I AM EMPLOYED!

I FINALLY A GOT A NEW, REAL JOB!!!!!

Nope, not a temp job, not a temp-to-perm job, but a real, full-time, permanent job working as a Claims Service Representative for the New York State Insurance Fund. Even better, it's a civil service position, which means if you basically come to work on time and do a decent job, they can't fire you. There is a two year probation period, but I still think I'd have to have a pretty major screwup before they'd get rid of me - apparently only 2 or 3 people have been let go before the end of the probation in the past 10 years. I've probably got a job for life! And fabulous benefits! And a PENSION!

Yes, this was the interview I mentioned in my August 1st post - there was also another interview for a Resource and Reimbursement Specialist with the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. This actually looked a little more interesting considering I did briefly work in the development office of a non-profit that provided services to the developmentally disabled, and the office was within reasonable walking distance of my house. But they never got back to me. I got a call about a week and half ago from NYSIF asking me if I was interested in the job and of course I said yes, but the manager said he had to send a bunch of paperwork up to Albany to confirm it. Since (I suppose) there was always the possibility that the high muckety-mucks in Albany might have said no to my appointment, I decided not to count my chickens until they were hatched. Well, the manager called today and formally offered the job, and I start on September 8. Basically, I'll be a case manager for worker's compensation cases, making sure the injured claimant gets benefits and medical care if warranted. There are a lot of complicated legal and medical issues involved, not to mention tons of forms and procedures, and there will be about 3 months of classroom and on-the-job training before they start giving me a caseload.

For fifteen years since leaving college, due to my wanting to have an acting career, the bad economy, my own immaturity and the occasional stupid decision, my work experience has been mainly low-paying market research jobs and temporary secretarial work. I have spent a lot of time unemployed and even two months on welfare. I've never made more than $27,000 a year and often much less. Well, that's all over. Let's just say that my starting pay, as a trainee, is about $34,000 - and that's going to go up to $46,000 when the traineeship ends in two years! Plenty of money to go to opera in cities besides New York and maybe even follow certain talented singers around within reason. And maybe do such unimportant things as paying off my debts and getting my own apartment.

The only downside is, as I said when I went for the interviews, that I'm actually not getting my first paycheck until October (they hold the pay for the first few weeks until you retire or otherwise leave - no idea why, some union rule), so no "luxuries", really, except for standing room for the Met's Opening Night. It'll be a while before I can buy tickets to Rigoletto with Rolando Villazon and Anna Netrebko (and Carlo Guelfi) and La Traviata with Angela Gheorghiu, the two operas that I consider worth sitting in the Balcony for as opposed to my usual Family Circle Standing Room. As it is I've been working lots of overtime at my current job and will still work nights for a few weeks - quite to my shock, the management there loves me and is begging me to stay! It's nice to feel needed.

And I just hope that the actual job is interesting, and that I'm not condemning myself to 30 years of slavery.

(By the way, one of my colleagues at the proxy solicitation firm is a manager at NYSIF during the day, and he's been giving me a few pointers - apparently even a manager's salary can't cover the cost of raising five kids in New York City, so he needs a second job!)

For those of you who are old friends but new to this blog, I know a lot of you have followed my job woes for a long time, and so I say: thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for your support!. YAHOOO! Baruch Hashem!