miss_yt: (Sokka by Darkchan)
miss_yt ([personal profile] miss_yt) wrote2007-10-17 07:01 pm
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Meeeeeeh...*flop*

I got a job! It's a research job, in which I do stuff like look at emergency response procedures for different universities and write little reports on them for a comparative study. But there's also administrative duties, which seem (so far) to consist of answering the phone. The thing is, the job I applied for was just the research, which I could do from home. During the interview I was told I'd only have to come into the office once a month. Now what I have is a situation where I come in two days a week and work about twelve hours total. The drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit is 45 minutes. And it's not exactly easy, especially the bit on the M-10.

Anyway, when I mentioned my new work schedule in an e-mail to my mother, she kind of freaked out. I'd already told my parents about how the job would work out, and that I'd try to negotiate for doing most of it at home. That didn't happen because, as it turns out, most of the employees come in from Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti (the next town over) so my situation is not special. Mom says that the gas and wear on the car is not worth it, that this job is not worth as much as my safety (because it's a long drive, and my previous attempt to drive in bad weather did not go well), and that she thinks I'm being taken advantage of.

I think it's a good job. The pay is decent, I can learn a lot and it would be very good on my resume. I may even be able to turn it into a summer internship (which I need for credit). I don't like the long drive but I can do it, and though I got into an accident a few weeks ago, it just means that now I know to be careful. I'm going to have to do stuff like this some time.

I can't believe my mother is basically upset because I did not get a job with someone who will accommodate my every whim, more or less. She says I should ask my roommates if this job is a good idea, but I suspect that they'll say it's pretty good and that, as regards the driving thing, it's something a lot of people have to do and just something to put up with. I already signed an agreement about how my schedule would work, fill out a W-9 form (I am technically a subcontractor, to them) and a form for direct deposit of my paychecks. It doesn't mean I can't quit, but it means I've gone to a lot of trouble.

So, what's the verdict? Are my parents freaking out over not-very-much-really?

[identity profile] tempus-aeterna.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Chances are that at some point in your life you will be working in a situation where you will have to commute every day to work by car. In addition if you ever have kids and live in a suburb you will be driving them all over the place. Right now is a safe time for you to learn how to do it. You don't have other people in the car to distract you from learning how to drive in inclement weather. You don't have to be at work every day. And if something happens, you can quit the job and it's not the end of the world financially.

I think that your mother, once again, is being over protective and freaking out about things she doesn't think you are capable of doing. You can learn to drive in bad weather, it just takes practice. If you don't do it now, the one time you will need to do it in the future you won't be able to because you haven't practiced.

I think it's a good idea (unless of course the paycheck doesn't at least cover the gas and wear on the car).

[identity profile] miss-yt.livejournal.com 2007-10-17 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it does. The salary is 13 dollars an hour, 12 hours a week, and the gas for the commute is 32 dollars a week. Not sure how to figure the wear and tear on the car, but I think I should be covered.

[identity profile] tempus-aeterna.livejournal.com 2007-10-18 12:48 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah. Then I think you are fine.
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[identity profile] desdenova.livejournal.com 2007-10-18 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
Your parents are nuts. Ann Arbor to Detroit suburbs is *really* not a significantly-huge commute, all things considered. People drive farther than that for worse jobs all the time. You're an intelligent, capable woman; if everybody else at the company can manage, you can too!

And you can listen to audio-books in the car, so it's not totally wasted time!

As for driving, the only way you'll get better is by doing it. After a few months of driving back and forth, you'll be super.