These past few days have been full of ups and downs for me. On Friday I finally got my long awaited answer about my job and if I would have one after the new year. The answer was no. Three years of putting up with the crazy people and ridiculous procedures, and I was given my walking papers. There was no "I'm sorry." Just a brief speech about how he has been working on this for years. It was just as sad and disappointing as it sounds. I might have been expecting it, but the reality doesn't hit until you are driving home worried about how you will pay bills and survive.
But all hope wasn't lost yet. Just minutes before I was called in front of the firing squad, I was called by a recruiter that had a position she thought I would be a great match for. They needed a person to start right away. She said she would make arrangements and call me back. Not 10 minutes after I left the office with my stomach tied in knots, she called me back. She said the company was interested and they wanted me to come in first thing Monday morning. I felt a little better after that. I was still pretty bummed and nervous.
I spent my weekend doing Christmas things like baking cookies and going to see the Nutcracker Ballet with a friend. Sunday I knew I would need to be extraordinarily awesome to land the job I was interviewing for. I bought pantyhose for the first time in years. I polished my shoes, and practiced interview questions in my head. I wanted to be as perfect polished and professional as I could be.
I woke up this morning as nervous as hell. It's been a while since I've interviewed under so much pressure. I headed over to the recruiting office first for paperwork and a warm up interview. Soon enough I was sent on my way to the clients office for the main event. I knew they would have to make a quick decision, and my first impression had to be perfect. Of course I was nervous enough, but when I arrived I wasn't meeting with some HR guru. I met with the bosses. The big bosses. They didn't have any of the normal "where do you see yourself in five years?" questions.
They asked me about my abilities, and if I had thick skin. Could I work under pressure? I almost laughed at that one. I wanted to say, you have no idea the pressure I'm under this very minute! So very quickly the interview was over. They asked if I had a few minutes to speak to the lady they were replacing to know what I was potentially getting into. After 30 more minutes, I was out the door. I still had no idea if I had the job. I drove back to the recruiting office to fill out more paperwork. I was faced with having to go back to my old office and clean out my desk.
I was done with my paperwork, and I was getting ready to leave the recruiting office. They said they would call me when they heard. Before I could get out of my chair, the other recruiter burst into the office and asked if I could start my new job at 1pm. And so, I did. Of course I still had to go clean out my old office. I proudly walked into my former bosses office, handed him my keys and credit card, and packed up my stuff with a pep in my step and whistling while I worked.
I drove away from the office that had thrown my hard work away so easily, and headed towards my new position. It's something I have been wanting to do for some time. I always wanted it to be on my own terms. But you know, I don't mind it this way. My former employer actually asked me if I could still make myself available to help him and the rest of his office transition into the new company. He didn't need me to stay, he just needs me to train his newly configured staff on how to do my job. Well, I'm pretty sure I won't have time. This is a goal I've been working this for years. 3 years to be precise. The End.
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