Job Update

Wow, 3 different people asked me for an update lately, which means people really DO read my blog. I haven't updated lately because a) I've been so busy with my new job, b) I'm lazy, and c) the only things I had to write about sounded like complaints, and if I can't make a funny or at least interesting story out of it, I'm hesitant to post a rambling complaint entry. That being said, I will now complain ramblingly about my new job.

I really like my new job, actually. If ya don't know, I took a job with AIMCO, whose goal is to "Become the largest, most profitable and respected owner and operator of multi-family communities in the world." And after a month working for this company already, I still can't hear anything but Dr. Evil when I hear that statement. Mu ha ha!

Like any job at any corporation, there are a lot of good things and a lot of bad things, and I'm sure these are the same across the board regardless of if you're working for AIMCO, or Vivendi, or some other huge-ass company. The health benefits are excellent and a fraction of the cost of what I was paying at my last job (which was a family owned business with about 10 employees total.) The incentives they offer are ridiculous. Here's one example: If you don't use any sick time for an entire calendar year, you are given two freebie vacation days to use for the next year AND you are entered into a raffle to win a brand new car. Even though AIMCO is ginormous, I think I heard that there were only about 200 employees who made it into the raffle, and they were raffling off a 2006 VW Beetle. Those are some pretty good odds.

What I don't like is that there are like 8 levels of management to go through before you can even wipe your ass. At my last job, I really only had to go to one person, and even then I was usually asking for forgiveness rather than permission. (Now is a good time to forget about the ass wiping analogy. Thanks.) So far this hasn't really been an issue, and it's kind of nice not having to sit there and negotiate the rent price for 20 minutes with some engineer that you KNOW makes 6 figures, but is just being a cheap bastard. There is something to be said for shrugging your shoulders and saying, "Sorry, I can't make that decision." The other thing I don't like, and this is a big one, is that they're open on most holidays. Today, for example, is Easter, and yes, the leasing office is open. Luckily my training schedule was so jam packed this week that they had to give me today off, but you can bet your ass that I'll be working the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and every beautiful weather 3-day weekend.

This is such a boring entry, but I'm going to publish it now before I re-read it and delete it.