Office shuffle

With the encouragent of co-workers and Facebook friends, I decided to try for an in-office promotion as Accountant Trainee. Pros - It would mean a good raise which would help offset a little the cutbacks from
state budget woes &; the reduction in support payments in December when Benjamin turns 18. On the flip side- leaving my boss L; getting a higher responibility &; stress position. I had looked at the test - a self evaluation of skills &; knowledge - and felt pretty overwhelmed.

My co-worker, R, not only is very smart & an accounting major, but her dad helps write these tests and coached her when she took it. She got ranked level 4, the lowest passing rank. But she thought I
should try. I figured it was a win-win situation. Promote and get more money or stay where I am comfortable - nothing to lose. So, I decided to try. First, the test website was down. Then our computer was too
old and slow. Then a dentist appointment eliminated time to take it atvwork. Finally, the day before the promotion application deadline, I worked up the nerve, got to the office early enough and logged on to
do the application to take the test to qualify to apply for the promotion. And was rejected. Not qualified. As nearly as my coworker friends and I can deduce, I need to take Cost Accounting.

Although, this was supposedly a win-win situation, I felt a loss and felt like a loser.  Leave it to me to lose in a win-win situation!  Even though I had been pretty afraid of what if I did get this promotion - would I be happy?? I was feeling pretty down about not getting it.

Then came an email from my boss's boss - staff meeting in 5 minutes. Those of us summoned were anxious.

Domino effect. Maybe 3 or 4 levels up, our office had openings. Qualified employees in the office are being promoted- leaving openings. Another level of workers are back filling their positions. That is happening two or three times. R is promoting to Accounting Officer - still in our unit! : ) and I am promoting to Accountant 1 in her place!! (I took that oral exam months ago and really thought I embarrassed myself - I knew almost nothing - but they wanted me to pass, so they passed me)

It seems very odd that that Accountant 1 is much lower and less paid than Accountant Trainee, but that's the way it is.

Actually the pay range for Accountant 1 starts below what I am earning now. I am pretty sure they don't put you back though! I should at least start earning what I am now, and maybe with a small raise. The pay range will go higher than the range I am in now, however. Not a lot, but higher. And I will be finaaly able to take government accounting classes. (yippee)

Probably around March 1, I wil change jobs and cubical, but I will still be under my good boss, L. Change is hard and scary, but it will be good. I think.

I will move from the gold fish bowl - or if you prefer - open airiness - of the front desk - which I pretty much like - to a smallish cubical with a fax machine and a copy machine on the other side of one of my cube walls and a co-worker who often cries and is rumored to burp alot on another. ( The third side has a pleasant and quiet co-worker.  The fourth is the open side.  Across from me is a man who works half days.) Not exactly a big move up, cubical wise.  The gal who was in this cube is moving WAY up, a big cube by the window!  R, who could have moved to my future new cube for some strange reason opted not to. I wonder why.  -)   I am sure I will adjust.  One plus - sitting at the front desk as I have been I realize that it might be bad form to take a nap at my desk.  In my new and future cube, I can if I want.  Then again, there goes valuable online time.