Yesterday the phone rang and they offered me the job I’d been waiting for! Hurray!
I am so excited to be making $ again!
Waiting for the phone to ring . . . March 19, 2009
So I finally got a job, sort of. I interviewed a week ago last Friday, they were supposed to notify me last week and instead told me the process was taking longer than expected. On Monday I got a call from HR stating that I was the final candidate but that I needed a criminal background check before they could make the offer. (I work in higher education, so this wasn’t shocking — generally when working with students these things are required). So now I’m waiting for the background check to go through.
I’m excited to have this job, I first heard about it in September, but due to some state funding issues it’s taken a while for the position to get posted, etc. However, it seems so anticlimactic. I am the final candidate (yay!) but I still have nothing in writing and haven’t been made an offer, so I can’t officially say, “I have a job!” or make plans for my new salary (cause I don’t know exactly what it will be, yet.)
Part of why this is so frustrating is that while I was waiting for this position to finally be available, I interviewed and got a job offer from another company. The job paid more, and was a great opportunity to learn some new skills in an entirely new field. However, it was a horrible commute (54 miles each way) and looked ridiculously boring, so I hesitated on whether or not to accept the position. Finally, I decided to accept it, since I was tired of waiting for the job I really wanted (it’s been 6 months with no job, folks). Of course the day after I do this, I get a call to interview for the job I’d prefer.
Ultimately and after much drama, indecision, and panic, I ended up declining the job that was 54 miles away. Unfortunately I had to make this decision before I had an actual offer from the higher education job. It was a bit risky, but I new I had an excellent shot at the higher ed job, and I knew deep down that I would not be happy at the job with the long commute. I’m happy with my decision, and ultimately since I go the job I wanted, it all worked out. However, with no definite start date in sight, I feel like the waiting will never end! I just want to go to work!
I’m sure I’m just being melodramatic. They will probably call me in a couple days, and I will most likely be able to start next week. I’m just sick of the waiting!
Trying not to get too excited . . . January 14, 2009
When I first found out I was moving back to the east coast from Hawaii, I got in touch with an old co-worker, and she encouraged me to apply for a job opening in my old office. Though the interview was a big success, they wanted someone to start 4 months before I was able to move back. They didn’t hire me at that point, but they did assure me that as soon as another opportunity arose, I would be at the top of their list.
About a month ago, my old co-worker requested my resume, and told me she couldn’t answer any questions yet. Now she has asked me to lunch to “catch up.” This may be a social visit, but given the nature of our friendship, I can’t help but think this means she has a job lead for me. It may not be the case, so I’m trying not to get too excited, but after 4 months of searching for a job with few results and even fewer responses, I can’t help but hope that the tide may finally be turning.
You go away for a little bit . . . December 8, 2008
Wow. So, I’ve been a big slacker, as far as this blog is concerned, for the past week. I hadn’t logged in in a while, and when I did, I found that the format for wordpress is totally different! I didn’t think I had been gone that long! I promise to make a much bigger effort towards keeping up this blog.
I think the real reason for not blogging as much last week is how much money I spent. Between Black Friday, Christmas shopping, travel arrangements for Christmas, and buying some furniture for our new house, I feel like I’m hemorrhaging funds. It’s freaking me out even more, because I had kinda hoped to be further along in my job search by now. The past 2 moves it has taken me about 5 months to start a new job. That’s START date — not interview, or application date. Well, we arrived in September, which means to stay consistent, I need a new job by Feb 1st. With Christmas rapidly approaching, and job prospects continuing to be slim, I’m starting to panic a bit.
Anyways, getting back to not blogging. I think that because my behavior hasn’t been that great — I didn’t get much job hunting done last week (well, I hunted, but I didn’t apply anywhere), and I spent a lot of money — I just didn’t want to admit it. However, that’s why I NEED to blog. The fact that I’m supposed to be telling the world about my financial decisions, etc. is what’s supposed to keep me on task.
So, I resolve to blog at least SOMETHING every day this week.
Other goals for the week:
- apply for at least 2 more positions
- figure out how to get an estimate for my moving damages so we can file a claim
- work out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday
- find some more furniture stores (I need a dining room table, and I’ve been unhappy with the selection I’ve seen so far)
- vacuum the house
- set up a lunch date to network with an old co-worker
- return all the shopping I did that didn’t work out
- list the rest of my cds worth selling on Amazon
- get a library card
Job Hunting — New tactics (for me) October 24, 2008
So my job hunt feels like it’s come to a virtual halt. I applied for four positions last month, and I have not heard back from any of them. Also, this month in my on-line searches, I haven’t seen anything that even remotely resembles a job that I would want/am qualified for/pays in my range. So, while I still continue to search jobs on the web, I have also decided to do some networking. This tactic may seem obvious to many of you, but for me it’s kind of a new approach. (In the past, I’ve always just applied for a job off the web, interviewed and been hired). Over the last 2 weeks I have gotten in touch with a majority of my friends and former co-workers in the area.
It has been fun to see old friends, and this has been somewhat useful. My friend who works at the University informed me they were on a complete hiring freeze, and that’s why there aren’t any positions open right now. She will keep me posted when that changes. I got in touch with another former co-worker, and she informed me that she is leaving her job, and will put my name forward for the position, so that’s a plus. Another old co-worker asked me for my resume, though she works for the University with the hiring freeze, so I’m not sure how much that will help, but again, the more people that know about me and that I’m seeking employment, the better.
I also signed up for a networking event through my graduate program. It’s mostly for current students, but they said alumni could also attend (I finished my degree in ‘07). It’s an event with local employers specifically seeking MBA graduates, so hopefully that will be a useful event.
In addition to networking, I’ve also began brainstorming new places to search jobs, and begun exploring some new websites/career paths. In the past I have worked mainly in higher education, but now that I have an MBA, it’s probably a good time to look into branching out. What do you think? What tactics have helped you in your job searches?
