Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Nice!

Maybe that last semester of college is finally paying off!

blog readability test


I am now feeling slightly less insulted. See here.

-Lancer!!

Time for an UPDATE

So, my last entry was in April, as you can see. I finished the semester with four (4) grades and an Incomplete. I finished that Incomplete in July and have completed my B.A. program. The computers say my degree was awarded August, 2008. Yay!! I am still awaiting the diploma. I hear they should be sent out in December, 2008. That will make a nice X-mas present.  :-)

My mother took my brother and I on a family vacation in June. We were scheduled to go to Portland, OR, for a week, and maybe see some family. Once we hit the road we started talking about a Las Vegas documentary that my brother and I watched on PBS the night before. It seems none of us has been to Vegas (my brother was at the airport to change flights a couple times), and Mom just wanted to get out of town for a week, so off to Vegas we went. I will have to write up a separate entry for that.

Since the trip I completed my Incomplete and graduated with a passing GPA. That monkey is finally off my back! I have been applying for IT jobs, specifically in the Networking field, but even some Systems Administrator jobs for which I might have been marginally qualified. All this was to no avail. I finally started filling out an online application for the security company for which I used to work. I was dreading this, and holding out so I did not have to go back.

Fortunately, I received an email from out of the blue regarding my resume on Monster.com. Thank $Deity!! The initial process involved two (2) online pre-screening applications. I completed those and emailed the recruiter. I received a call Monday night that the company wanted me to come in for an interview. Shock and dismay! (I had not gotten this far yet with my other prospects.) I picked an interview slot before noon, reasonably confident that I could make that particular time. I polished my shoes, laid out my interview suit, and finished watching my Monday night programs.

Curses! I woke up at 10.00am and was in immediate panic mode. I skipped the shower and took care of shaving my face and brushing my teeth. I dressed while talking on the phone, trying to reach my recruiter to inform her I would be late. I got the call center, and they could not reach my contact person. I thanked the person and hung up, then I emailed my contact before racing out the door.

I arrived forty-four (44) minutes late, but at least I arrived. I spoke to the front-desk person, signed in, then began filling out my paper application. ( I heard that the other people scheduled for my appointment time did not even show up.) I filled out the application, but was not done before my interviewer was ready to begin. C'est la vie.

Once in the interview room with my interviewer I was given the opportunity to complete and sign my application. The interview began and I was far more nervous than during any past interview, ever. (I had a piece of fruit and water for breakfast; that did not help.) I was asked questions about my past customer service experience and invited to go into some detail regarding what happened and how I could have done things differently. This was a little difficult since I had been out of the job market since the end of March and really had to dredge my brain for some experiences to relate.

We finally make it through this part of the process and I am invited to do some mix-and-match between pictures and terminology relating to setting up a cable-box, TV, and more. I did really well on those. Thanks, Mom, for always making me put together the TV, cable and VCR stuff for so many years.  :-)

I ask a few questions at the end and am pleased that this job has growth potential for me in the future. I am surprised that I am invited to stay longer to fill out more paperwork for a credit and background check. I am then provided with a "conditional offer of employment." Suh-WEET! I now have to pass: a drug test, the credit check and the background check. Well, I passed all three (3) the last time I applied for a job, so I should be good on this.

Paid orientation starts next week, and mandatory paid training (oh, darn!) begins the following week. Life is starting to look better, and better.

That is all for now, campers!

-Lancer