Come prepared to ND

When we came out here A was offered a job with a minimum contract of 5 years. He did not accept the job until we had his apartment lined up and his hotels for the month until his apt was ready lined up.

Ducks in a row

It’s how I operate. Then I started looking for a job. And was QUICK to realize, and be told flat out, “unless you’re here, don’t bother applying, we need people RIGHT NOW”. I offered to hop on a flight but refused until I had SOMETHING lined up.

Well, after four months of that bullshiznizzle, I finally came out just to come out. We had saved enough and the apt was cheap enough that we could afford for me to not “work”. I did MK gift baskets and made my bills that way.

We got married and I applied only for jobs that I actually wanted and in less than a week had my offer.

So here I sit at my job listening to some people talking about the hiring process (since it’s growing) and how they don’t understand people who “get off the bus and expect a job” and how they LOOK for people who are preplanning. OH REALLY!??!!?

So I jump in.

Since it was my experience that those who preplan will get a phone interview at MOST and even then it’s just a formality. I got three phone interviews because they didn’t have time to get everyone in the office so I don’t even think they realized that I wasn’t IN STATE when they were talking to me. EVERY. SINGLE. INTERVIEW. I was asked to come in for a  follow-up, if not offered the job just over the phone. The MOMENT I ‘hesitated’ and said the earliest I can be there is x/y/zz when they asked (which was stupid because it was on my application) … and never more than a week out (once A left I was packed and ready the next week)… silence. They would put me on hold or say they would call back while they talk to HR or whoever…

AND THEN NOTHING

I would have to call them and the response was the same, we need someone who is already here to start tomorrow, or next Monday, or whatever.

And yet. Here I am in the conversation about how they want people who are here and ready BUT are keeping their eye out for “fresh talent” who has their ducks in a row.

I could not make this shit up if I tried and I have a VERY active imagination.

I ran into the HR lady just after this conversation and asked, ‘hey, if I wasn’t IN ND when you called me (cause the application had to be submitted IN person) would you have done the phone interview and follow up”

THIS IS THE HR RESPONSE

“well, there is a sour note on most native ND’s tongue about people who come here EXPECTING a position the day they show up, EXPECTING to find housing that isn’t ‘spendy’ and what have you. But we do keep an eye out for someone that is worth waiting a few extra days for, but frankly if they don’t like it they can leave, we don’t need any of those welfare rats coming out here and complaining all the time.”

To avoid the argument I nodded and she smiled and said, “we’re glad to have you here and that you like our weather right!”

Again I nodded and walked away

I don’t even know what to make of it.

It’s a total catch 22, if you come out here “EXPECTING a job” cause, you know, people just come out here for fun, shits and giggles type crap…. You’ll be judged.

If you try to plan accordingly and get a position before making a move presumably across the country, you’re judged.

The guy that was at the center of this conversation, moved here in less than three days after his interview because he was from Michigan. Wasn’t a hard move, wasn’t a long move and he had spent some time planning out what he was doing. I respect that. But I also know that he didn’t exactly share the same interview experience that the IT dude is talking about.

Contractors

Our house was delayed by 14 weeks from what our builder called a “lack of contractors doubled with a lack of contractors calling back”. Well that’s just flipping great. Anyways, we got into our house so all is well and good on that. Though from looking at the floor plans, blue prints, and electrical design, I've now got a list of companies I will not employ.  Today let’s focus on Electrical.

Ben’s Electric was the company that did the electrical for our house during the building process, I will not being calling them back. 

I actually did call them when I was going down the list of electricians in the area but that was over a week ago, and they never even called me back to say that they GOT my call. So whateve’s on that part. 

Here’s my issue with them. Light switches are not correct. What the electrical layout says the switch should control (and a large part of what logic says it should control) it doesn't  Hall is on left and dining room on right, yet the light switch that is on the wall in the dining room that is adjacent to the hallway the switch to turn on dining room light is on the left and the switch for the hallway is on the right…. It’s like this in THREE other switches where there is more than one switch on a panel.

Then there is the issue of the outlets that are control by switches. Not the right ones. PERIOD. One on an East wall that should be controlled by switch isn't, but the one on the south wall is which is shouldn't be…

It’s just bad.

And now I’m finding out that there is no one in this town that will work on finishing my basement but me. 

Which is FINE cause after the few quotes I was able to get I’d be MUCH better served to do it myself. $6800 for drywall, tape (egh), texture and paint for not even doing the laundry room.  No. thank. You.

Let’s review. I've worked on houses before. The first time it was thanks to my step dad burning down our kitchen. Every room in the house needed work of some sort. It was at that time that we worked on converting the garage to a master suite. It came out pretty good. And because I was not allowed to have a life or take extra classes to get the hell out faster I was recruited for labor. Which was fine, I actually learned a few things. Drywall experience with tape. Never doing THAT again. No thank you. Then when I moved down to my Dad’s place to go to college and LIVE a life I helped him finish one of his garages and his office. 

Lots of practice with insulation, price comparisons, R-value comparisons, drywall, vapor shield, etc etc etc. on top of the fine art of SANDING. I've got to thank my Dad for really EXPLAINING every part of the process to me. Cause it really helped, not to mention the experience with Spackle  That is an apartment dwellers much needed skill… and I am a jedi-frickin-master with it.

We need the electrical done before I can put the insulation in. We also need the HVAC done too. That’s not totally necessary down stairs but if the walls are already exposed, why not! So here’s my problem, NO 

ONE IS COMING OUT TO WORK ON ELECTRICAL. I’m willing to pay for that since, one I have to it has to be done by a professional if I ever want the house to get refinance, but two… I don’t fuck with electricity, that shit will kill you!

So I've had one electrician come out to give me a quote, he came out, measured, talked with us (at length) about everything he’s doing and how good of a job he was going to do, and then, crickets! A’s called him several times and it’s either an excuse of not being home but the quote sheet is at home, or just not answering the phone. We spent all of April trying to get a hold of him to come out to do the work… NOTHING. So he’s off the list.

But at this point, I’d be thrilled if he called back with a quote. I probably wouldn't even care about the price. 

I take that back. My blood won’t allow me to be screwed.

And THIS is where I find myself.

PISSED .

Because no one is calling back.

No one is willing to take on a small side job like our basement.

AND ALL OF MY TIMELINES FOR FINISHING THE BASEMENT ARE BEING DEFERRED.

Which is then screwing with my budget!!! I wanted to get the basement taken care of so we could focus on paying down debt so we could refinance by the end of the year. But I need to know how much I’ll have to work with, so far I only know how much the supplies I will be working with will cost, and I since I've gotten NO quotes I have no idea how much to set aside for the electrician. If there is one thing I've learned from my parents about budgeting it’s always know your costs. If I don’t put enough away for electrician then it will come out of paint money, so then the basement is finished but not totally. And how long until we save the money for the paint?? Or what credit card will we not pay down.

Today my mission is to literally harass every electrician I can get a phone number for and against all that my blood will tell me I’ll probably schedule the person who gets back to me with the first fucking quote. 

THAT’s how desperate I am to get this done.

It’s crap like this that makes me pissy about ND. In Cali, I would've made at most three calls, all would've been there in less than a few days with EXCELLENT customer service. I would've made a decision and had a schedule for this weekend or next week.

Out here, they have so much work that they take people for granted. There is almost NO customer service; it’s not about building a relationship these days. And while I can respect the “get ‘er done” attitude, whatever company does my electrical will be the company I call in the future for any other electrical needs. From the looks of it we’re going to be here a good long while so I’d love to find someone that can be there with us.

End of rant.