Ain't it just the way....

[rebeccajo 14]

Well, since the end of January when he got his EAD, Wes has mostly sat around here trying unsuccessfully to find a good job.

He actually has a job, starting Monday. He was hired mid-April with a start date of Monday June 5. It's in a call center (which is what he did in NI - and loathed). When he first interviewed for it, the place was located in our town. No transportation problems. Since they hired him they have decided to relocate the office to a town up the road, about 30 miles from our house. The logistics are going to be nightmare (he's not driving yet and besides we have only one car), not to mention the cost of gasoline. The pay isn't great either - but we figured it's a start for him.

Today he had an interview for another job. The position is called 'Reports Coordinator' and the firm works with the State of WV Job Services re-training displaced workers and welfare receipients. It's IT related - they need someone who can handle Excel, Access, databases and work with ISO 9000. They have already informed him they will be calling him next week for testing and a second interview. I could see the excitement in his eyes when he told me about it.

Then when we got home from that interview, Blue Cross/Blue Shield was on the answering machine and want him to come in Tuesday at 2:45 for an interview. It's been so long ago that he tested with them we can't really remember what the position would be - probably something entry level but hey, it's Blue Cross. He rang them up and told him he would be there for the interview.

He is going to have to miss work at a brand new job to interview for these much better jobs. We NEED for him to be working and it's not gonna look good for him to miss during the first week of training. But these opportunities are too good to pass up for that crappy job up the road.

I've got half a mind to tell him to just ring them up Monday morning and tell them he has found another job. But sure as we do that, both of these will fall thru!

AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!

Words of advice - anyone?

Edited June 2, 2006 by rebeccajo

[pj1959us 0]

If he is unable to miss any time during the first week, for a job that he will loathe, and it will mean missing opportunities for two jobs that he would enjoy, or at least with future possibilities of advancement...my choice would be "bye-bye call center".

Life is not without risk, but to face working somewhere inconvenient anyway and what I would loathe certainly makes any risk worth it, in my humble opinion.

Get him to those interviews, tell him to puff up his chest, walk in with pride and bowl them over. It sounds as if he is already well on his way with them, I would never want to quash his dreams of finding something so important for what he is about to get into....and hate!

If for some reason they don't work out, he can at least say he tried and then try to find something else, perhaps more local.

Best of luck to you both!!! *fingers crossed*

[rebeccajo 14]

If he is unable to miss any time during the first week, for a job that he will loathe, and it will mean missing opportunities for two jobs that he would enjoy, or at least with future possibilities of advancement...my choice would be "bye-bye call center".

Life is not without risk, but to face working somewhere inconvenient anyway and what I would loathe certainly makes any risk worth it, in my humble opinion.

Get him to those interviews, tell him to puff up his chest, walk in with pride and bowl them over. It sounds as if he is already well on his way with them, I would never want to quash his dreams of finding something so important for what he is about to get into....and hate!

If for some reason they don't work out, he can at least say he tried and then try to find something else, perhaps more local.

Best of luck to you both!!! *fingers crossed*

Thanks pj for the finger crossing!

Don't worry! I wouldn't dream of having him miss these opportunities. I guess I'm looking for a REALLY good lie that we can tell them at the call center to cover his #######.....LOL

[pj1959us 0]

I know you wouldn't dream of it! I'm sure you are both so excited at the prospects

Sprained ankle? Twisted knee? Allergic reaction? Doctor's appointment that has been scheduled for a long time and can't reschedule? The possibilities are endless!

[Jaylen Brit 0]

He's had to use his AP to visit auntie 'I'm on me death bed' martha in the UK?

[Jenn! 918]

Illness is the best excuse. From what you said, he won't be staying long at the call center, even in these other jobs fall through. The worst that can happen is that they fire him from the call center job, and then you're no worse off than if you tod them now that you didn't want the call center job.

I realize that it doesn't feel good to lie to a brand new employer, but you've gotta go what you've gotta do.

When I cam back to the U.S., I was desperate for an actuary job, but I didn't get any offers right away, so I took a teaching job because I needed something right away to put down on my I-134. I finally landed an actuarial position three months after I started the teaching postion, and I had to give my notice at the school. It was tough since I did care about my students, but I did have to think long term.

I say lead them on as much as you can, and then take the next best thing that comes along. I know it doesn't seem right, but I think employers are used to that sort of thing, and in the long run it will be best for the both of you, which is the most important thing.

Good luck!

[govols 0]

Is there any way he can tell them he needs to move his start date to the following week due to an unforseen problem?

I hope the other interviews work out. Good luck!

Karen

[choji 0]

Just go and lie (use illness as an excuse), even if it does feel "not quite right".

If the shoe were on the other foot, the company would want to get rid of people, would they fret and think how to go on about it? No way! They would fire them, just like that, from one day to the next in the worst case.

Good luck that one of the better jobs comes through.

[Torontonian 0]

Perhaps you should use immigration as an excuse? You could say that USCIS has called him in to follow up on something. They can't argue with that!

[rebeccajo 14]

Perhaps you should use immigration as an excuse? You could say that USCIS has called him in to follow up on something. They can't argue with that!

Now THAT'S clever!

[ChristinaM 0]

And don't you dare feel guilty about missing call-center work, either of you. It may not be ideal to miss part of the first week, but if he gets either other job then you're not going to think twice about it.

Run yourself like a business! Do what's best for you. It's the time to be selfish.

[Dina 0]

I think you should tell them that he needs to postpone his start date due to transportation issues. They should be sympathetic to that since THEY are the ones that decided to move facilities AFTER they offered him the job.

[Kajikit 65]

They moved the office 30 miles away AFTER they hired him but before he's supposed to start - all he should do IMO is tell them that he can't arrange transportation until X date... and if that won't fly then just say well, I can't work for you then! It's just a cruddy minimum wage call center, not something vitally important or paying a million bucks a day!

[Peggy 1]

The job I just started a few months ago, we have no PTO days for 90 days. There is lots of people in my training class that has missed days soon as they started.

They would just receive an occurence against them. I am sure his job has the same kind of policies.

I like the idea of telling them its Govt related. When I went to my interview in Atalanta, I had to miss the day at work, and they didnt hold that against me as an occurence as I HAD to attend the interview.

So I would just get Wes to start and see what kind of policies they hold regarding leaving or being out when just being hired on.

I wouldnt miss those interviews, he seems like he would like them alot better than the one he is about to start.

I think he will be able to work around the days off with his new job.

He might only have to be out a half of day or something for the interviews which isnt too bad.

Is Wes going to be working first shift or second?

[rebeccajo 14]

The training is 9 am to 6 pm.

He had no clue yet about what shift he will be on after that.

Thanks for the input.....i wasn't sure if claiming it was immigration related or not would be a good thing.

What really bothers me about this is it is VERY likely that he will have to miss twice in the first week and I'm not sure they are going to buy immigration related for that.......