job update # 367,830

Yesterday was quite a day. The three-hour orientation for the notetaking program was absolutely packed with information, but I had no time to let it settle in, as C&C (niece and boyfriend) arrived immediately afterwards.

On the job front, I feel frustrated and a bit confused. It seems that every time I get more information about this work, it changes, and not in minor ways.

When I first heard about the notetaking work, I was so excited. Then I spoke to someone - not just someone, the manager of the entire Deaf Services program - and I became extremely disappointed. She told me there were large breaks where notetakers aren't used - so that the work, while well-paid, is sporadic. On the other hand, she indicated that the potential for higher earning was fairly quick.

I decided to try it anyway. I was willing to see if I could make notetaking work by combining it with other freelance work, such as ESL tutoring and copyediting.

So I went through a very lengthy (grueling!) application and testing process, and I passed.

Then yesterday, at the orientation - at the very last moment of the question period - I asked how many weeks of work there are, when the term runs, just to double-check the manager's information. And guess what? It's not the sporadic work the manager indicated, it's what I originally thought. You're not guaranteed hours - I've known that all along - but but there are many more potential working weeks than this manager said.

Now, why would she have told me such blatantly wrong information? I don't think it was a misunderstanding, as we repeated and clarified more than once. Confusing!

The upshot, however, is positive. If I like the notetaking work, I should be able to make it work. I'll still be looking for ESL tutoring - and paid writing work, of course! - but I do think I'll be able to leave legal doc-pro, maybe for a year, maybe for several years. (I dare not say forever.)

My immediate problem is when to remove the training wheels: when will I be able to drop my current weekend doc-pro contract job. Until I actually try notetaking and see that I'm getting hours, I should hold on to the weekend gig. That means I'll be doing both at once... which scares me.

The downside is there's no way we can go to the cottage at the end of the month.

The false information I had also made the job sound much more flexible than it is. If I get hours, there's absolutely no way I can leave my student for four days in September. It would greatly disrupt too many people's lives - especially the scheduler, an extremely kind, but overworked, no-nonsense person on whom my job depends. I'll cancel our reservation and we'll be able to apply the deposit to another visit. Oh well. The cottage will be there when we're ready.