I got a new job!
There, I said it. I can finally say it. Well, write it.
I have been pursuing new job opportunities for months. There were times when I came so close (like, first runner up close) only to be told that I wasn't chosen. Then there was a job opportunity that asked me, after a phone screening and two interviews, to analyze their revenue stream, propose strategies to reach their goal, and create a presentation. At this point, there were two of us left that they were considering. Because I really wanted this job, I also created a ROI (return on investment) booklet to supplement the presentation. The project was so intense that I took two days off of work to do it. A week after submitting my work, I found out that the hiring manager gave his notice. Shortly thereafter, the company admitted they needed to switch their hiring focus for
his position and froze the position to which I was applying.
It has been a bumpy road.
I stopped looking for a while but, as I continued with my current employer, I realized more and more that I wasn't a good fit for the culture. I tried. Truly, I did. During my six years, it sometimes felt like it was a good fit and I was meant to be there, after all. But more times than not, it was clear I wasn't.
I know, though, that I gave it a good go. I held two positions and am thankful for the relationships I forged with those I had the good fortune to work with on a daily basis. I also know that my tenure there has shaped me into a more knowledgeable and savvy professional.
But when you know, you know.
I'm so excited for my new job! I'm nervous, too, because this is something so new and different. I don't know anyone and they don't know me. I have a lot to prove and a lot to learn. But I'm confident that it was time to make a move. Even their interview process felt right. Rather than a phone screening, 3-5 interviews, personality tests, and writing tests (which are all so common now in my field ... man, is it an employer market!), my new employer brought me in for two interviews in the span of two weeks. I first met the hiring manager and three colleagues. The next day, they contacted me and said they wanted to bring me back for a final round of interviews the following week. I then had two back-to-back 45 minute interviews. One was with three more colleagues, then the second was when the vice president and president. Then that was it! Two days later (which was yesterday), I received an offer. In comparison to the circus shows I had been through before, this process had been unbelievably easy.
Although it was a much faster process than, say, my current employer's hiring process or the other companies I applied to, it didn't feel rushed. All the pieces seemed to come together. Remember the job opening that froze? Well, that company had used a search firm. Funny enough, the hiring manager for the position I just accepted is very good friends with the president of the search firm. When the search firm president found out I was applying, she told the hiring manager that she thought highly of me. She then asked if she could release my references to him (the job that required me to do a presentation also conducted
very thorough references. In fact, it was the first time I had ever heard of requesting references to fill out a series of in-depth questions online.) My new boss ended up not contacting my references because the ones he received from the search firm were so thorough. Plus, because he was good friends with the search firm's president, her praise of me carried some weight.
My rambling does have a point. It's so true that there is a path paved for us that we sometimes can't see. It is so hard to be patient and understanding. I'm certain I constantly fail at being those two. I prayed a lot. I mean, a lot. I felt so defeated at times because I wasn't landing any of these jobs. And, in the meantime, I felt like I was floundering at work. Maybe I wasn't talented enough. Maybe I wasn't working as hard as I thought I was. Maybe I had hit the ceiling when it came to my skills and this was as far as I was supposed to go.
But then I applied to this job. And the hiring manager ends up being very good friends with the person who had interviewed me for a previous job and really liked me. And then this current job ended up having comparable pay to the job that ended up being frozen
with better benefits and a long-standing and established reputation.
I'm not delusional. Work is called work for a reason. I know this place won't be perfect. But with my nervousness comes so much more excitement for this possibility. The environment seems so ... healthy! I'm really excited. I think this is going to be great for me professionally but also personally. It looks like a better work/life balance and there may be perks that we can take advantage of further down the road when it comes to The Bun's education. Did I mention that my new job is with a school?
I can't wait. God is good. My family is outstanding and extremely supportive. I am scared but so much more excited about what lies ahead.
