I GOT A JOB!!

I got a job offer!!! Yippeeeeeee! I so have been wanting to blog about the interviews I've been on (three total for this company), but felt I should stick with the self-imposed moratorium to avoid the chance of further mortification. I was told they would have a decision by today, so I carried my phone with me everywhere! Not just in my purse, but on my person, to make sure I wouldn't miss any calls. The wait was torture. The minutes ticked by soooo slowly!

I was very productive, though, trying to distract myself. I got up relatively early and took the car to get an oil change. While I was there I also got the radiator flushed, the tires rotated, and my inspection certificate (required within 10 days of registering your vehicle). I was very impressed with the guy who greeted me--he was a super friendly Southern gentleman--but the guy who checked me out (on the register, not like "How you doin'?"), who I think was the owner, was kind of brisk. I stopped off at H & R Block to get the low-down on my taxes, and they were very friendly as well, giving me enough free advice that I was able to go home and file them on my own, online. So I got that taken care of. Refunds are on their way--yay! I ate some lunch and then checked email. I got two more sign-ups for the postcard swap, which cheered me up. Then a little after three o'clock I settled in to watched Ellen from a couple days ago.

Just as she was showing a clip of Dennis Quaid in costume on a Mardi Gras float, the phone rang. I would give anything to have a photo of my face when it happened. They asked if I was still interested in the position (ha!) and when I said absolutely, they said they will be sending me an offer letter via email by the end of the day. Woo hoo! They said to look it over and email back my response on Monday. I'm to start Wednesday.

I cannot describe to you the weight that has been lifted off my shoulders. Yesterday was my six-month anniversary of being unemployed, and the self-doubt demons were running amok. Amok, I tell you. Every interview I had with this company went very, very well, and I really felt I had it in the bag, so to speak, but I was so afraid to get my hopes up just to have them dashed, especially since this time I felt really good about the fit. I feel very qualified for this job, but not overqualified. It's a small but growing company and I get the sense that I will be able to use a wide range of my skills in that type of environment. Plus, it's not a long commute (about 30 minutes), it offers benefits, and there's travel involved but not too much.

So what does this company do? They offer "rapid notification systems" for school districts. For instance, say there's a snowstorm and school is cancelled. Usually parents find out by watching the local news or listening to the radio. But this system can place up to 6000 phone calls per minute, and can also send notifications via email or text message. The system is not only good for emergencies, but also for routine reminders about upcoming parent conferences, Open House, etc., or even daily tasks such as reporting attendance to parents of absent children. The system is entirely web-based and that's where I come in. They need another trainer to teach customers (e.g., school administrators) how to use the system. Apparently their clients are scattered all over the country, from Oregon to Florida and everywhere in between.

I found this job on TriangleHelpWanted.com. I literally submitted my resume on a Monday night, got a call on Tuesday, had an interview on Friday, another on Tuesday, and then got an offer today. Whirlwind! When 3:00 had rolled around today and I still hadn't gotten the call, I tried to calm myself down by saying they're probably just really busy and haven't had time to make a decision yet. But part of me was bracing for an email that said, "We decided to offer the position to a different candidate." Like I said, ever since my first interview with this company, I've had a really good feeling about the job. But I've had experiences in life where I've been blindsided with failure (e.g., my first driving test) so I'm always more than a little insecure about things like this. But the call DID come, they DID offer me the job, and I WILL be employed as of March 8! In a job I feel good about! Imagine the most enormous sigh of relief, coupled with the most ebullient cheer you've ever heard, and that's how I'm feeling right now!