Tuesday, December 18, 2007
And Back Up To The Icy North I Go
After leaving Italy, I spent 3 weeks in Seattle with my sister while waiting for graduation day to arrive. I had sent out numerous resumes to properties in both San Francisco and Seattle and interviewed twice while I was up in Seattle.
All through school they had told us that despite our degree, do not expect to command top dollar right out of the gates. Armed with this knowledge, I will admit that the compensation (aka pay) offered at the two places I interviewed at in Seattle was disappointing. They both acknowledged that with my degree I was a bit over-qualified for the positions. I was upfront that I was looking for advancement...not only to make use of my learned skills but so I could at least pay off student loans.
Of the two properties, the first place was in a flux of sorts. The chef had only been there a few months and was tasked with redesigning both the menus as well as the kitchen. There was no promise that I would be able to advance as quickly as I hoped but the chef saw that I had much to contribute and was willing to go back to HR to see if she could get me more money. The second place was a larger company that was very set in their program and could promise advancement three months down the line, but was set on the initial pay offer. I left Seattle thinking I might be able to do better in San Francisco.
All the time I was in Seattle I couldn't wait to be back in San Francisco. Not only was I more familiar with this city (having lived here for a year) but I was also more mobile. After my mother and sister left SF, I realized how harsh the city is. It's one thing to stay at the Hilton and quite another to be on your own. I saw the city once again as I had when I first arrived in August of 2006. The human condition here makes me sad and even though I have friends and have met with them, I still feel very much alone.
Within days, I received a call from the first property I interviewed at. They have come back with an offer that not only gave me more responsibility but also increased the pay. Without any other nibbles in San Francisco, I decided to take the offer and at the end of this week, will be driving back up to Seattle to start my new life and career.
All through school they had told us that despite our degree, do not expect to command top dollar right out of the gates. Armed with this knowledge, I will admit that the compensation (aka pay) offered at the two places I interviewed at in Seattle was disappointing. They both acknowledged that with my degree I was a bit over-qualified for the positions. I was upfront that I was looking for advancement...not only to make use of my learned skills but so I could at least pay off student loans.
Of the two properties, the first place was in a flux of sorts. The chef had only been there a few months and was tasked with redesigning both the menus as well as the kitchen. There was no promise that I would be able to advance as quickly as I hoped but the chef saw that I had much to contribute and was willing to go back to HR to see if she could get me more money. The second place was a larger company that was very set in their program and could promise advancement three months down the line, but was set on the initial pay offer. I left Seattle thinking I might be able to do better in San Francisco.
All the time I was in Seattle I couldn't wait to be back in San Francisco. Not only was I more familiar with this city (having lived here for a year) but I was also more mobile. After my mother and sister left SF, I realized how harsh the city is. It's one thing to stay at the Hilton and quite another to be on your own. I saw the city once again as I had when I first arrived in August of 2006. The human condition here makes me sad and even though I have friends and have met with them, I still feel very much alone.
Within days, I received a call from the first property I interviewed at. They have come back with an offer that not only gave me more responsibility but also increased the pay. Without any other nibbles in San Francisco, I decided to take the offer and at the end of this week, will be driving back up to Seattle to start my new life and career.
# posted by Gia @ 11:15 AM 
