New Opportunity

Ok, I have known for a while, but I couldn't go public... now I can deliver the good news to you all. (No I am not pregnant again.. sheesh...)

I got a new job!! A couple of weeks ago I went into an interview, with Isabelle, at a local school (10 minutes from the house), Tahoma Jr. High for their 8th grade science position. It is a part time position which means that I will work every other day (MWF one week and TTh the next). This is great for spending lots of time with Isabelle and watching her grow, but will be very hard for us financially. Honestly, we aren't sure how we are going to do this.... but I guess time will tell as well as many cut backs. Wish us luck here! Really, please do!!

Anyways, I went in to observe the teachers I will be working with next year and to ask questions about the curriculum (last week) and absolutely love the school. It is an 8/9 Jr. high, super clean and the staff so far is amazing. The science curriculum is amazing and so well put together. WOW!

Today I went up to Kilo, to tell my prinicpal and some coworkers that I was resigning my position. That was hard to do, since Kilo has been my family for the last 4 years. But there are huge changes going on there with people going on extended leaves or retiring, including our principal.

This Friday is her retirement party at Emerald Downs. That should be fun! Then next Friday is the staff party. Those rock... drunk golfing and then the after party at a coworkers near by. This year, I won't participate in the golfing :( but I am going to show off Isabelle at the after party. (these are usually over by 6).


WORDS OR WISDOM
Yeah, I can give these now that I am a mom, even though the words I am about to say are nothing to do with motherhood.

Actually, this is about interviews. Fresh out of college, they teach you how to interview, things to say, what to wear, etc. And yes, these things are important but they aren't the only things to go into an interview with. You need some self confidence and experience too. That is the kicker... experience is the main thing, unless you have that someone who is going to get you the 'in'. This has been my ecxperience.

When I applied for my first two jobs they were one year limited contracts, nothing full time, so it only took me two interviews to get the jobs. Of course, I followed the old college rules of interviewing... nicely dressed, preped on what to say, nice long, well spoken answers and of course a bunch of nerves.

When those two years were done, I had to start all over. I started in June... which went into July, then to August, which went into September and unfortunately into October. Twevle interviews (three of those at Kilo) later, the principal finally offered me a one year contract. I believe that it was around interview 8 or 9 I 'gave up' the good ol' college way of interivewing and resorted in my way... which was self confident (that I wasn't going to get the job) but go in with all the answers, and the biggest part.. .. be RELAXED! This seemed to work... I stopped getting the generic phone call of 'thank you so much for interviewing with us, you interveiw great, but you don't have the experience.' The rejection phone calls were much more creative. Then the 12th call, that lovely acceptance call, was the best one... the principal, said that I was determined and that determination is what got me that job (mid october), even though and let me quote this, I didn't have the experience.

The point of this long story is that when I went in for this last interview at the Tahoma School District, I went in relaxed and ho-hum. I wasn't thinking that I wanted this right now. I went in expecting to have a 'chat' with the principal, not a formal interview (which it was quite formal). My expectations of interviews has drastically changed and for the better. I was not in my nice dress clothes, and I brought Isabelle wiht me, at the time she was 5 weeks old.

That is what I call a perfect interview... show the people who are interviewing you, who you really are... if they don't like you, then you weren't a good fit and there is something better out there for you. If you go into an interview not being you... you may get a job that you end up not likeing or enjoying.

I am in heaven having this new job. Going in relaxed made the interview team realxed too, and turned a very formal interveiw into a comfortable setting where we got to know if we would mesh well together.

I am done rambling now. :) (Maybe this is why I don't have many words of wisdom, I ramble).