Monday, October 17, 2011

Big News!!!

I think I have mentioned once or twice on my blog that I have been unemployed for a while.  The frustrating thing about finishing a degree just in time for the recession is that I have a lot of education but no practical experience within my new field.  These days (and for several years now), you pretty much need to have five years of experience AND a job just to get a new one. 

I had an interview at (yet another) job placement service last week and I got grilled pretty heavily on my two year "gap" between 2008-2010.  They wanted to know what I had been doing during that time ("So, you just weren't working?") and how they were supposed to explain it to the companies they were hiring for ("I don't know...it's going to be tough to explain this away...").  I had to sit there and calmly explain to them that I had just finished an advanced degree in a very particular field, that I had also moved to a brand new city where I had no industry or personal contacts at a time when no one could get a job.  What I really wanted to do was scream at the woman to get a clue, and tell her to go shove her slightly-above-minimum-wage-job.  But...I needed to get into her system as a backup, in case my other interview of the day didn't pan out.

But it turns out I needn't have worried.  I interviewed at a company that same day, and got a job offer the very next evening.  The woman who interviewed me called me from her home to offer me the position.  I am so thrilled!  Sure, it means less knitting time, and I have to cut out my weekday shifts at the yarn shop so I'm back to Saturdays only, and now I can't continue taking my Tuesday morning sewing class, but...I got a job!  Honestly, it's just entry level and the pay is not that great, but it's in the industry I would like to work in and it's a foot in the door.  I start tomorrow so I'll let you know how it goes after I've been there for a week or so.

I still haven't heard back from little Ms. Holier-Than-Thou at the job placement service.  Her loss. ;-)

14 comments:

SillyLittleLady said...

Congratulations! I hope you like the job :) It took me forever too, but things seem to be picking up some.

Anonymous said...

Score one for the good guys. Way to go!!!

Linda

Crazy Knitting Fool said...

Congratulations!

pinkundine said...

Congratulations! That's great news, especially being in the industry you want :)

joan said...

Yay!!

Jacey said...

Woo woo! I'm so excited for you! And a job in your preferred field? That is unheard of these days.

crookedknits said...

Congrats!! Maybe that means it's my turn next lol. I hope you have a long enough lunch break to get some knitting done :o)

Cookie said...

Congratulations!

ccr in MA said...

Oh, congratulations! That's excellent news, and who doesn't like hearing good news these days? And you're right, a foot in the door can lead to all sorts of things, once they learn how wonderful you are.

Hilary said...

Congratulations!!! This is such wonderful news!!

deltapurl said...

Congrats....I was out of work for about a year...that question is always hard

Jess said...

congratulations, you deserve it!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!

Yarndude said...

Woohoo! A job! How are you liking it?