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I'm a big believer that it does not have to be a new year for me to start something new. But coincidentally, 2014 and 2015 have both begun with changes on the horizon. Last year, 2014, I began an international journey. On January 3rd I left my comfortable American zone and traveled to Dundee, Scotland. Over the course of the six months I was there, Dundee became my new comfort zone and I was terrified to return to America after all of the changes that had taken place in me overseas. But I did it. I settled back into a routine in America and received my Bachelor's degree in December.
I thought I had a job, a clear direction for life post-graduation, but I was mistaken. The DHS position that had been offered to me in November, pending my completed transcript in December, was yanked away in an email that I received a few minutes before one of my finals. It informed me that they had found another candidate for the job. Needless to say, I was furious and frustrated and probably dripped a few tears onto my final exam. Nobody enjoys rejection and I was even more concerned that I had not been actively searching for a job in the previous 3 weeks because I thought I had one.
So I graduated with no guarantees for my future career. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to remain in Oklahoma for the time being. The Monday after graduation I sent an email with my resume to a job posting I found on the OU Career Services website. I got a phone call three minutes later and she set me up with an interview the following morning. I was cautiously overjoyed. I did not want to get too attached to this position if it was going to be taken away like the previous one.
The interview was nerve-wracking. There were three candidates all interviewing at once for the same position (though there were several openings in the department), and I could tell that I was the youngest and least experienced of the three. I answered the questions as best I could and left the building with medium to high hopes. I met with another lady two days before Christmas, this time one on one. We chatted comfortably and I really began to see myself beginning a career in those halls.
The final step was an online assessment and I feared the worst, especially after bumbling through the two math sections. I waited and waited, phone alerts on loud, for a call after Christmas and finally got one on Monday, December 29th. The voice on the line told me the best possible news. She offered me a job. Starting the following Monday. With a starting salary far above what I would have made working for DHS. We worked out the details of when I would come sign some papers and make everything official and as soon as I ended the call I burst into tears. Happy and excited ones this time around.
Tomorrow I begin a career in the admissions department at Heritage College in Oklahoma City. Heritage College offers technical certification for personal training, esthetics, emergency medical personnel, etc. and my responsibilities will include working with students who have expressed interest in the school, walking them through the admissions process, and discussing any reservations they may have about the programs. I am most excited to be working with students, because working in Gateway is what I enjoyed the most during my years at OU. I value education highly and hope to encourage the students I interact with to pursue their dreams for a better future.
I'm not naive enough to think that it's going to be all sunshine and butterflies. There will be students who are difficult to work with, or who will simply give up. My new boss has already told me that I will most likely cry during my first week on the job. But she also told me that my first week falls on Spirit Week. Which means my first day of working as an adult is pajama day. Which means the professional attire I bought at Loft does not matter for another seven days.
A Very Lucky Girl is attacking Monday and a new chapter in life in cupcake pajama pants.
I thought I had a job, a clear direction for life post-graduation, but I was mistaken. The DHS position that had been offered to me in November, pending my completed transcript in December, was yanked away in an email that I received a few minutes before one of my finals. It informed me that they had found another candidate for the job. Needless to say, I was furious and frustrated and probably dripped a few tears onto my final exam. Nobody enjoys rejection and I was even more concerned that I had not been actively searching for a job in the previous 3 weeks because I thought I had one.
So I graduated with no guarantees for my future career. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to remain in Oklahoma for the time being. The Monday after graduation I sent an email with my resume to a job posting I found on the OU Career Services website. I got a phone call three minutes later and she set me up with an interview the following morning. I was cautiously overjoyed. I did not want to get too attached to this position if it was going to be taken away like the previous one.
The interview was nerve-wracking. There were three candidates all interviewing at once for the same position (though there were several openings in the department), and I could tell that I was the youngest and least experienced of the three. I answered the questions as best I could and left the building with medium to high hopes. I met with another lady two days before Christmas, this time one on one. We chatted comfortably and I really began to see myself beginning a career in those halls.
The final step was an online assessment and I feared the worst, especially after bumbling through the two math sections. I waited and waited, phone alerts on loud, for a call after Christmas and finally got one on Monday, December 29th. The voice on the line told me the best possible news. She offered me a job. Starting the following Monday. With a starting salary far above what I would have made working for DHS. We worked out the details of when I would come sign some papers and make everything official and as soon as I ended the call I burst into tears. Happy and excited ones this time around.
Tomorrow I begin a career in the admissions department at Heritage College in Oklahoma City. Heritage College offers technical certification for personal training, esthetics, emergency medical personnel, etc. and my responsibilities will include working with students who have expressed interest in the school, walking them through the admissions process, and discussing any reservations they may have about the programs. I am most excited to be working with students, because working in Gateway is what I enjoyed the most during my years at OU. I value education highly and hope to encourage the students I interact with to pursue their dreams for a better future.
I'm not naive enough to think that it's going to be all sunshine and butterflies. There will be students who are difficult to work with, or who will simply give up. My new boss has already told me that I will most likely cry during my first week on the job. But she also told me that my first week falls on Spirit Week. Which means my first day of working as an adult is pajama day. Which means the professional attire I bought at Loft does not matter for another seven days.
A Very Lucky Girl is attacking Monday and a new chapter in life in cupcake pajama pants.
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