You finely honed your resume and cover-letters to the jobs you really wanted. You made it through the recruiter interview (whether in-house or independent). You also met with your potential new colleagues, the boss, and the boss’s boss. Whew!
After all that, they made you an offer of employment. Now what? You might just think to jump right in, do the onboarding paperwork, and you’ll find out everything you need to know later, right? Not so fast, you can’t make an informed decision without asking the proper questions of the recruiter or HR manager.
1) Health plan: Is there a waiting period before it is available to me? Are there different plan levels? What is the employee contribution (full contribution or a percentage of the plan premium or a set amount)? I assume any employee contribution would be on a pre tax basis.
2) Dental & Vision: Same questions. Is there a waiting period? Are there different levels? What is the employee contribution? Full contribution or a percentage of the plan?
3) Is Pet Insurance offered? If so, at what cost?
4) I understand it’s a 40 hr work week. Is there overtime? How is overtime paid ? After 8 or 10 hours, is that straight time, time and a half, or double time after a certain amount of hours have been reached? Also, how long is the contract for (if going through an outside hiring agency)? 12 months to convert contract – or extend. Will this position convert?
5) Is there a retirement plan? A 401K ? If so, is there a company match up to a certain percent? What is the waiting period to join the plan ? What is the vesting schedule for any company contribution if any?
6) How many vacation days are offered per year? How many sick & personal days are allotted? What holidays are offered?
7) Working on holidays (which I personally love working). How is that compensated (i.e. Payback day(s), regular pay, 1.5 pay, 2x pay, or something else)?
8) Personal growth: Is there reimbursement for courses for skills to enhance training for the growing skillset?
9) Commuting, tolls, parking reimbursement to defray the cost. Is there a commuter plan (if you’re not working remotely)? Is there Transit checks, or Wageworks? If there is a plan, how much is that every month? Do you offer a pre-tax transit plan if the employee has a contribution they must make?
We all have to think beyond the initial offer to really see what the full compensation would be. It varies wildly from company to company. So, do Post offer research questions, before you sign anything. It is merely outlining everything for you so you can make an informed decision.
After a full summer of PGA Tour Golf, Horse Racing, Auto Racing, and Bowling, so many events I don’t think I could list all of them. It was time to head back to the University for my second year. It was also the start of Football season, a whole new sport that I hadn’t worked on – YET. It was the first in-season game the Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles @ Veterans Stadium.
I finished my last class on Friday at 2pm, I had already packed my car, and was Ready To Go. I now had a Chevy Cavalier that my brother fixed up for me to drive. So, off I went from Northern NJ, to Pennsylvania just a few hours to drive. My first football game, the cabling was basically set, but the skill set for Football, is vastly different than for Golf, Horse & Auto Racing. But, what I did know, and always brought with me was the willingness to learn and grow from each experience and to build upon each one. The Field Production and Technical Managers were more than willing to show anyone with the curiosity to learn what they knew too. It was an amazing time in life. The possibilities were endless, as long as I was open to them. That remains true today too.
“Our intention creates our reality.” – Wayne Dyer
I had made a Co-Op for my major out of this freelance job, and I was also getting paid to do it (I was “promoted”, and now made $75/day instead of just $50/day), Incredible opportunity. To ensure I didn’t miss many classes I was able to make all of my classes start on Tuesday and run to Friday.
I got to Veteran’s stadium a few hours later, parked in the designated area, and checked in with my PM. They were working with the blimp guy at the time, so I listened and took notes just to understand what he needed and when. Old school style still, pen and small notepad. Ok, we printed out the crew schedule, I posted it, made sure everyone knew their call times, made sure everyone had turned in their paperwork to onboard, and we were set to go. It was late, so off to a nearby hotel we went. Simple digs, but comfortable, but also no other young women were working the event so I was alone. I didn’t go to the gym that night, I went to sleep!
The next 2 days, I was raring to go, I got to the site early and opened up the production trucks and got everything ready for the PMs and TMs. Because, if I was on-time, I was already late! We spent the day planning and setting up telecom, and other technical aspects of the broadcast. We gave updates to the SVPs that were going to come to the game, ensured that we had badges for all, and knew exactly where they would be seated. I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but I thought it was because I wanted to not just a good job, I wanted to do a great job. I enlarged travel directions to fax to all the execs, and received confirmation that they had gotten them. I think we’re set.
Monday, here it is – game day. Later than expected, I was asked to go pick up some other supplies that the blimp guy had asked for at the last minute. It was getting dark out, but – No Problem. They usually sent us out in pairs, but everyone else was busy, so I was told to take one of the rental cars, pick up the gear at a local store, and come right back. Again, no problem. I called the store, they had the items ready, so off I went. But, I made a wrong turn, I had no idea where I was, and it wasn’t good.
There were abandoned cars, and heaps of garbage everywhere, I kept driving thinking I’d get to a street on my printed map. I didn’t. Suddenly there were 2 cars that blew passed me on each side, I slowed down to nearly a stop.
“Whew”, I stopped at the top of the block, that was crazy! I’m not done… At the end of the block there were a few cars facing each other and suddenly the men jumped out of the cars, pulled out guns, and started to shoot at each other! I saw the whole thing. I saw people get shot! It was like a movie, almost not real, except it was, and again I saw the whole thing! I didn’t know what to do. I put the rental car in reverse to back up, and went down a side street shaking, terrified, discombobulated, numb, those were real people, that was real…..
Finally, I saw a police car and drove straight to it. I rambled nonsensically on and on and on to the officers about what I saw, not even sure what it was that went on, and even though I wasn’t sure of the name of the street it all happened on.
I knew nothing. Ok, I knew the color of the cars and makes and models since I used to be a “helper” to my brother when he fixed cars, but other than that, I couldn’t give a good description of the people involved, it all happened very quickly. They took my statement, and where I was staying, I even gave them the pay-phone for my dorm floor if they needed to reach me after I went back to NJ.
Shakily, I asked the officers how to get to the store I was looking for, it wasn’t far, I picked up the supplies and returned to the production area dazed, worn-out, and still shaking a bit, but I DID feel safe with the crew. I never went out alone again btw. Focusing on work, and getting everything ready helped after a minor break, everything was done.
The PM had me sit with him for the remainder of the game, someone else would take the execs to their seats. We broke down in 3 hours what it took 3 days to build up, which always amazed me, and I decided to goto the hotel, check out right away and go back to the University. I didn’t want to be alone in the hotel room, I wanted to be back at school as soon as possible. Not my greatest idea, I was tired, still stunned, and then I had to walk to the dorm from the far dark parking lot alone at 6am. I got back safe and sound, my roommate was asleep, I quietly took a shower and tried to sleep.
Now what? I didn’t know, thoughts were racing through my mind, they undermined my confidence, it was shot (no pun intended) for the moment. But this too shall pass, won’t it? “Should I continue this life?”, “this was a fluke”, “what just happened”, “should I tell me parents?”, “should I tell anyone?” The sound of the live gunfire still perfectly resonated in my mind. Those men are probably dead – OMG!
I never did hear from the Philadelphia police, I DID tell my parents, I DID go on to do the entire season of MNF. I left school every Friday (even the following Friday after the shooting) after my 2pm class ended, whether I drove or hopped on a plane, I’d get to the site, set-up, break-down, go back to the University and made most of my classes. I continued to study on the plane – no matter what.
Lessons Learned: Don’t let fear stop you ever. Fear doesn’t stop death, it stops life. Face Everything And Recover, it does get better. The memory is still here as I am writing this – it’s palpable even now, but I know I have the tools to handle it. Friends, family, therapists, there’s no shame in admitting you need it. It is what it is. Not to be cliché, but I cannot change the past, nor was anything my fault, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Keep moving forward No Matter What.
That was the first time I ever saw anyone get shot, but it wasn’t the last.
That's News To Me 