So, many of you received my email about my time at SFHP ending and the second email about my temp agent finding me a new job immediately. I have since learned more. The new job is with the CA Transplant Donor Network and I will be assisting the head of HR there. I'm looking forward to it; it's going to be good to learn the inside ropes about what goes into benefits, hiring, firing, payroll, etc. I believe it will be an experience that will serve me in good stead later in life, and especially in CA. ;) Cons: The job is in Oakland, so I will most likely be BARTing every day; it's not a full 40 hours a week. Pros: I start on Monday; the pay per hour is better; it's specifically temp to hire (none of this "apply but we'll cut you loose with no warning" stuff!) and most distinctly: benefits -- health insurance, pro-rated vacation days, etc. -- start immediately.

Freddie, in light of all this, brought to my attention that it may be hard to understand why I'm applying to temp jobs. It's very simple: in my time here, I've applied to a lot -- a LOT -- of permanent jobs and gotten an interview with exactly...NONE...of them. In applying to temp companies, I've gotten every job I've had here. I can only assume that it's stating the obvious, but I'll say it anyway, that while I'm one 24 year old experienced admin assistant/writing tutor among an ENTIRE city of twentysomething experienced admin assistants/writing tutors using the same job sites and resources as everybody else, with a few recent and tenuous connections that haven't panned out, a temp agency that's been here for a mere 10 years has well established connections and companies loyal to them and merely needs a pool of applicants that's going to represent them well. By applying to agencies and not to specific jobs, I have basically have a well-established company promoting me for free in a way that I can't do for myself alone.

This system is, of course, successful and fulfilling keeping in mind one important tenet: I still have NO idea what I "really" want to do with my life. I'm aimless. If I were driven about being in publishing or working at the zoo or getting education credits to teach or going back to grad school, this system might be a waste of time. But I don't know what I want, and I need the time and the means to think about it and formulate a plan. Temp jobs are perfect for that. Once I start this job, I'll have three concrete local references to support me for any "real" job I seek and I'll hopefully have some money saved (I already do have a decent chunk in my savings account).

Please don't think that by applying to temp jobs I'm deliberately underachieving. I'm actually using the resources available to me in an optimal way.

I learned a ton of interesting stuff when I accompanied Mr. Jackson to the health & employment subcommittee of the SF Homeless Council. I'm going to try to make it into something cohesive and post it next.