Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Update

Yesterday I remembered that I hadn't filled out my time sheet that needed to be turned in today, so I decided to head to work and fill it out. When I got there, I saw that the Undersheriff was in his office. Seeing as P&P is part of the Sheriff's office, I decided to stop in and see if I could pick his brain a little bit regarding applying for the P&P position. We ended up talking for about 45 minutes about various things, everything from what it takes to be a P&P officer to what it takes to be a dispatcher. He told me that it would be a big loss to the county to lose me as a dispatcher because I'm shaping up to be one of the better dispatcher...to which I almost had to laugh, because that was the first time I've heard anything like that from anyone.

But talking to him really solidified some of my wants and needs in terms of a job/career. I'm tired of having a job that requires me to sit in one place idly for hours upon hours. I want a job that allows me to work face to face with people and make a difference in their lives. And I've realized that this job as a dispatcher has had a lot a negative influence on my self confidence as an employee. I miss feeling competent and like I'm good at what I do. At this point, I feel like I can still salvage some of that self confidence, but I don't know how much longer it will be before I start thinking that I'm completely worthless as an employee...and darn it, I'm better than that!

So today I went to the P&P office and had the chance to talk to the P&P office supervisor, Will. It was a good talk, for all that it was short because he was sick and heading home. He gave me a better idea of what a day in the life of a P&P officer looks like, which was great. Essentially, the majority of the job is paperwork, follow up and investigation into possible violations by clients. Other parts of the job include 1-on-1 meetings with clients, home/work visits, working with the Parole Board, making statements in courts, and if necessary, arresting clients.

I think the investigation part would be really fun, and I would love to have a job that keeps me busy all day long instead of one that keeps me insanely busy for a few minutes and then ridiculously bored for the next couple of hours.

Anyway, tomorrow I get to take on the lovely task of telling my boss that I'm applying for a new job. If it were a bigger city, I wouldn't bother. But this is Baker, and the job I'm applying for works closely with my current job. I figure it's better for my boss to find out from me than through the grape vine. After that, I will feel free to put in my application, which is all ready to turn in.

Well, it's time for me to head to A'Diva to get my hair cut. Tonight is active shooter training for work, which should be a ton of fun.