Right now I am going through a phase in my career that I’ve never fully experienced before. I shall refer to this phase as “Choices”.

The Choices are rather simple at this point. Well…on paper (or Word, or monitor…yeah) it is simple but in reality it isn’t. Here are my two choices.

1- Continue working at the Blackhawk Grille
2- Work at Forbes Mill

Seems simple, doesn’t it? A choice…Choice…between two restaurants. But here is the catch(es).

Blackhawk Grille is in a pretty wild state of flux. When I was re-hired by them after returning from Switzerland I was offered a position of “Supervisor” with the duties of getting the hosting staff into shape, providing the restaurant with some new and fresh ideas, and eventually working as a morning shift manager to help take the load off the regular managers. Sounds good to me! I said yes.

Then they started having me do banquet stuff…which was cool and different, but not exactly something I was all that excited about. They soon hired an Event Sales Manager and I was moved straight into the lunch manager (by work load definition, not by pay nor status in the company). Then 2 managers left…Laurie the GM and Jeff the Floor/Beverage manager.

So this put me into a mildly odd position. Right now I open the restaurant Monday-Friday. That’s my entire job. Sure they “seem” to want me to do other things but the ball is fully in my court. I take on a couple things…and…well…there is no recognition. That bothers me. I admit the current manager, Meghan, is being swamped with stuff but I’m here folks…let me help! Instead I’m just sorta pushed to the side and told to do what I can. It kinda sucks…because at this point in my life I’d like some real role, some definition, some clarity and sense of purpose.

So…I was contacted by the Director of Forbes Mill (who is an ex-GM of Blackhawk). We sit down a couple times, I meet with several people, and they really want me to be part of their team. To summarize…they want me to be their lunch manager (full time) as well as their IT/computer guy (mainly Excel/Word type stuff) and being a training guru. I’m STOKED by this. It sounds perfect. So last week, Thursday the 9th, I meet with the Director and we talk money. We banter a little bit, talk more about my nicely defined roles…and he asks me how much I want to make. I tell him. We talk a little longer. He asks if I have any questions…I do…he answers…he asks if I have any more questions…I say no…he says he’ll be in touch in a couple days.

UGH! It’s been a couple days now…and I’m on the edge of my seat here! I really want to work for these people but…did I ask for too much? I had dinner there last night (another posting) and it went well…I think. Crap.