January 19, 2006
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My heart feels waterlogged and I can’t stop shivering. My face is fevered and there are blotches on my chest. Below you’ll find an email that I had to send today. I wish I could write more about the injustice of it all, about the fact that I was fired for this nifty thing I lug around called a backbone. But I can’t. Names have been changed.*
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello all,
Well, as it turns out, I won’t be able to meet with you all about this
conference at the Writing Center on Friday.Jenn* contacted me tonight (Wednesday, 1/18/06) at 8:00 pm to tell
me that she needed to revoke my rehire status due to scheduling
complications. I am uncertain as to why the schedule I have maintained
for 1 1/2 years is no longer of use to the center and why I was not
informed of it until 2 days until the semester begins, especially
since my evaluations were favorable, I continually strove to further
the center with its mission, and new hires were added to the roster.
Nevertheless, I am extraordinarily thankful for the opportunity to
have worked at the center. All of you have been especially wonderful
to work with.I sincerely hope that my termination from the center will not
jeopardize my eligibility to assist this team with the presentation at
the Conference on College Composition and Communication, as it is a
project I would really love to continue. If it turns out that I can
participate in the conference despite my present lack of affiliation
with any college, I would be more than happy to meet with you all at
another location before or after the meeting on Friday. Caribou
Coffee, anyone? Let me know and thanks.Also, if it is not too forward, I would also like to inquire as to
whether any of you would be so kind as to let me know about any
part-time employment opportunities that you may encounter that you
feel would be suited to my skills. While the Writing Center was never
“just a job” to me, it was an income that I relied upon to supplement
my part-time Monday-Thursday schedule in the Marketing Department at
the Museum of Contemporary Art. I would like to continue my work in
academia and arts education, as I feel that it is my ultimate career
path.My resume is attached for your review, in case you are uncertain of my
qualifications. I am really grateful to you all for all your support
and I can only hope that the workplace that finds me next has
colleagues half as encouraging, human, and lovely as all of you. Keep
in touch.Best Wishes,
Truly
_________________________________________________________________________________Teaching Experience
Writing Consultant
Columbia College Chicago Writing Center: January 2003 – January 2006Tutoring:
• Writing tutor to undergraduate, graduate, ESL, and Learning Disabled students.Event Planning:
• Initiated The Never Ending Story collaborative writing event at Columbia’s annual orientation.Writing:
• Co-wrote a chapter, “Publicity, Play, Pedagogy: The Story of the Never-Ending Story” in Creative
Approaches to Writing Center Work, scheduled for publication in 2006 by Hampton Press.
• Co-wrote a presentation for the 2006 Conference on College Composition and Communication,
“Passing the Pen: Introducing Students to the Not-so-Secret Community of Writers.”
• Wrote and compiled materials for the Writing Center Resource Library.Writing Coach
College Summit: June 2004 – Present
Teach four-day personal essay writing workshops for high school students.Media Experience
Marketing Assistant
Museum of Contemporary Art: June 2004 – PresentWriting:
• Write weekly newsletters, including Concierge News and Committee Newsletters.
• Assist in generating advertising copy for museum exhibitions.
• Assist in creating MCA eNews.Event Planning:
• Cocktail receptions for international consul generals.
• Exhibition previews for concierges.
• MCA participation in Chicago cultural fairs and festivals.
• MCA participation in Greater North Michigan Avenue Association programs.Administrative:
• Maintain advertising budgets, departmental calendar, and manage committee work.Public Relations Intern
Harpo Studios: February 2003 – May 2003
Assisted PR associates during the taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show and maintained press clip files.Television Station Intern
WPWR, UPN 50: June 2002 – August 2002
Wrote on-air program promos and produced segments for the community affairs show, Concerning Chicago.Video Intern
KidzVid New Media: June 2000 – August 2000
Wrote, produced, and edited educational videos.Education
• Bachelor of Arts in Television Writing and Producing
Columbia College Chicago• Story Studio Chicago
Creative Writing Levels I & II
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hiring or know anyone who is for part-time positions in Chicago? If so, click email me.I work hard. I love people. I give a shit.
Comments (11)
Wow… I’m so sorry about that. That really sucks. Good luck with the job hunt!
Sorry to hear about it. I presume there were people who give less of a shit who were retained. This is how people champion mediocrity somehow.
On the bright side, the resume looks great. Good luck!
I have to say I found this shocking. I was just telling my sister yesterday that as far as bloggers who can tell an awesome tale you were the winner hands down. I’m sorry to hear this news. Your resume looks fantastic so I doubt you’ll be down for long.
That’s awful. The email you sent is very well-composed. I don’t think I’d be able to write like that in a similar situation.
I’m sure you’ll be able to find something soon. Maybe Bastetmax knows of something – she’s a writer living in Chicago…
Thanks so much for your comments–I am starting my real job search today, but you have all made me feel a bit better about things. I had a few nightmares last night, I cried this morning in the shower, and then I found all your lovely words while munching my scrambled eggs. Thank you.
This job that I lost was more than a job. I am greiving because I won’t meet new students this term–precious relationships lost. I am angry at the reasons for the job loss (Timshead, you are dead on about the mediocrity). I am worried about what to say when asked in interviews why I left. I’ve never been in this position before: usually people are hugely receptive to my dedication to doing the right thing. They think I’m brave. now I know why I’m usually spokesperson for many–why people are quiet when things get rough. Because its easy to shoot the messenger.
The good news: not having weekly access to the acedemic community and not getting to connect with new students this term has made me realise in a way I never have before that I need to work in the educational feild. It suits me and it is so natural feeling to me that without it feels like I’m breathing through an iron lung. I forgot that feeling. I can’t wait to afford grad school. But in order to do that I need another job to be able to save anything. So that keeps me moving.
Anyhow, thanks everyone for being so great–this community of writers really conforts me.
Goddamn it! It sounds like an economic thing to me.
I wish I knew of ANY jobs around here, but I’m out of the loop. My sister herself if thinking of getting out of the Art Institute (don’t tell Shaun), so that’s a no-go.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Why can’t they do these things with some kind of human feeling. Did they give you any sort of rational REASON?
RYC: I believe in reincarnation and karma, and I do believe that we recognize the souls we are supposed to be with. So the energy field tingle makes sense to me, too.
Rational reason: no. It was personal. I spoke up when others bit their tongue. I was interested in education and integrity. The new director was interested in being condescending and anti-student.
Good news: The Dean is shocked and appalled. Colleagues are appalled but not shocked. Everyone has been more than helpful passing along my resume to those who may find it interesting. Job leads already…I think this change may very well bring good things my way. And at least I can sleep at night knowing I am a good person who stands up for what is right and supports others in their educational pursuits, no matter the cost.
Sounds like a lot has happened since you posted this. I’m glad you’re keeping us updated. The new director sounds like an ass but it seems that some of the right people are aware of this. I’m happy things are starting to work out…and that they’ve started to work out so soon!
change is hard- esp when it’s not fair and done so poorly, but i would guess that you will find a position that will let you continue to grow and will let you be happy. and you know that you did what was right- even if it came w/ a high personal cost! hang in there. wish i had the perfect job to offer you! or that i was in your area…
You are a class act, Truly. That’s a tremendously graceful message to your colleagues under incredibly difficult circumstances. It’s times like these that remind me of the sentiment, “No good deed ever goes unpunished.”
As an aside, if it doesn’t sound too odious, you might consider technical writing. There’s usually a fair amount of temp work around, and generally it’s more about editing engineer-scrawl into coherent, grammatical sentences. You don’t necessarily have to know what the nouns and verbs mean to make sure they agree.
Best of luck.
Take care,
brad
I’m two days behind on this news, but my heart goes out to you. I was recently in a similar situation, and I landed on my feet in truly record time. My new job is everything better than my last, and I know you will find yourself rewarded for your courage and conviction in the same way. I just know it. It’s cliche to say everything happens for a reason, but without having been fired from my last job, I might well still be suffering through trying to “make a difference” in a destructive environment. Instead, I was given the gift of freedom to commit myself to something both more healthful and fulfilling.
And, when asked why you left your last job, it’s easy enough to be vague about not seeing eye to eye with the direction the management was taking and realizing it was time to move on. It’s true enough.