The Conundrum

So. As you may have read, I took the state civil service exam. I think I did pretty damned well. I'm a fast, accurate typist, I know how to behave in an office setting, and I can file like ain't nobody's business. I think my chances of getting in are pretty good, but I won't know my test results and ranking till somewhere around the 9th.

I called the office that posted the position(s) and they are indeed hiring, they have several vacancies, and they're going to interview according to the civil service listings starting in mid to late June.

The position's minimum pay range starts at about 25$/week MORE than I was making for Bosslady. Its max pay range (as advertised)tops out around what the Community Foundation was paying annually. Plus, I'd get the full range of county benes like decent insurance, vacation time, and holidays.

Here's the rub.

There are a lot of jobs posted for the one agency I've signed up with. But they're 3-4-6 month positions, or permanent hire type things. The other agency I'm with has nothing at the moment. So I am not working. Not generating an income other than the occasional shifts I can snag at evergreen. I AM, however, trying.

Granted, I am not in danger of losing my abode, and I have a little bit of money aside that I can make my credit card minimum, and pay my phone bill, and get Bob's stitches out, but that's it. Part of me says stick it out, at least until I see what my rankings are. The other part (the one that, oddly enough, speaks with my mother's voice) says "GET A JOB, I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS!"

So I'm looking for some voices of reason, those outside my immediate circle. Here are the facts & options as I see them, but I'd like some input.

1. This is an ass-suck time of year to find a job. All the kids are out of college and sucking up temp positions right and left.
2. The county job is not guaranteed. After all, I could fuck up that interview as badly as I did at the restaurant conglomerate.
3. If I DO pick up a job, then get the offer from the county, I'm going to be really pissed, because despite my recent employment history, I loathe job-hopping.
4. I'm trying to stay on the good side of (while being up front with) both agencies, so that if ANYTHING comes up, they'll call me.
5. I'm really starting to feel like a loser sponge, because at least while I was working I bought all the groceries (and did all the cooking). Now I just cook, clean, feed Evil, and spend way, way too much time curled up in my own brain. On the plus side, the kitchen fairly sparkles, and the living room carpet has been vacuumed to within an inch of its life, on the the negative side, the cats are wretched conversationalists.

Thoughts? Perspective? Bitch-slapping?