd call me for an interview.

The third possibility is a job that I have a preliminary interview with a recruiter tomorrow. This job is a chemist position with a large agra company. While the work and the shift hours are not all that desirable they are apparently looking for promotable people. My question is what kind of promotion time line will I be facing? Including the fact that it's a job that I likely won't really care to do that much, the pay cut makes it one of my least favorite jobs to look at right now. If they promote fairly quickly then I'm all for the job since I'll likely go up in the pay scale quickly enough to not care what I'm doing. However, if it's more like I'll have to work there for two years at the paltry salary they offer before I'll even be considered for promotion I'm not sure it's worth it. Maybe, I need to think in a more patient manner for this possible job?

The forth possibility requires relocation. It's another embryology job in east Tennessee. Basically it's clear across the state. The person in charge of screening applicants has been out of the office and on vacation these last few weeks so it's been three weeks before I've really heard anything back from him about this job. I am a top candidate for the job apparently so hopefully in the up coming weeks I'll be hearing from him. While I don't like the idea of relocating again, since it'll mean being away from my wife and only seeing her once a month in all likeliness, I still like the prospect of continuing to be an embryologist. Hopefully the pay's good.

The fifth job prospect is one that I have mixed feelings about. It is, in all honesty, a great job opportunity. It is in reproductive medicine. I would be a Andrology lab supervisor. The salary is very good, well considering the area it may not be that good. The area is the part that I'm not too keen on. It's in New York. Manhattan to be precise. Now if I was queasy about being so far away from my wife in east Tennessee, I definitely don't like the prospect of being so far away I'd only see her when I take vacation and on major holidays. However, like I said, this career opportunity is one that may not be a good thing to turn down. I have a phone interview with them tomorrow and will likely fly out to meet and greet them shortly after it. This job will likely be a hard decision in the making. Also this decision will likely come before any of the previously mentioned job prospects produce anything.

I actually forgot a sixth prospective job as well. This job is on the opposite side of the nation in Los Angeles, CA.. The company was very interested in me nearly as soon as I put my resume on an IVF website, however, they have hired a director that they want to be involved in the hiring process. My old work buddy, the person who was supposed to replace me at my old job, is the director they hired. Small world the IVF world is. Now while it would be a blast to work with my old co-worker again, and while I think he'd make an awesome boss, probably the best boss I'd ever have, I still have the same reservations about being so far away from my wife.

All in all, I have really been hoping that something would turn up here in Memphis before I'd have to really look at relocating seriously. Unfortunately, it just hasn't happened. Should I be more patient with the companies in this area? It's hard to be when you have bills to pay and you're watching your bank account wilt and shrivel like a un-watered plant in 100 degree heat to be patient for a job. Patience is a virtue they say but I think I'm beginning to reach the end of mine.