A Tale of Two Job Offers

Once upon a time there was a girl who moved really really far away. To a land of movie stars and sunshine and beaches and altogether too many people. She got disoriented. And got married. Not necessarily in that order. Then she got to the business of looking for a job. Fairy tale couples can't survive on one income in this day and age.

When I moved here (Hi, it's the princess in this scenario speaking. The narrator had an audition/plastic surgery procedure to go to so I am taking over the narrating duties), I kept my mind open to the possible jobs that I would get. Since I missed the start of the school year, prime time for hiring classroom interpreters, I knew that I may have to look for something different, or cobble together a few part time things to bring in some income until a stable position came along.

I didn't keep my mind open to the possibility of it taking so long to find a job. I knew from the outset that job hunting ranks fairly low on my list of stellar skills, hovering right there with surfing and getting gas in LA, apparently.

I didn't get any call backs, and had only one phone interview so outlook became bleak indeed.

Then came a two week flurry.

Monday

One sunny Morning morning I received a call from a regional center that provides services for people with disabilities and their families requesting an interview. I had heard of them from a friend of Fearless Hero's whose children had been clients. She has been quite a godsend in my job search, passing my name and resume along to her contacts in the deaf/hard of hearing field and sending my resume to this center. They wanted to fit me in on Thursday so we settled on an afternoon appointment.

Luckily, before I moved out here, in a fit of uncharacteristic optimism, and amidst a thousand other tasks, I went shopping for interview outfit for just this occasion. I tagged along with my dad and brother as they hit the outlet mall. I had much success at the Banana Republic outlet store and they were both very patient while I tried on a zillion outfits. I actually found two nice pairs of pants and button down dress shirts that would be suitable for any interview in any weather. Thanks to Pops, I left the store with both of them.

Tuesday

I was oh so smart and did a little recon before my interview. I have GPS services on my Crackberry but I wanted to find the place beforehand so I could confine my nervousness to the actual interview. I'm so glad I did, as the building is nestled in a busy shopping district amongst a slew of strip malls, department stores, restaurants and hotels. My GPS lady (we are still trying to come up with an appropriate name for the voice in there. Marcheline is currently the favorite, as the name needs to be ever so slightly snotty. And it can't be a Latino name, you should hear how she murders the pronunciation of "Sepulveda" and "La Cienaga.") is very ineffectual when it comes to parking lots and off road locations. She kept saying "Your destination is on your right" which was a Starbucks. I did find it after several turn-arounds and so after returning home and engaging in a long ironing session, I was ready.

Thursday

The interview went exceptionally well. I was comfortable with the two interviewers right away and they didn't throw any question at me that was too tough to answer. I was able to relate all the skills I had learned from interpreting and my work with people with special needs to the required job duties of the position. I came up with good examples and stories and was able to come up with a sincere answer about why someone who has been interpreting for so long would like a job in a different career path.

Afterwards I was shown into a small conference room where I was given a laptop and a short memo to write to my imaginary supervisor. It was a test of not only my writing ability but my ease at using a computer. I felt like I was back in college, writing some BS answer to a meaningless question. My creative writing teachers would be proud, as I did take a few minutes to jot down ideas and organize my thoughts before I started writing, which actually saved me time in the long run. I was given a time limit of a half hour and finished just in time.

I left feeling very positive about my experience and knew that I couldn't have done any better. If I didn't get the job it was because they didn't feel my skills would transfer, not because I hadn't conveyed myself well.

They said they would get back to me in one to two weeks.

Friday

The next morning at 8:15 one of the interviewers called with one additional question they had forgotten to ask in the interview. They made sure I had left my letters of reference with HR and requested permission to contact them. They were, she told me, very interested. Fearless Hero had not left for work and shared my excitement after he got over his shock that I was making coherent sentences that early in the morning.

Saturday/Sunday

It was so nice to spend a day in California that wasn't full of anxiety about being jobless. I thoroughly enjoyed a slight break from the hunt. The weekend was spent with less evil butterflies in my stomach.

Monday

Then I promptly got sick. I didn't mean to, but the following Monday morning found me on our new couch, defeated and resigned to a day of rest and bad TV.

This was the day I got another call for a job interview, this time from a large area School District.

I had submitted my application through their online system months ago and they wanted to interview me that week. I agreed, more to get them off the phone before I said something stupid. I was surprised but pleased to have another avenue of employment open up.

Wednesday

Since the interview was scheduled during the morning rush hour and I was still struggling really hard with my latest symptoms, Fearless Hero was my chauffeur. I ironed my outfit again and set off, all the while counting the seconds until could be back home, chocolate shake in hand, to baby my ailing body some more.

While I went up to my interview Fearless Hero made the phone calls I was too nervous to make and set up an appointment with the physicians my medical team back home had recommended. While he was navigating that system, I went up to do battle with the bureaucracy of School District.

The reception room I found myself in upon arrival offered my no direction, all the staff was busy with other folks and their endless forms. Finally I was directed to the appropriate room for interviewees. I then began my processing with a staff member there.

In order to have all the required forms I had recently contacted my high school looking for a duplicate copy of my diploma. Putting aside the absurdity of this task (doesn't it follow that if I have a college degree, oh never mind) I was connected with the current guidance counselor, inevitably named Doris. She promptly informed me, with a slightly scandalized scold, that they of course could not provide me with that, I should have my own diploma and that she could not furnish me with a copy. I never got the explanation why, but was supposed to be satisfied by her explanation. I went to school there for four years so I promptly fell back into known patterns and knew better than to pursue it any further. Perhaps it was a sin and she was looking after my everlasting soul. Oh, by the way, it's a Catholic high school. And I learned enough there to know that that last comment could lead me straight to hell.

So I tried a different tack. I explained that I had recently moved across the country and that my original was probably in my father's basement, she agreed to send me a copy of my transcripts. What arrived a few days later was a two sided copy of every class I took, my driver's ed grade, my eighth grad placement scores, my ACT score, total number of tardies and absences, and my extracurricular activities. Way more information than any prospective employer needs. Dad did eventually find my diploma, in its original folder and sent it to me. Who would have thought I would ever need it?

So armed with my high school diploma, college diploma, and evidence of completion of an interpreter training program and sign language performance testing I filled out all the necessary forms for my 'test.' Since I was organized and had everything in order, I waited for a bit to be called back to the interview room.

What greeted me there were two interviewers, teachers of deaf students with the district, who were each armed with a laminated card of questions. They asked permission to record the interview and given that, we proceeded.

The interview took less than fifteen minutes. They only read what was on the card, took notes but did not follow up any of my comments, ask for clarification or in any way engage me in conversation. All the questions were eighteen parts could have had me talking for twenty minutes for each. I wasn't sure if they had seen my resume or were familiar with my experience so I just babbled on appropriately.

Afterwards I was told I would be contacted in two to three weeks but otherwise was not given any information about the procedure or the next step in the process. I returned to the car to find Fearless Hero with Laptop on the roof of the car, armed with snacks and books, as he was expecting my battle with the bureaucracy to take hours.

That afternoon I was once again on the couch (I know, I know, I keep upping the glamour quotient of this blog by all these references. I will try to reign it in and not make you my readers so jealous about my glamorous life here in LA) when I got a phone call from a case manager at School District who works with the deaf and hard of hearing program. She had received the results of my interview and was anxious to talk to me about a position open in my area. She sort of offered me a job, without really telling me any details. I was still weak and dizzy as she talked and told me of a elementary school that with a deaf program that had been without an interpreter all year that would be perfect for me. She invited me to arrange a visit with her to the campus.

I really don't remember what I said, made some noises to the effect that she caught me off guard as I hadn't been informed yet how I did on my interview or received any information about working for School District. She told me that the reason that she could offer me a position so quickly is that my interview was scored and I ranked number one, scoring a ninety-nine percent. I also had the testing scores required both currently and after a new law that would go into effect next year upping the levels of skill required.

I was still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that they had given my interview a numerical score (how weird is that?) when she went on the talk about the job pay. She quoted me an hourly figure that had me quickly finding a chair and asking her to repeat the figure again. It made me want to accept the job immediately, I'm not ashamed to say, and left me wondering if I had moved to California and an alternate universe simultaneously

Friday

At 6:45pm, when I thought it was safe to answer the phone, the place of my first interview, the regional center, called and offered me the job as counselor, a service coordinator for families. I, of course, was caught off guard and didn't have all my questions at the ready (are you noticing a trend here?). I just tried to maintain the facade of intelligence and we agreed to touch base the following Monday to clarify any further questions I may have.

Saturday/Sunday

So the weekend was filled with mulling and pro and con lists and talking to lots of friends and family, hashing it out with each and getting different perspectives and different ideas of questions to ask each prospective employer. By Sunday night, I was leaning towards the interpreting job. If it is bad to say that the great pay was my top consideration then I pronounce myself guilty. I also liked the shorter work day of 6 hours a day, proximity to home, and the easier transition to a new job in a capacity I knew well.

Monday

Monday morning the School District's case manager phoned again to inform me that the position she had offered me was now filled by another staff interpreter, but that it may not be a permanent placement. The HR person I had spoken with earlier that morning was very friendly but was unable to give me firm answers about some of the benefits and procedures of being a staff interpreter. The case manager was able to give me further information but it was all very vague. I was extremely wary of about being put in the position once again of working with a school district where you were at their mercy when it came to placement, job duties etc. She assured me that probably the position would reopen in a few weeks time and as their number one candidate I would be placed there.

Now deeply concerned, I waited again to speak to the regional center about their offered position. I hoped that they wouldn't return my call as I didn't know what I would say. Thankfully they didn't, giving me more time to mull and expand my pro and con lists.

I must disclose here that the pro and con list, as well as all the job information for all the leads I have pursued during my job search here are all contained in one notebook that I have at the ready at all times. It has a striped pattern with cupcakes all over the cover. Clearly I am not qualified to be in charge of these kinds of decisions. An independent panel needs to be convened to review and decide on such matters for me. Clearly.

Tuesday

Tuesday had me going to my long-procrastinated nerve-wracking appointment with a new team of doctors at Cedars Sinai. It was in the Steven Spielberg building. I kid you not. It is located on either George Burns Road, which is near to Gracie Allen Drive. Seriously. I didn't see any famous people this time, but when I do, you will be the first to know. My friend Laurie was kind enough to take me and face the impossible task of entertaining a 20-month old at a medical complex for several hours. My job stress was put on the back burner for the as I dealt with scheduling multiple tests and entertaining new treatments and finding a suitable vein for my blood draw. Thankfully the team there seems top notch, were friendly and personable and looked to treat my system as a whole. Very lovely things, all.

That night I got a voice mail from School District's case manager again, stating that she had heard from her boss that the elementary school where they wanted to place me would most likely be opening up another position there, as it appeared that two interpreters were needed to handle all the mainstream classes for the deaf students. Most likely.

Wednesday

Wednesday finally got me into contact with the regional center, where they agreed to let me give them my final answer after the Thanksgiving holiday. They were able to answer a few more questions and shortly after our conversation their HR staff sent me an email outlining the benefits package.

I spent the rest of the day baking muffins and pumpkin pies and making applesauce. It was a nice diversion, and it was lovely to be able to step off the roller coaster for a little bit.

Thursday

I spent a lovely Thanksgiving at Fearless Hero's folks' house. My sister-in-law makes a mean turkey and prepared quite a feast for all of us. Someday soon, my nephew Tyler's skill at making mashed potatoes will give him the power to rule the world. The rest of the day was spent playing Rock Band and generally laying around.

Friday

In an effort to complete all tests my new doctor wants before I started a job I took the open appointment for the day after Thanksgiving. Fearless Hero once again was my chaffeur and once again packed Laptop and snacks and books to read while he waited the several hours for my tests to be done. While I had had these series of tests before this time was a much rougher experience. The rest of the day was spent in bed and I will close the paragraph by saying this: Mmmmmm…Vicodin.

Monday

In the end, after much consideration, I decided to take the regional center position. Although I know it will have it stressors, and that it will involve wrestling with bureaucracy, it seems a safer, more stable bet than with School District. Without assurances that the position will be available when my processing is complete (fingerprinting and a background check by the Department of Justice is required before one can begin work with the district) I would possibly be in the position of being eligible to be hired but have no open positions, or a position that would mean a long commute. Without any guarantees and only a vague understanding of how my placement could be changed at a later date or for the next school year, it seemed too risky a proposition to accept. And since I was feeling burnt out and looking for ways to get out of interpreting, it seems to make sense to be stressed out in a job that at least has the possibility to take me down another career path than to be feeling once again the frustration and helplessness of being at the mercy of another school district.

When you start working with deaf children, you quickly learn how much information hearing children absorb just be overhearing their parents talking, or from the television or radio. When hearing new vocabulary or learning new concepts, even if they don't fully understand, having heard the word before can help them more quickly understand it's full meaning. Deaf children have gaps that aren't due to a lack of intelligence but a lack of exposure to incidental learning. I understand this concept in a new way after moving to California and searching for a job. I don't have any background information about the area school districts, don't know the repuations of some of the local agencies and organizations, haven't heard the gossip about what it's like to work here or there. You don't realize the vast array of impressions and rumors and vague feelings you get about people and places until you try to operate without them.

Who knows, after a few months I may decide that my long standing policy that working with adults all day instead of a roomful of kids is way more stressful and way less fun is a truism for me. Maybe a desk job will drive me nuts. Maybe I will miss the rhythm being a part of the classroom and will embark on a search to change my career to make that happen. Or I may enjoy using other parts of my brain and other skills, and relish learning new skills in a new environment. I may feel a strange but heady combination of relief and confidence that I am making progress in my career. A brand new endeavor may be just what I need. In any case, progress and a steady paycheck is a good thing.

I sit and write this at the Blue Butterfly as I wait for the regional center to contact me to confirm that the days off I requested as part of my hire (holiday travel and yet another test in January) have been approved by whatever higher-up must approve them. I got out of the house otherwise I would be staring at the phone, like a teenager waiting for her crush to call.

So here's the part of the story where I tell you that they called back in the afternoon and everything is all set, that I am officially employed with a definite start date and they lived happily...

If you've been paying attention at all the these emails/blog posts you know that my life doesn't always work out that well...

Tuesday

Still no word from the regional center. Assume Higher Up must be very busy and cannot give required approval.

Get a call from the School District's case manager, wanting to know if I am still interested in the position. The status hasn't changed but they will probably have the opening in a few weeks. While I have informed them that I have another job offer I am considering, this does not make the wheels of bureaucracy move any faster. She wants to set up a visit next week, and at the end of her voice mail adds that her boss would like to speak to me and here is her number, please call her. I felt like I was in trouble, and almost fell into the patterns when I was speaking with Guidance Counselor Doris. I still haven't figured out why this person didn't call me herself, what exactly she wanted to discuss with me, and what I would say if I had to leave her a voice mail, "Hello, this is Beth Adelman, returning your summons to call you." So strange. I returned the call to the case manager later, informing them that I had accepted my other offer and would keep them posted when and if I received final confirmation...

Wednesday.

Because now I'm thinking I may have to take School District up on their offer. Honest to Pete. Paranoia is setting in. Nervous energy drives me into several projects, some productive, some decidedly ill-advised.

Thursday

Get up early to drive, yet again, to Cedars-Sinai for another test. Would like to postpone the test as I think Fearless Hero's cold has caught up with me, but there is no staff to field my phone call until after I have to be on the road. Am almost ready to turn onto George Burns Road when my phone rings (rudely interupting Marcheline). The regional center is finally calling me. The voice mail informs me they would like me to start on Monday, December 29, to sidestep the unpaid time for my holiday travel. I had to head into my appointment and in the several hours that I was there, they called once again. I was able to call them back afterwards and leave them a message agreeing to that start date.

So I guess I am gainfully employed. That was kind of anti-climactic, wasn't it?

I will keep you posted, hopefully it won't have to be a day by day kind of thing.

Friday I have deemed a holiday in the fairy tale land of Beth: Sigh of Relief Day.

"Then the princess searched high and low, slayed many dragons, and eventually found a job. That was when she really had to be brave. She and the Fearless Hero went out for Avocado Egg Rolls to celebrate, and she wore her glass slippers to their special dinner. Then she slept for a long time because she was really tired. The End."