I got a job!

Well it finally happened. I got a new job! That’s right, after 5 years slaving away at Menards I have moved on to bigger and better things. It happened rather fast but everything seemed to go smoothly, for me at least.

So as many of you know I have spent countless hours looking for jobs and then applying for said jobs, mostly with no results. Not even a sniff of interest or an interview. Sure from time to time I’d get some sort of bite but nothing really promising.
One of the main places I had been looking for jobs was through the state of Minnesota. Their application system is pretty clunky and it was not yielding much in the way of results. Fed up I decided to contact the recruiter for a job posting that I really thought I had a shot at. He gave me some helpful insight but offered no guarantees.

Well I applied and much time went by. I figured I had not gotten the job and was really feeling defeated. Even with “help” I couldn’t get an interview. Then one day as I was job searching, with no luck, I got an email asking to select a time to interview for the position! I was blown away! I selected a time I felt would be the least interfering with my current work schedule and began preparing.

I had only had one “real” job interview before and while it had went well I obviously didn’t get the job. So I wanted to be sure I would not in any way squander the opportunity I had before me. I thoroughly studied the job requirements and duties and put together some extra documents that had been requested. I even compiled a list of references even though none had been asked for.

The interview. I had told myself during the long dreary drought of job searching that if I could just get a face to face interview I could land a job. Believing this I did not have nearly the anxiety or nervousness typically associated with situations like this. I went in and to my surprise I was met by three interviewers! Still I remained calm and confident and told them why I was the right fit. I left the interview feeling really good and now anxious for the results.

I was told that a candidate would be recommended to the commission board and that I should hear back the following week sometime. Also that the job would start the Monday after that! So not really any in between time.

As the week went on I tried not to think about the job and instead focus on other things. It was insanely hard and I found myself almost constantly worrying about it. I wanted the job so bad I was beginning to believe I would be crushed if I didn’t get it. When Wednesday rolled around I hadn’t heard anything, same for Thursday. I began to lose hope.

Friends and family who had been excited about my interview were now steadily asking me if I had heard any news. I told them “no” but was not expecting anything until late in the week…so Friday was not out of the question.

When Friday came I told myself that I would call during my lunch break to see if there was any update on the job. By now I was convinced the chosen candidate had been notified and that those who had not been selected, me, were simply not yet notified. Ten o clock came and I could wait no longer.

My thoughts were consumed and I had to know something. One way or the other, good or bad, I must know! It was driving me crazy. I was manic over the possibility of landing the job one minute and depressed over being none the closer to a new job the next. It was a shaky state that I wanted no more of. So instead of waiting till lunch I took a break and called the job to find out the verdict.

When I spoke with the lady she informed me that a candidate had been recommended but that they had no decision yet from the higher ups. She assured me that I would be notified of the outcome as soon as they knew. This comforted me for now and eased the nerves. I at the very least knew I was still in the running and that gave me renewed hope, hope that would explode into unadulterated joy in just a short time.

I returned from my break moments later and as I swiped my card to punch back in I felt my phone vibrate. I checked and saw an incoming call. It was a number, one that looked familiar to the one I had just called. I had just come back to work and therefore I could not answer the phone or immediately take another break. So I let the call go to voicemail. The next few minutes were a mix of feelings so quickly changing and diverse I could hardly stand it. I had to know what the message said.

I snuck off to some remote location in the yard and stealthy retrieved the message. It was short, but oh so sweet. I had not been offered the job, yet. The message from the department manager stated that she had apparently missed my earlier call and would love to talk to me and aked me to give a call back. Love?! Typically not a feeling you convey to a person whom you will be giving unpleasant news. That is unless you are cold and heartless. But did I have the job? I didn’t know for certain but I felt very good about my odds.

Not wanting to keep her waiting I asked to take another break not 10 minutes after my last 10 minute break. The walk to the car was the most anxious and butterflies in the stomach I got during the entire process. i was sure I had the job but still, this was it, D-Day.

Sure enough I made the call and got the news I had so desperately wanted to hear. I was being offered the position, and though I’m sure clumsily, I accepted. I was told they wanted me to start the next Monday if it was possible and I told them I would do the best I could to make that happen. I told her I would call back that afternoon with my start date and to get any other information I would need.

I hung up and just sat amazed. I had what I had coveted, dreamed of and so desperately wanted. What do I do now? Spread the word of course! I instantly called Katie and even before she picked up I was shouting “I got the job!” repeatedly. She was so happy and proud and I could not have gotten to that point without her support and encouragement.

Next I called my dad who just yelled YAY!!! and told me to tell my mom. When I called her I played it less joyously, trying to have some fun with it. I called and said hi and said in a solemn voice that I heard back about the job. She replied in an inquisitive yet uncertain “oh…and?” To which I calmly replied matter-of-factly “I got the job.” She didn’t believe it and was so happy when I assured her of its truth.

By now I had been on more break than work in the last hour and while I knew it no longer mattered what I did that day at work I felt I should go back and tell my boss. What would he think when I tell him I’m done? It’s my last day? Right now? Five years of working coming to an end on such short notice. Not to mention the several fired, quitting, transferring employees already occurring. Just how would he react to one more thing?

I went back punched in and went outside. By now my pocket was vibrating constantly, so many calls and texts from friends and family congratulating me on the good news. All the while I broke the news to my fellow yard guys. They were all very excited for me and knew I had paid my dues. Still it was weird to think this was my last day. Just like that, I was done with something I had spent so much time doing. Some people I would not even get to say bye to, others I would in near disbelief. Telling my manager still on my mind.

I went back inside and approached my boss. I said “can we talk?” “Sure” he said and I replied, “Let’s take a walk.” He knew then something was up and said straight up, “are you quitting?” I wasn’t going to dance around it so I said flatly, “Yes. I’ve been offered a job.” To my surprise he was not mad. He said “You know you’re screwing me over right? But congrats!”
The rest of the day seemed odd. I couldn’t wait to be done but at the same time, done. That was it, over and in an instant. I said goodbye to those I could and walked out wondering what life was like on the other side of the weekend. Would I be good? Would I fit in? Was it a mistake?

Those thoughts were mostly squashed by feelings of freedom and accomplishment. Excitement and joy. I got a job. A new, real, office type job. I had joined the workforce I had so eagerly wanted to be part of.

I got a job.