Cramer Productions

Right down the road from Analog Devices is another wonderful Stinkassachusetts company. Back in early 2003, I was feeling the effects of the dot-com bust. After subsisting on a temporary per-diem transcription gig for $13/hour (same salary as I had made a decade earlier), I finally had some luck with PSG in getting some design work (yeah, it’s hard to believe but PSG actually did find people work back then!). They placed me with Cramer as a presentation designer.

Once again, I performed flawlessly. Many of my designs made their way to their “design spotlight wall” and what was initially a one-week stint turned into several months of work. But, like every temp gig, the work eventually dried up and they didn’t need me anymore. I still feel foolish for how naïve I was back then, actually thinking I had made progress in obtaining a happy client who will surely remember me when they need a designer again. Barely one month later, and I see Cramer advertising for a presentation designer on Monster. WTF? I called my PSG rep and asked him what the hell is going on? Why didn’t these people want me back for this role? Why in the world would they not hire someone who is able to start working immediately (i.e., not need any training) but instead choose to harvest resumes and perform tedious interviews? I practically broke down crying asking him what did I do for them to hate me. He said, “I promise they don’t hate you, they loved you! I don’t know what’s going on with them but I'll try to find out!” (He never did.)

Over the next thirteen years I’d see Cramer advertise this exact same job and, like a fool, I’d apply, but I never even qualified for a telephone screening (most recently as January 2016). In another state this whole thing would seem bizarre, but this is Stinkassachusetts. 

Remember, don’t expect a long-term business relationship with anyone in Stinkassachusetts as your skills, talents and work ethic are meaningless here. Nobody wants to network with you, and nobody wants to be your friend.