Sigh

Well, I finally had my meeting with the Big Boss (BB) yesterday (he travels a lot so he is hard to track down). The purpose of the meeting? To tell him that I appreciated my time there but the stress was too much and I'd been offered a job at a nice quiet little graphic design firm (and to make sure he didn't consider it a violation of my rather restrictive non-compete agreement).

It didn't go as planned... of course. Things started to get weird while I was waiting outside his office and the IT director came up to me and said "So, how much of my salary would I have to give you to get you to stay?"

I was literally speechless. First of all, how did he know, and second, gee was I that valuable to the IT department?

I finally managed to say "I guess word got around." He actually sat and we talked for a few minutes. I've actually enjoyed working with him, as well as most of the other IT guys. He was very complimentary and said that since I had started up in Graphics, their lives were so much easier because I handled all the day-to-day crises that come up with the equipment there; then he was worried that they were putting too much on me. I said no, I liked that work; it was the insane architects' deadlines in production that stressed me out.

Then he left and I heard raised voices from the BB's office and thought, 'oh great, he's going to be in a bad mood.' But then he comes out all smiles and takes me in to the conference room. I think he knew what I was going to say. So I made my little speech and I'm barely done when he starts in with 'I appreciate you comng to me, you did the right thing,' followed by telling me that everyone loves me and he desn't want me to leave and he can tell who are good people instantly, etc., etc. and says he wants to start a marketing department and I could work there, or he wants to restart their graphics department, or I could be the regional technology expert "and you could travel around to all the branches..." at that point I must have made a face because he said "Or not." LOL! That was two of the things I hated about the consulting job: driving around all over town, and meeting people. I want my nice little Metro ride and a desk where it's quiet and I don't have to interact with a whole lot of people, especially clients. Argh. Oh and about the stress he said "Maybe you are being too conscientious." Too conscientious?! That's a new one.

Anyway, he practically told me I could write my own job description, and said "of course we'll want to review your salary as well." I said I would give it more thought. Talk is easy; none of these new things would appear instantly, and there would be negotiations and getting it all in writing...

Still, I find myself in a position that most people would find enviable: I have an offer at what seems to be a great little design place, and my current employer is apparently willing to throw money at me and let me completely change my job just to keep me.

Yet I'm miserable.