Working

Yesterday was my first day as a paid employee of St. Michael's, after years of volunteer work on the website and months of unpaid work (my choice) doing the weekly deposit. So far I've basically sat for one low-key training session with people who already know me. I can see there will be a lot of procedural stuff to learn, and a small, easy learning curve on Quickbooks and Church Windows software. And I'll need to get used to fund accounting, a staple of the non-profit environment. I will inevitably feel slightly nervous about all this until I've sat in the chair and done it a few times, but the rational part of me expects no major challenges learning to do the job competently.

Today, I had a job interview! No, I'm not looking to dump my brand new part-time job with the church I've attended for more than a decade; this would be in addition to, not instead of. Someone from the parish forwarded my resume with a local CPA firm that works with small businesses. The job would be part time with variable hours, at a reasonable-for-the-circumstances hourly wage. It would mean getting to work with some standard areas of accounting I've only touched upon in my professional life so far, and other areas I've done a lot. And it would mean working directly under a CPA, which is a requirement for getting my own CPA certification down the line. I could have met that requirement during my First Magnus days, but I didn't know to get the requisite piece of paper signed, and have no idea where the CPAs I worked with then may be found now.

Anyway, I think the interview went well - but then again, I always think that. If this job comes through, I'll have gone from no jobs to two jobs in a short period of time, which is a big improvement! No benefits, but I'm on John's health savings account now, so that's only a minor loss. My schedules at both jobs should be somewhat flexible, which would facilitate a trip to Disneyland or an sf convention or at least Phoenix from time to time, assuming our finances allow it. John probably hasn't been outside Pima County in over 2 years and if feeling antsy. I don't blame him a bit!

So wish me luck with this second job. It may not be the well-paid full-time permanent position I've been looking for, but it could conceivably become that. In the meantime, it beats the heck out of sitting behind my computer at home all day, accomplishing nothing much!

Karen