GO ME!

I’ve been pretty quiet, only telling a select few people about my recent job search…

A few weeks ago I began actively looking for a new job. It isn’t that I didn’t like my job at the bank. I’ll be honest, banks don’t pay well. You get a fixed schedule, but most people are lucky to make any money at all in banking, unless the stick it out and have been there for 10 years or more. I had a certain life style that I had grown accustomed to while working for the cell carrier. I really thought that a career change would be ok. I cashed out my 401k (yes, I know, really not a great idea, but it had to be done) and changed industries. There were many reasons why I had to leave the cellular company. A lot of it had to do with the mother and the stress that my marriage was having. I paid off a lot of bills and figured my budget.

Things were going ok. Not great, but ok…. Then the money ran out and things got stressful… no more mani-pedis… no more shopping retail. I adjusted, learned how to budget better, and have become one of the best ressionistas (those who are my friends on facebook have seen the dollar run down on what I spend at Goodwill and what it would have cost me retail, I really am dragnificent). THEN, student loan payments were kicking in. I found out that I could not apply for forbearance indefinitely. So, I began looking. From previous blogs, you will see, I began cleaning rooms at a hotel, and looked into waiting tables.

Friends and former co-workers kept suggesting that I get back into cellular. This fell on deaf ears. THEN after a cocktail over lunch, I realized how much I really missed the job and the money. I had left the cell carrier on good terms. I was a good employee, I had practically run stores, been though the leadership program offered by the carrier, I always improved on areas I said I would improve on, and I gave notice. I contacted the manager in the area I had last worked in. We set an appointment to meet on the Wednesday he got back from vacation. I was really excited. I received a Facebook message the day before, informing me that the company was not interested in hiring back former employees unless there were extraordinary circumstances. Evidently, 7 ½ years was not extraordinary enough. I was really upset, but I applied anyway. I did not get a call back, but I also did not have my application rejected.

I decided to look elsewhere. I have a degree in medical administration, but could not find a job with those qualifications. I thought about working for another bank, but the bank I work for, is a really good company to work for. I didn’t really want to leave for something just a little higher pay that didn’t treat me as well.

I saw that another cellular carrier on the other side of town was hiring. I contacted a former co-worker who is a manger for the company in another city. I asked her what she thought of the company, what the goals were like, and if she thought I could handle it. She encouraged me to apply. I applied on line. I got a phone call to set up a phone interview approximately two weeks later. I thought that it went really well. A week later I had a face to face interview with the store manager. I didn’t do a lot of talking. I was advised that they had several more interviews and I would receive a call from staffing. A week after my interview with the store manger I heard from staffing and was offered the position, pending a background check. I knew that I would be fine with the background check, but decide to wait until I received the final final go ahead before I gave notice. I had to fax copies of W2s and pay stubs for employment verification. The first snafu I ran into was that there was not a local drug testing facility. I had to wait for information on the drug testing. I received the information on a Friday. It had to be completed within two business days. I had to drive about 40 min to the closest collection facility. They did not have Saturday hours and they were only open 8-5 during the week. I work 8-5 at the bank. It so happened that I had taken vacation days Monday and Tuesday, and was able to get into testing Monday.  My pee was sent overnight to the out of state testing facility. I assumed that I would have the results within a few days. (I KNEW IT WOULD BE NEGATIVE).The results were complete Friday, but not sent to staffing until Monday. Staffing did not receive final results until Tuesday. I then found out that I needed to provide W2s from 2007 to 2010 from my previous employer.

I started freaking out! I didn’t know if I had W2s that far back. I Knew I could get as far back as 2009 online…  I shocked myself and DID have back to 2007! I rushed to get them faxed to staffing. I was getting into a time rush, because my current manager was leaving for vacation before the end of the week!

I received a call back within an hour! I OFFICIALLY GOT THE JOB!

I gave my manager the news that my last day would be July 6^th. She was visibly saddened by my notice. She was happy that I would be staying through vacations, and gave ample notice.

I start my training July 9^th. You can rest assured that I will be blogging along the way!

GOOOOOOOO MEEEEEEEE!