On the hunt for a job!

After a month and a half of traveling {more on that soon!!}, moving, and getting to know Greenville, this week was finally time to get down to business. Stephen started orientation at the dental school and enjoyed a week full of activities to get to know his classmates and prepare for the school year.

I spent the first part of the week applying for jobs. Really, this wasn't too different from the last several weeks {and months} as I have been looking for jobs all along, but I was able to spend a lot more time on it this week. I really wanted to find something soon and felt that I was running out of options as far as online postings go. The plan was that if I didn't have a solid lead by next week, I would put together some nice bound folders with my resume/cover letter/references, come up with a sales pitch, and go door to door at the hundreds of medical offices in our area trying to sell my unbelievably incredible assistant/receptionist/front desk skills. Needless to say, I REALLY didn't want to have to try that. I've had the blessing of working the past two years with my dad, who wasn't too hard on me during the interview process, and the year before that I worked with one of our close friends, Don, the pastor who married us. So this was basically my first super intimidating job search!

I applied for three or four jobs Monday and Tuesday and then on Wednesday decided I needed a break from focusing so much on applying so I casually browsed some postings and did other things instead. Mid-morning I got a call from the last job I had applied for on Tuesday evening... they wanted me to come in for an interview Thursday at 9am! I got to work preparing answers to potential interview questions and reviewing my past job responsibilities to make sure I was prepared for the interview. Mid-afternoon, a staffing agency I had applied to notified me of an open position and asked if I could interview there at 1pm on Thursday! I was excited and nervous, knowing that two interviews in one day would be somewhat stressful. But, I was able to brainstorm with Stephen and we came up with some good ways to approach certain topics, as well as talk with my dad about my time working with him and all of the similarities between the two positions, and Stephen's dad gave me some great interview tips from an HR perspective.

The first interview went great! I immediately hit it off with the sweet lady who I would be working closely with; since we were able to chat while we waited for the owner of the company arrive, I felt very comfortable by the time he got there. At the end of the interview, he told me he wanted to hire me, then he remembered the other four interviews they had scheduled that day. Of course, that was exciting to hear, but then I had to wait to make sure they hadn't jumped the gun and liked another applicant better! They told me they would call me that evening to let me know their decision. This position seemed like a great fit, and exactly what I was looking for so I really wanted this opportunity; I was thrilled that they liked me too!

The second interview was a little more intimidating, as it was at a medical facility and I had to sit in the waiting room until I was called to the back. I must have had this subconscious fear of getting shots in addition to the interview! Three people met with me all at once, and with the office door open beside me so everything going on outside was very distracting... if you know me, you know I was nervous this time. The people were all very friendly and asked some of the typical tough-to-think-of-a-scenario-that-fits-what-you're-asking interview questions, but also tried to make me feel comfortable by asking more personal questions. Afterwards, I got a tour of the facility and that was pretty neat but also intimidating. I didn't feel that I was the best fit for this role, nor did I feel extremely comfortable with the types of medical issues that would be presented. The office is also on the opposite side of town and I'd have to drive through main campus to get there. So, while I really appreciated the kindness and welcoming staff, I wasn't feeling too tied to this one.

We spent the evening waiting and trying not to think about the decision that was being made. Finally around 9:30 the lady from the first interview texted me and said she had just made it home and asked if she could call. She offered me the position and hoped that I could come in on Friday to meet the staff and see a big project they were working on, as well as have lunch with them! I couldn't believe it was finally all settled, after months of praying, searching, and applying. We knew that the Lord would lead me to the perfect place. Once again, we had prayed that I could be close to home as well and my office is between our home and the dental school... around 3 miles round trip :) Why do we ever doubt the Lord and his timing?! We are so blessed and once again He proved his faithfulness!

So, my new job is Administrative Assistant to the CFO and to the President of a real estate development company here in Greenville. They own commercial and residential property in several states, and I'll be working in the Asset Management division. I am excited to bring my organizational habits {okay, my OCD tendencies} to this division and assist them as they have encountered huge growth over the last five years and haven't had a chance to really put organizational systems into place as they grew. The other employees seem very sweet, and I count it an honor to work with older people who have been part of this company for years and years (as in, in our division we have a 79 year old, a 75 year old, and the others are closer to those ages than mine).  I am told that these ladies run circles around the younger staff so I'll have to work hard to keep up! What an opportunity to learn from these who have been in the business for over twice my lifetime!