I can't describe in words the joy and transformation my life has under gone since my career change. I left recently from a 9-5 little family owed business to finally fulfilling my dream of being a fire fighter. I spent 10 years of my life at that company and have little to show for it, besides the fact I left on my own to do something that they could or would never match. During that 10 yrs and some prior, I was actively seeking employment with a fire department. Think I applied to over 3 dozen entrance opportunities, which are extremely extensive and probably the most competitive job interview process known. However, that said, during my time there it went from good to decent to beyond toxic. I literally could write a novel of all the lies, BS and complete garbage that took place there. The last 2 years were the worst. Honestly it's so much, it's hard to paraphrase. Because I dont feel like writing a LOTR novel, I'm going to cliff note thisas best as I can:
My old boss was in my opinion a habitual lier, that would say things or promises to make you feel good and when that time would be due, nothing. My account from his promises, I'm still owed at least 50 to 60 thousand in bonuses and pay that was never fulfilled. He would mention a raise and 2 months would go by nothing. I'd bring it, he'd say it's on the next check and nope. My last raise was 6 months in the making. I can't go after it because there was no official documentation. Just his word to me. During my time there my department went from 3 people to just me. I was in charge of nearly 40% of the business which was about 3.2 million in sales. I was making about 50k a year for basically making sure the lights stayed on. Then our shipping guy retired and I was asked to cover it till someone was found. I basically was doing the work of 4 employees. If I truly did not show up, nothing was done. No one could cover me. Essentially I ran the sales business. This went on for about my last 4 years. During those years he had a Vegas style video recording system installed throughout the building. My area of 300 sq ft had 16 cameras and 6 listening devices. I had 3 cameras and 1 listening device over my desk alone. Ever since those were put in, he cut his hours at the office. I'm certain they were put in for the sole purpose of watching me and the other few employees from his house.
Now covid is when things got bad. I had found out he had gotten PPP loan money, laid off employees and “hired” his 2 kids to pay them, him and his wife ( who hardly worked till then) and the few others that came back. Yes, he fired regular employees and paid his children, whom never were on payroll, instead. I found old tax returns one day and saw that him and his wife make 300k on payroll a year. Plus the company paid for their vehicles, gas, insurance, internet and cable, phones, food and more. The company card would have 30-50k a month on it from them. Even their kids had access to the card too. All the while he had settled a lawsuit from competitors that went back and forth from the Supreme Court twice. I saw the wires go through and I estimate he won 40ish million. I recall he made a comment about the win to us. He said ” life will change.” Well for him, not for me yet that is. His dad use to work at the company and had bad dementia in his later years. Somehow he was messing with money in the safe and lost a bag of 100k in cash. A few days later I happened upon that bag in some obscure place in the warehouse that eventually would have been found, but by whom though. We have random people from delivery drivers, pest control, etc. That would be walking around back there. I took the bag to him and his words were… Oh there it is….. No thank you. No praise, no nothing. I counted that money. 100 grand in unmarked hundreds. They had already wrote it off as lost. Thankfully the one aspiring to be a fireman found it and did the right thing. What really broke my last nerve there was when covid made the rounds in the office. He and his wife got it. Each one of them were out for 2 full weeks at separate times. Then I got it. I was essentially threatened with my job that I must be at work. That I was not sick. Even though I had 3 PCR test confirmed. Me and him got into a shouting match and after I showed him the letters, he backed down. See I wasn't allowed to miss work even though I was gravely ill. Like I mentioned prior, I was solely responsible for most of the business. I seriously thought about leaving that day but with a toddler and only source of income, I couldn't. Although unbeknownst to him I was in process with my current employment.
I spent 12 years of my life actively searching to be a fireman. I went to 40 writen exams, 16 physical agility tests, 2 polygraphs, 12 panel interviews and countless hours filling out extensive back ground information before I was told I passed and had the job. I broke down and cried in front of the chief and 8 other Firefights at that table. Besides my son being born, it was the happiest moment of my life. I finally made it. The next happiest day of my life was seeing the look of utter oh fu*k on my bosses face when I gave him my letter of resignation. It was worth it to see the panic and confusion and the share desperation in his eyes. It said it all. That he had no control of the situation. I left on my own accord to be something more of myself. Granted he's still a millionaire with sports cars, 1200 acre ranch, boat and big house, but at that moment I was on top.