CAREER?!

Posted by nicoles on September 21st, 2006 filed in Uncategorized

Holy crap.

So next week, I go from a pretty cushy (if bland, and horribly far) job in IT, to a job where I’m making things for a glass studio.

Holy crap.

I spent the day at the studio on monday, they had me design a system to move a series of swivels to different points on the face of a giant custom kiln they have. They run cables through the glass in the kiln, and then weight it at various points. So I designed this rail system, and then they bought the metal and I started to weld it together. It seems like it’s gonna work really well, but there was far too much work to do in a day, so I left instructions on how to finish it in case I didn’t end up working there.

Well, I’m gonna go in and finish it. And when it’s done, they’re gonna have me make something else. And so on. It sounds completely awesome and fun, cause I’ll be making *things* all the time. And I get to design them, and make them how I want, and on and on and on. I’m so excited. I’m gonna learn so much!

But jesus christ is this ever scary. I’m taking a significant pay cut to work there, and I won’t have health insurance through work for the first while. (anyone have any good tips on private insurance?)

I feel like this is the right thing to do, but I mean, I’ve been fooling with tech my whole life. I’ve been fooling with building things for a year and a few months.

I’m so scared. I’m really excited.

p.s. It’s in San Francisco!


No Responses to “CAREER?!”

  1. edrabbit Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 17:38

    glad to hear you’ve decided.. Don’t get scared, you’ll be fine and you’ll get to explore a completely different job. Plus you’ll be in San Francisco with the rest of us! :)

  2. sc0oby Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 17:40

    Hey there friend! Long time no see :)

    I say do what makes you happy. If you need to go back to a tech job, fine.. but give this a chance, you never know what else you might get out of it :)

  3. nicoletbn Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 17:45

    Yeah, that’s what I’m doing!

    This is basically doing professionally everything that I’ve gotten so much out of doing in my off time. I’ll be learning all sorts of amazing tools (they have a sand blaster! three kilns! a terrible welder! and more!!) and building up really neat skills! I’m completely excited! It’s just… terrifying as well, yknow?

  4. whelpdog Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 17:57

    For the insurance, I just got this email from the ArtFag Mafia:

    We Have Healthcare for everyone!!!
    Health Insurance for Artists… (Really)
    Health insurance is expensive. It’s something we all need, but few of us can pay for on our own, especially when we’re getting by on arts industry wages. The ArtFag Mafia with Fractured Atlas has addressed this problem by providing its members with access to some very affordable health insurance options starting at only $49 a month in California. We also have a dental plan that starts at $9 a month. By contractual obligations we have to have all the details in our member’s only section of the site.

    I’m thinking of signing up myself; still have to read the details.

  5. rednfiery Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 17:57

    holy crap! no wonder you’re scared. that’s a huge change. but it sounds so awesome…i bet you’ll do great!

    and, hopefully, the money-and-benefits part will sort itself out in the end.

    congratulations. :)

  6. nicoletbn Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 18:00

    Oh, DUH. I RENT THERE! I need to talk to Norville!

    THANK YOU!

  7. buckminster Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 22:55

    i didn’t realise how cool your new job is. it’s way cool. wanna trade for my IT job?

  8. nicoletbn Says:
    September 21st, 2006 at 23:05

    I bet your job has healthcare and makes 10k/yr more!

    I don’t really wanna trade though, no. Hopefully I rock at this, and it leads to better salary or something.

    Alternatively, I could stop spending so much fucking money, but I’m realizing I don’t really want to do that just yet.

  9. andrea_lambda Says:
    September 22nd, 2006 at 12:16

    ‘Grats! :)

    The pay cut sucks, but there’re things more important, such as doing something that makes you feel fulfilled at the end of the day. (But money’s still important, ‘cos I’d like to hang out with you more often!)

  10. owen Says:
    September 24th, 2006 at 19:14

    Health Insurance

  11. zestyping Says:
    September 24th, 2006 at 22:00

    I think it’s super wonderful that you are doing this. Congratulations on doing what you love! I think being scared like this can be a good thing, in a way.

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