If you’ve been following this blog since its creation, or me at all, you know that I’ve been on the job hunt since before I left Florida and even since before I graduated from UT. It was nerve-racking. I’d never really saved properly before graduation because I didn’t have to and then I was suddenly living in a new city with a new human without a source of income. We still had to pay bills, buy groceries, fill up our gas tanks to be able to drive to job interviews- but there was no money coming in to match that going out. Everyone kept telling me something would come my way eventually and I just had to be patient but patience is not my strong suit. I’d been applying to jobs non-stop. With no luck on my own for a few months, I turned to a staffing agency at the advice of a former supervisor.
The type of staffing agency I’d worked for before was for event staff. I basically worked as a waitress for hours at a time and I was not a huge fan. Many people were not nice because they saw the waitstaff as “help,” and that was it. This, to my surprise and happiness, was not that type of staffing. They’d take my resume and line me up for interviews that they thought I’d work well in. I had to go in for an initial interview with them so they could feel me out, and then it all went from there. They got me an interview at a company that had a keg in the office and employees walking around in basketball shorts- they seemed fun and like a great fit for me in their culture.
And then I messed up the interview.
I didn’t go in looking like a slob or telling them weird personal stories, I just raved too much about my dreams of working for Rooster Teeth one day and that turned them away from me as a potential full-time and long-term employee.
Lesson learned: people want you to sound like you’re planning to stick around.
I was devastated. Though it was only a part-time position, and not anywhere near my field, it was something and the company looked like fun. I spent about an hour just sitting on the couch thinking about my life when I got a phone call from a 512 number I didn’t know. It was from a company that’d I’d applied for, then heard nothing back from before they closed the posting. I figured they’d picked someone and I was not that someone. To my surprise, they were very impressed with me and wanted me to maybe come in for an interview after a bit more deliberation. They said they’d call me within the week to set up an interview, so I waited. I stopped rapidly applying for things but kept my eye out for anything that seemed more up my alley. The weekend came and passed as did Monday then when Tuesday came, I got a call, but from the staffing agency.
There was a temp position available that day through the rest of the week and into the next with the potential to become a permanent hire. I took it without a thought and figured that if the other company really wanted me, they’d have to act quickly, or hope that where I was going to work for the time being was a horrible place. It’s not, and I’m still here. The other place never called me back. I’m not mad.
This office is amazing and while I still don’t know if it’s going to turn into a full-time, permanent job, I’m happy for the time I’ve gotten to work here. I’ve met great people and learned a bit more about what being an adult is like, not to mention, today was my first payday and I finally have something going into my bank account.
It’s not an ideal position or pay, but I don’t seem to have the experience I thought I did coming out of college, so I’m really focusing on the culture of the company and I love it. They have multiple departments and offices too (I could potentially travel to Sydney?!?) so it seems like there is room for growth.
I’m pretty h*ckin’ optimistic right now.
