Jobs and Senior Prom, a brief comparison

So after nearly a year of being an intern, three job openings have presented themselves. Not one, not two, but three.

This is worse than the time I ended up with three dates to prom senior year. I'll explain later.

Here's a run-down of the jobs I might be eligible for:

Production Name	Einsteins	Pinky	Turtles
Job Length	3 years	1-2 years	10 months
Benefits	after year 1	Maybe the whole time	No
Expected pay	Probably good	Dunno	OK
People I Know working there	Yes, tons	Dunno	A few
When does it start?	mid-August	early August?	As soon as next week.
What does the position entail?	Undecided as of yet.	Not known.	Nothing artsy.
Location	30 minutes away	15 minutes away	25 minutes away

I had been hoping for some time to get a job on project Einstein, but the producers were somewhat lukewarm. When I heard about the Turtles thing I decided to interview. That went really well, but I suspect that they might know that I might want to work on Einsteins. One guy at my current job wants me to work on Pinky. I'm not exactly sure why, but I know it has something to do with staying in a creative position.

So its hard to make a decision when I don't know the salary for two out of three of these things. I don't want to take the Turtles thing if it means only working for 10 months instead of 3 years. I don't want to work on Turtles then quit, because I'll seem like a jerk.

In fact, I might seem like a jerk by just turning it down now. I got the interview because a coworker's sister works on Turtles. I'm worried they'll both be mad at me if I don't take the job.

The animation industry in New York is so small that pissing off one or two people could prove to be a fatal mistake. Well, not literally fatal, but you know...

What does this have to do with prom? Allow me to explain...

My junior year I asked a sophomore who I thought was cute to prom. We'll call the sophomore Celdrix, obviously not his real name. Celdrix turned me down, saying something about not having enough money to rent a car (WTF?!) but mumbling that he did want to go, and next year maybe... I replied sarcastically "Riiiight... next year."

And I forgot about that incident until the next year. That year Celdrix had a class with me. He spent the whole year throwing paper wads at me (like spitless spitwads) and making fun of me and being generally juvenile. When prom rolled around he asked, "So we're going to prom, right?"

Good god no! He made fun of me all year, and then he expected to take me to prom?!

I had other plans. I thought Andy (that is his real name) and I ought to go to prom. He was friends with my group of friends and had no prom date. So I asked Andy. He turned me down in this manner:

ME: What do you mean no?!

ANDY: Well, I'm going to ask Jill again.

ME: What do you mean "again"?

ANDY: Jill already turned me down, but I think I can convince her.

ME: How many times has she turned you down so far?

ANDY: Four.

Jill had actually been "turning Andy down" and not just for prom, since the fourth grade. I knew she wouldn't go to prom with him, so I kept trying to convince Andy to stop being an idiot.

Meanwhile I had to find another date just in case. So I asked Jeff (I don't remember if that's his real name or not - maybe?) who was in a class I had and didn't have a girlfriend. He also said no, but claimed he would "think about it". So I went back to badgering Andy.

Prom rapidly approached, and Celdrix was pretty convinced we were going. Then Jeff recanted and said yes, then Andy came to his senses and said yes.

I went to Andy and he turned out to be the worst date ever. He slammed the restaurant door in my face, asked the waitress if she'd "washed her hands" and demanded we dance closer together than I was comfortable with (and said so in a rather lude way). Then he tried to grab my ass during the official prom photo!

Andy was the worst prom date ever! Later he turned out to be gay. Then he dated a girl and denied being gay. Then they broke up and he admitted maybe he was bi. Then he disappeared off the face of the earth. But that's not the point.

The point is, I chose Andy because he was my friend. He was the more familiar, that thus "safer" choice, but prom turned out to suck. Einsteins is the safest job choice where I can stay close to my friends and a company I already know quite well. However, that doesn't meant that the project might not totally suck and be a disaster.

Comments Individual Archive Index

June 30, 2004 05:16 PM, Ali said:

I wouldn't worry too much about "pissing people off" in regards to turning down jobs....as long as you're polite about it, and thank them for having offered, I don't think they would take it personally. People just like to feel appreciated, at the end of the day, you know?

As for which to take, though I selfishly want you at curious, I say go with your gut. Chances are that the pay on the three jobs will be similiar, and while job security is important one job tends to lead to another if you do it well.

So really, work with people that you want to work with. Abby offered me a job on Turtles, too, which is like my childhood dream....but I love the people at KND, and I feel like I'm part of a team and that I want to push through the nonsense with long distancing with scott so that I can stay here.

If you go with the team that you're most comfortable with, you're more likely to jive with your coworkers, and they are thus more likely to take you along on whatever projects they have in the future.

Regardless, they all sound like great opportunities. And I don't think ANY of them are likely to grab your ass. Really, you have more to fear from me in that department, since (as we all know) I am totally out of control.

June 30, 2004 06:28 PM, Steve Gilewicz said:

This reminds me of that one show where the girl has like 3 different dates on the same night and tries to do all 3 and it doesn't work out at all even though comedy abounds.
Which TV show you ask?
I don't know, YOU pick one, smartass!

You know what I got out of my Prom? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. And the worst part was that I could've very well used the money I spent for it on a perfectly good comic convention. Lousy peer pressure "You HAVE to go to PROM! It's PROM!", wish they were all dead. . . muttermutterpisspiss...

-Steve

July 1, 2004 02:43 AM, Maggie said:

Wow, I only went to the prom with two guys. One was my ex-boyfriend (we broke up a week before the prom, but we already paid for all the stuff, so we might as well go, right?) and the other was a friend of mine from all my smart kids classes, so we went as friends or whatnot. The lamest part of the prom was going to a comedy club afterwards and being made fun of for being the prom kids in a comedy club.

July 1, 2004 02:47 AM, Maggie said:

Regardless, you should take a job that will be best for your career in the field you like. Remember last time you chose a job because it was safe (ISO) - you weren't happy at all. If the job ends up being for a small amount of time, but you know this going in, worst comes to worst, you have 10 months to find a new job and you're getting more experience anyway as you work. Plus, you'll be meeting more people whether you like it or not - you might as well meet these people in a job you like possibly leading to more projects you'd like.

So what's Turtles anyway? If they're of the teenage mutant ninja kind, you should totally go for it.

July 1, 2004 03:56 PM, Erin said:

You're missing the point, Maggie. I'd make more money on a longer term project, whereas with Turtles I'd be out of work in 10 months.

Yes, it is the Turtles you're thinking of. I am working for them for a video game recording next week, which will be great, and a little extra cash. Plus I get to meet all the voice actors. I just met the voice of Splinter!

July 4, 2004 04:03 PM, MWF said:

You have tendency to ramble. The matrix chart is good idea.
What job would you feel most comfortable in?
Are creative requirements being fulfilled?
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING?
Short term and long term possibilities are important.
The prom is history. Boys are flakes at high school age. You know, dogs chasing cars, what do they do when they catch one?

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