babble mix

11/2005 Shut Up And Go Shopping

“So, are you free tomorrow?” said my now supervisor who called me last Sept. 15, 2005, telling me that I was their chosen applicant for a part time copywriting job at one of the offices at the Diamond District at 5th Ave here in NYC.

Sounds big time? Not really, not if you’re working in a tiny room with about 100 surveillance cameras and a boss that smokes and the COO who is just that – the Child of the Owner. Let me start from the beginning.

I was hired to do descriptions (among others) part time for a start-up online fine jewelry store selling diamonds, gemstones and all other fine jewelry (fine jewelry website nga eh). I came into the office on Sept. 16, thinking that we were going to talk about the terms of my employment: work schedules, payment methods, job responsibilities, etc.

But when I came in that day, I was immediately introduced to the people (about 9 others), showed to my desk and was given work to do after a 15-minute crash course on every jewelry term there is to know like princess cut, invisible, pave, bezel-set, lever-back, push back closure, toggle. Wait! Pause muna. Whatever happened to the official “you’re hired” interview that I came for?

Amidst this information overload causing chaos in my head, I started thinking that talk was not going to happen. And so I asked my supervisor. She replied, “Oh, didn’t you know you were starting today?”

Galing. I was totally unprepared for this. I was interacting with other people, joking around with co-workers and eating lunch at a pantry all in one day. It was my first day of work and I didn’t even know it. Natawa na lang ako, si Lord kasi ang tindi ng sense of humor. I did ask for this, didn’t I? I just wasn’t expecting it to happen this quickly. I even had an appointment set for 3PM on that same day for a different racket, but by divine intervention, was fortunately cancelled at the last minute.

For 2 months now, I’ve been working part time only after I negotiated to work part time, because in the beginning I was asked to do full-time hours but with part time pay (which is close to minimum wage which is not commensurate to the mental job that I had to do – skilled position ito, noh). UNFAIR. So eto akong si Gabriela Silang, syempre nagreklamo. I almost quit, but they stopped me (magaling daw ako, naks!) and we agreed to a part time schedule, since that was the reason I accepted the job with that pay in the first place. I am paid by the hour, and each hour I spend working there is hour not worth my while.

I still have other rants about this job, but then again, I can always find something to rant about any job I get involved with for sure. So I’d rather not go on ranting (wow, is this me?). I guess I’ll just keep looking for another job that pays AT LEAST fair enough, but in the meantime, I can stick it out with this one.

At least I now interact with other people (other than my husband and the TV and computer at home) who come from diverse cultures and nationalities – Turkish, Syrian, Indian, Chinese, Burmese, Pakistani, American and Filipino. It’s interesting and enriching to know more about other cultures. Plus I now have girl friends (pinay pa yung isa!) with whom I can share my kakikayan and other girl stuff.

And because my husband can pay for our living, whatever I earn in this part time job is mine. That’s shopping money! That alone can shut me up.

posted by meL @ 11:46 AM