Yesterday I received a call from a company that was looking for Proofreaders. I was skeptical but was curious as to what this job entailed. Honestly, when I applied for the job I wasn't too keen on joining this relatively unknown company and I didn't feel any reason to commit to it, but I was intrigued that they were a non-voice BPO and dealt with e-book for companies in the US and in Europe.
This morning I went to Eastwood and made it barely in time for my scheduled interview (I would've been there sooner if I had flagged down a taxi when I needed one -- but hey! I was on time!). I wasn't too impressed with the building they were located in -- four floors, no elevators, and I didn't see the company's name anywhere. As I came to unit 302 I was surprised to see a door filled with book covers published some time ago. I felt deceived as the website I visited the previous night showed nothing to do with books, but at the same time I was comforted that I had found myself in the publishing industry -- or some form of it.
I was let in by the secretary who asked me to take a short exam. The proofreading exam required me to compare the scanned pages of a book with the ebook that it was converted into. Normally, the conversion tool is 90% accurate, meaning you'd find lots of mistakes. I was to note down the page number, the original error, and beside that the correction. For example:
102 - inside the lockde cabin was- inside the locked cabin was
I was given fifteen minutes for three pages -- I didn't finish. I was half way through the third page when I was asked to stop. After fifteen minutes the boss asked me to step inside a private room for the actual interview. He was impressed with my examination but quickly asked whether I could keep this up for eight hours a day, six days a week. He asked if I was okay with doing tedious work that required me to stare at a computer screen all day. He pretty much pointed out that this probably wasn't what I'd be interested in doing in the long run, especially with the low salary. I admitted that I applied for the job out of curiosity, but expressed my interest in the ebook industry.
He then gave me an education about the ebook industry, talking about their customers at Barnes and Noble, the evolution of the ebook format, and how the iPad had corrupted the ePub format by making it a single-platform through the use of DRM.
He told me that as a Lasallite (or a La Sallian) I was probably more ambitious, probably searching for a business related vocation which would prepare me to start my own business. He guessed that I didn't have any long-term plans for staying with the company, which he found to be a shame because he was searching for new proofreaders. He then asked me what I expected for a starting salary. I gave him a figure and he said he had a position that paid that much, but it required background knowledge and experience, which I had none of. He wracked his mind for job openings that I might be interested in, but the company was too small. In the end, the only thing we could come up with was a 1-year contract as a freelance proofreader, and maybe a promotion in the future. I thanked him for his time and consideration, and for the education about the ebook industry. I left. I felt sad.
The guy was really nice. He was amiable and tried to accommodate me knowing I had higher expectations. I was in an industry that I liked, and would be able to "read" books. At the same time, I knew I couldn't accept a job that paid so low. I knew my living expenses would outweigh my potential income. I knew I didn't want to stare at a computer screen all day (although that's pretty much all I do now). I just felt bad that my priorities were different than I thought they were.
Imagined Priorities:
I wanted a job that I could do well (and apparently, I'm a pretty good proofreader). check
I wanted good pay. no check
I wanted irregular work hours. check
I wanted an accessible location. check, no check, depending if I work there or at home
I wanted something with a future. half-check
I wanted something to do with writing. no check
I wanted a good boss. check
Actual Priorities:
Good pay.
It's kind of ridiculous. I find my pride is getting in the way. I know I'd compare myself with my more successful friends if I took the job. I feel like the job would be a poor return on investment. I feel like the job is for high school drop outs (his words). It's not a great job. But I feel like I'm turning it down for the wrong reasons.
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