Emotional rollercoaster

A few weeks ago, I saw an ad in The New York Times for a position with a large healthcare network. I responded and got an almost instantaneous answer, asking me to come in for an interview.

The interview went well, it seemed to me, but there's no way to be entirely sure when you're sitting there. Later that same day, I got confirmation--a call on the answering machine asking me to come for an interview with the VP.

So we set up the meeting. Then they had to push it back a couple of days. Fine. So I go in for the rescheduled meeting, and it's like I'm in Animal House as Tim Matheson's character, "Otter", showing up to pick Fawn at her sorority. Didn't anyone tell you? Fawn's dead. So they scrambled around until, finally, the person who interviewed me the prior time came out to talk to me. She took me into her office to tell me they'd had a scheduling conflict (a last-minute, emergency meeting, I was told), so they were so sorry to have dragged me in but they had to reschedule yet again.

Fine. So today was the day I was finally going to meet with the VP. Today. Today at 3pm. Uh huh. So at 1:42pm, my cell phone rings. "Jess, I'm glad I caught you." Here we go again, I thought, but no, this time it got worse. "They just decided to promote someone from within. We really like your background and want to find a position for you in the network, but now there's no position available."

So, needless to say, I was a bit disappointed by that. Bummed, even. I went and had a late lunch with Marc. That always helps--the lunch, not the lateness. Still, it felt rotten having the rug yanked out from under me.

Not to worry, kids, the rollercoaster went back up some later today. I don't know if anything really will come of this one, but I've been in consideration for a job with a large, publicly traded company. I was telephone interviewed by someone from a placement firm a few weeks ago. Then, several days ago, I had an interview with the president of the placement firm. This interview was done by videoconference, since I am in New York and he was in California. He said he'd take several candidates' information to the company and they'd select a few for further interviews.

Then I heard that the company HR VP wanted to talk to me. So that was set up for last Friday. There was a snafu that kept the call from happening, but we finally got to speak this evening. For about 45 minutes, the VP and I discussed various issues, views of how things should be handled, etc.

I think it went well. Granted, there's no way to know for sure, but he told me the specific people I'd next speak to if it went further. I take that as hopeful. Why get into their names and roles if you're just trying to get me off the phone?

If it goes further, I'll speak to some of these folks by phone. If it gets further than that, I'm probably going to be flying out to California to meet them face-to-face. California is where the corporate offices are, but the job wouldn't be out there. If I got it, home would remain right here. I'd just be doing a lot more traveling (primarily in the Eastern US).

So this sounds exciting, and I'm glad the interview went well. Tomorrow, I have an interview with another organization. All of this interest is nice, but I need a job! So I sure hope somebody makes me a decent offer sometime in the near future!