Things are changing at work. Well, most likely so.
I officially found out that I made it through both rounds of interviews and was being put into the "pool." It's an odd system of promotion, and not even really an immediate promotion. It's the ASG (Agent Support Group) Pool, consisting of eight people. It was down to three, but it's back up to eight as of this week. We're there to cover existing ASG's breaks, vacations, etc. We're also the pool of people from which new ASG's are selected as needs arise (ASG's going on to different jobs, new teams forming, etc). And, apparently, we're going to be performing some additional roles, though I'm not really clear on what.
I actually found on Sunday. Due to some things that happened, I was fairly certain that I had not actually made a good enough impression in round two of interviews. I was already coaching myself on different strategies. I typically interview very well (a natural gift) but couldn't quite read one of the people conducting the interview. When a list came out for scheduled interviews for a different job at the office, and my name appeared on the list, I assumed I hadn't made the cut and was now being released to interview for the other job.
Our night manager, and my former supervisor (before he was promoted to manager), Jeff, came by my desk on Sunday, shaking his head, looking all doom and gloom. I knew immediately it was all good news because he LOVES to give people a hard time (in what I think is pretty obvious that it's just teasing, though some people misread him). He was shaking his head, saying something about being sorry about the outcome that I couldn't quite hear because I was on a call. Then he gestured for a pen. I handed it to him and he wrote "YOUR IN" on the back of a card. I really wanted to cross out "YOUR" and write "you're" but, instead, I just said "Thanks!" After that, he whispered, "Don't tell ANYONE."
His "anyone" was a bit too loud, and someone heard. That someone had been asking me for days if I have heard anything. So when I walked by later, I knew I was going to be asked, because I knew this someone had heard the "ANYONE." So I simply leaned over and said, "I don't know anything. Officially." He got the point. And then blabbed to Jeff. Jeff found me later and gave me a good routine of him pretending to be furious with me. I knew he was somewhat miffed, though not nearly as much as his demeanor indicated. He does, after all, think I'm cool. And he thinks I'm funny. Anyway. I apologized, he declared his forgiveness (which he later retracted when he realized he could milk the "I'm mad at you" thing for a few more days) and all was well.
I learned that I can't tell someone secrets. :)
Anyway, it was officially announced on Monday and I could stop pretending I didn't know anything and start finally accepting all the congratulations that were coming my way. It was later Monday that I found out I'd be moved from my current team, and my current shift (I ***LOVE*** the shift I currently have) starting next week. My new team is a NEW team (the supervisor was just promoted in December, and a fair portion of his team are new agents), with a closing shift (4:15 PM to 1 AM) with lousy days off (Wednesday and Thursday). Goodbye, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday off. Goodbye 12:45 to 11:30. Goodbye THREE days to work overtime.
With the shift change coming, there's also a site-wide shift bid so management can better match staffing to call volume. Like everyone else, I am required to rank the 14 shifts offered in order of my preference (and have already done so), submit my bid and await my new shift assignment. It may be entirely irrelevant, however. If my shift bid doesn't put me somewhere I'm most needed, I'll just be moved. So I'm going to start a new shift on Monday, another new shift in roughly a month, and possibly ANOTHER new shift somewhere down the road. That's all OK though. I don't really have many obligations that make any certain shift mandatory for me.
I enjoy the four, ten hour day shift I currently have (and those that will be offered in the shift bid) because they allow me to use one day of paid time off and get a four day mini-vacation (thanks to the way the days off fall). But the chances of me getting one of those when I actually promoted to full-fledged ASG are fairly slim given that I'd be the newbie and therefore have NO seniority. I do want to keep the Pamelabrandon Day tradition going, though we're gonna have to move it to a different day (something Pamelab herself already suggested).
I will be working physically nearer the guy I consider my mentor, Herb. I've learned quite a bit about him. Before he was promoted, Herb was my ASG. He taught me a TON, and he was the one who encouraged me the most as I considered applying. There were several other ASG's and supervisors, as well as fellow agents and our manager encouraging me as well, but Herb's support seemed to ring out above all of that. In many ways, Herb is like a father to me. Now, I only have one father, and no one can ever take his place. But there's a cool bond I have with the old goat hisself (his title for himself), and I truly do consider him a mentor, and not just with work related stuff. He's on the same shift as I'll be on starting next week, with different days off. My new team is literally across the aisle from his. No more walks across the building to say "Hey" to Herb. He'll be right across the aisle.
I'll really miss my current team, as well. Well, some of them anyway. My supervisor is absolutely golden. To paraphrase my own mentor, my current supervisor is a man who sees the worth in everyone. He'll go over and beyond for anyone, and he'll fight for anyone on his team. Like I said, he's absolutely golden. I'll miss working with him each day and learning more about what it takes to be a fair supervisor where we work. I'll also miss some of the agents on my team, especially the guys in my bay. Though I will be glad to put some distance between myself and some of the others on the team. I'll only be in the building two days a week (much different days off) that they're also there.
The biggest downside is I won't get to talk with Christopher as much. That has me seriously bummed. He's an hour ahead of me, and working until 11:30 each night already presents a problem often enough since he has things to do each morning and needs to get to bed at a decent time each night. Now I won't be home until 2:00 AM his time, and often MUCH later since I'm sure they'll find ways to pass closing ASG duties off to me (essentially staying until the last agent is off a call). That whole thought of not being able to talk to him as much makes my heart sink every time I think about it. We'll find some way to adjust, I suppose.
But overall, it's bringing changes my way. Changes in sleep patterns. Changes in duties at work. Changes in what the future holds for me there. But I tend to dig change, lately, so this is all mostly good. And it's a good stepping stone to get me where I want to go within this company.
