The Job Search Conundrum

I’ve got a job interview Friday morning with a nursing facility that needs a resident care manager. This is a position I’ve held before—in fact, it was at that same building, many years ago—and it involves oversight of the care provided to one’s assigned residents and coordination of the services they need. It’s not a bad job, as long as you understand the federal government paperwork that goes with it and don’t mind starting the occasional IV or checking blood sugars when the floor nurse is pulling her hair out.

I could do this. As brief as it was, my stint as a state surveyor gives me a leg up on the competition; I may not have been able to learn the computer program or memorize three books full of regulations, but I learned a LOT from that job that I could apply to this one. The facility itself is a small building which looks amazing compared with what it did when I was there. And the best part is, it’s less than 15 minutes from my front door—no hour-long commute fighting eighteen-wheelers on the interstate, no spending $200/month on gas just to get back and forth to work.

But……

You all know I have a hard time knowing what I can and can’t do. Nothing makes me believe I can shake off bipolar disorder like a good challenging opportunity, especially if there’s a chance of making decent money from it. That’s how I ended up with the State job—I couldn’t resist the challenge or the prestige that came with it. I need to learn to set my sights just a wee bit lower…..but it isn’t easy. I’ve looked at life at $9.10 per hour—my state’s minimum wage—and it gives me palpitations. No use trading a well-paying job that causes anxiety for a low-paying one that causes anxiety.

The fact that this particular job is paid hourly (as opposed to salaried) gives me encouragement, for it means that I wouldn’t have 24/7 responsibility except for weekend/holiday on-call times. There’s no way around that; the best I can hope for is not to have them too often. The deal-breaker for me would be having to work graveyard shift if the night nurse were to call out and no one was available to cover. There’s just not enough money to make it worth screwing up my medication schedule and sleep patterns, which could potentially kick off a mood episode.

Still, I have high hopes for getting this job. When I talked to the Director of Nursing Monday, she sounded really enthusiastic about meeting me, and I’m glad she wants to do it on Friday because I’ve found that Friday interviews very often result in being hired. Needless to say, I will not be using the “B” word anytime soon; as always, I hope to avoid having to disclose my illness, and who knows…..maybe if Dr. Awesomesauce leaves me on Zyprexa I can make it through the summer without getting manic.

It’s hard not to be a little excited when a fresh start (not to mention delivery from financial ruin) may be close at hand, but of course I shouldn’t get TOO excited because the job might not be at all suitable. I thought the home-health position would be a great thing until I found out how much traveling and odd hours were involved. However, the fact that I’m getting interviews is a positive thing, and I have the feeling I won’t be unemployed for long. 🙂