To Those Who Wait

Even before we made our move to Texas at the end of July, I have been on the hunt for a job. I posted about this before, and I finally have news!

About a month ago, I finally had an interview for a potential full-time job. Up to this point, I had received two job offers, one at Amarillo College and one at West Texas A&M, both to teach English classes. While I was interested in the prospect of teaching at the college level, the pay was just not going to cut it considering I need to be the breadwinner for the next three years, and these jobs were very part time. Anyway, I have been applying for all kinds of jobs. This company that contacted me buys and sells interest in gas and oil wells. The woman I talked to said that she had seen my resume and wanted me to come in. Long story short, I came in twice to their downtown office and met with first the guy I would potentially be working for reviewing contracts and other written documents, and second the head honcho, a guy named Jim J.

I must say that this office seemed like the stereotypical Texas office run by a good ole Texas boy. We are talking stuffed animal trophies everywhere and did I mention, the boss was named Jim J? I felt like I interviewed very well, and the job would be mine for the taking. They were offering a decent salary considering it was an entry level position. I was seriously thinking this would be my job. However, Jim J does all of the hiring, and he was going out of the country for 10 days. I thought I might hear from him before he left, but no word came. I wasn't sweating it. Then I get a call for another interview.

This time, it was for a job I had applied for at an education service center, pretty much a place that does professional development for school districts. When I saw the posting, I had the bare minimum requirements to apply, but honestly I wasn't sure if I was qualified as I read the job description. So, while Jim J was in London, I went in for this long shot.

Backtracking a little bit, the day before the scheduled interview, I got a call from one of the people that I would meet with. She wanted me to know that I would be interviewing for a committee. I asked if there were anything that I should bring like copies of my resume or something. She replied that they would love to see some of the video I had edited, or some of the classes that I had taught over the internet. Panic. I didn't have access to any of those things anymore! Gulp!

I went in for the interview armed with a video I produced for a Wings cross-country team Theo took to New York in 2007, and the web addresses of two websites that I designed. The committee turned out to be only three people, but the interview itself turned out to be three hours long!! They asked me every question you can imagine, and some I am sure you would not come up with. The third hour consisted of me being escorted to a cubicle with a laptop, them handing me a zip drive, and being asked to create the outline of a course in one hour. I was sweating a little bit.

The next day, I got a call that they would like me to come in again. OK. What more could they want to ask me? Apparently there was more. This time, it was just two people, more questions, lots of talk about how visible this job would be in the organization, and a challenge to work on another project. They asked me to create yet another course outline, this time using their platform, and I could take a few days. Double-gulp!

I took the login information home, fumbled through the unfamiliar learning management system, and I think came up with a pretty good product over the course of two days. I even finished several hours earlier than I had been asked. At the end of that day, a Friday, I got a phone call from the boss, Greg. He asked if I could come in again, this time to meet the executive director of the service center. Double-double gulp!

The following week, I came in to meet the big kahuna. Before we went in, Greg instructed me to not 'be intimidated' by his boss. That is a real confidence builder. Essentially, I answered a bunch more questions and was told once again what a high profile job this would be. Apparently this is a new position they are creating, the Distance Learning Specialist, to help their consultants build online courses for the teachers they instruct. I was totally intimidated despite Greg's directive, but stoked at the same time. Yes, it sounded challenging, and yes, it would be a learning curve, but I felt like I could totally deliver the things they were describing.

This third meeting came just two days before I was to leave on my trip to Durango. At the conclusion of that meeting, Greg told me that it could be a week or more before a decision was made. By then, I was going a little crazy! THREE interviews, and I still had to wait for an answer. In all of the hullabaloo, I had virtually forgotten Jim J. No call had come from them at all. And so, I headed off for my girls weekend for some distraction.

Once I had arrived in Durango, I got a call from Theo on Friday morning. Tammy had called from the Service center and wanted me to call her. I did of course, and she asked when I would be back in town. I told her Sunday. We set an appointment to meet on Tuesday morning. When I came in, the secretaries were actually teasing me about coming in so often. It was not so funny considering my nerves.

Greg offered me the job, and of course I took it!!!

And so, I will start my new job as a Distance Education Specialist on December 1st. The office is super close to my house. The job is right up my alley and totally professional. The salary will be top notch, benefits, vacation, the whole deal! YAY!!!

Four long months of uncertainty, waiting, hoping, praying. I feel like this is such a blessing! And right in time for Thanksgiving. I know the coming months will be hard and an adjustment as I become a full time working mom again for the first time in more than 10 years. Bring it on! I am ready!