Work (or sometimes lack thereof)

I work in healthcare. I’m not a doctor, or a nurse, or even a medical assistant. I do billing and reception work. I got into it by luck, but I really enjoy it. And I’ve found that from a benefits standpoint, there’s no better industry to be in. Healthcare takes care of its own.

So we moved to Cleveland about 6 weeks ago. I had started putting in applications and sending out my resume even before we left Maine. Cleveland is the medical research capital of the world. My husband works for the Cleveland Clinic, which is the fourth highest rated research hospital in the country (behind the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA). Also located in Cleveland is the University Hospital Health System, which has no small qualifications itself.

By now I’ve probably applied for close to 30 jobs. I got a bite back on one of them. I had a phone interview, but heard back yesterday that they decided to hire an internal candidate. I was bummed. It was at UH. I wanted to work there just because Ben is at the Clinic. I thought it would be funny. And it looked like an attractive position to me.

I’ve often had good luck, however, with temp agencies. I finally signed up for one about two weeks ago. I came in and interviewed and did the proficiency tests, blah blah blah. Two days (or maybe the next day) later, they called with a position starting at the end of the week. That’s how it always happens for me. I ought to just skip applying for jobs and just sign up with a temp agency every time. (I know, Dad – looking for a job is a full-time job.)

So now I’m working for a school district. I’m assisting the Director of Instruction at the Board of Education. It’s definitely a different experience from what I’ve done in the past. I didn’t like it at first, but it’s starting to grow on me a little bit. I think I’m just grateful that they’re giving me plenty to do. Yesterday was the first day of school, so things are beyond busy here. It’s a nice change after the seven or eight weeks that I wasn’t working. And I’m sleeping better than I was the few weeks before.