Flashback
to 2007. I’m about to start my freshman year of college at the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. (I can now admit to both my parents and
myself, that One Tree Hill and Dawson’s Creek were factors in my decision to go
to UNCW). My majors were film and psychology. I wanted to work in the
television or film industry someday. After I finished my freshman year, that
dream changed and I transferred to Carson-Newman. Mostly because I never ever
saw myself moving to Los Angeles or (especially) New York City.
Fast-forward
to present day. It was a Thursday morning a few weeks ago. After seeing a
commercial for Hallmark Channel’s
Countdown to Christmas I head to their website to look at their movie
schedule. I LOVE these movies. Sappy, corny, romantic Christmas movies that my
husband will roll his eyes at? Yes please! While on their website I notice a
jobs tab and click on it. Most of their job opportunities are in their Los
Angeles office. I notice a Communications internship position in their New York
office. There’s only one problem I’m not a student and cannot receive academic
credit (which is recommended).
On
a whim I apply anyway. Now, every other ‘internship’ position that said “academic
credit recommended” I passed on. I thought the resumes and applications went
through a computer system and if you didn't meet the basic requirement you were
booted out of the process.
That
same Thursday afternoon I get a phone call. Don’t get too excited it was a
telemarketer. A few minutes later I get another phone call. I look at my phone and
it says “Northern California”. I don’t pick up. I think to myself, “If they're not a telemarketer or wrong number, they’ll leave a message.” A minute later I
have a voice mail.
You
guessed it. It’s from Crown Media Family Networks (Hallmark Channel &
Hallmark Movie Channel) After a quick phone interview, my resume is passed to
the New York office.
Five long days
later, I get
another call scheduling me for an interview. I’m excited but on guard. This was
a mere two weeks after my three month long job interview with the law firm
imploded. I was scared and nervous. Would the outcome of this be different than
the five other job interviews I’d had with other companies? Or would I once again be faced with more rejection and heartache?
The
day of my interview I put on my black suit and specifically chose my black and
white top. (I wore my red top for my first interview with the law firm and
didn’t need any ‘bad’ luck. )
Hi-Ho,
Hi-Ho, it’s off to Mid-town I go.
As
I get off the train at 7th Avenue I notice the Cinderella theatre across the street. I
chuckle to myself because I’m about to change out of my casual, comfy flats to
my more office appropriate high heels.
It’s not unusual to see women decked out in designer suits wearing tennis shoes to walk around the city in. Trust me, their feet are grateful.
I
head to the office and meet with two very nice women. It’s a typical interview. They do ask why I’m applying for an internship when I've graduated
(twice). I say, “I’m looking for an opportunity to get my foot in the door.” I
also shared with them about how I even came across the job posting. They
laughed and said it was good that I was passionate and “a fan” of their
network. As I was about to leave I noticed several pictures of a puggle on the
lady’s desk. My family has a puggle named Rex. We
traded stories about our dogs. The whole interview process was a very positive
experience.
I
emailed the ladies I interviewed with right away with a thank you note. One
responded rather quickly and said “We’ll get back to you very soon.”
12 LONG AND EXCRUCIATING DAYS LATER….
I
would most describe the time waiting to hear back from a job interview like the
early days Chris and I were dating. “Does he like me? Did he have fun on our
date? He would have called by now if he liked me. Should I call him? Have I
waited long enough? I don’t want to bug him. I don’t want him to think I’m
desperate.”
Anyways
while I was visiting family in Tennessee, my curiosity got the best of me and I
sent my recruiter an email. I expected an email back and didn't get one at the
end of the business day. Later that night I got a voice mail My phone didn't ring. My
parent’s house is in the middle of nowhere-which is great for relaxing and
quality family time-not so much for getting phone calls or WiFi.
Knowing
that three weeks prior I had gotten a voicemail that ended up being bad news I
was nervous to listen to it. I took a deep breath and said “God Your will, not
mine” and pressed the playback button.
They
extended me an offer for a part-time paid internship in their Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department.
which I joyfully accepted.
They gave me a chance.
A foot in the door.
I
called my husband at work to tell him the good news. He was so thrilled! Then I
called my family. After months of having to call and tell people bad news or call and start a conversation with “Don’t
get too excited, I don’t have any job news.” I finally got to tell my family the news in
person.
Two
days later after accepting that offer, after a month of writing essays and taking a test, I got an email inviting me to an orientation for the 9/11 memorial volunteer trainee program. With the museum opening in the Spring of 2014, this
opportunity is again a foot in the door to a wonderful organization.
Since
both jobs are part-time, I can do them at the same time. I’m not sure what will
happen at the first of the year, but I've learned….
“Never be afraid to trust an
unknown future to a known God.”
I
never intended my blog to be about my job search. When I started writing in
March, I thought it would be about my new life in the city. The more I wrote
about my job struggles, the more feedback I received about people going through
the same thing. To the people who shared their struggles and stories with me, Thank you for being authentic. Thank you for being real. One of my sweet friends told me the other day that “With Christ, nothing is wasted.” When we share our struggles with other people, when we can share what God has done in our life, our struggles are redeemed. I was at a women’s conference the other weekend and our speaker said this profound thought. “If you want to know where God wants you, look at your wounds.”
I prayed for 10
months for God to do something big. There’s no doubt in my mind that this opportunity was God’s handiwork. All of the things that led me to this were not mere coincidences but yet another reminder of the truth that God’s timing is not our own.
- I had only been having a 3.75% success rate on getting interviews. (148 job applications/5 interviews)
- I had skipped over every 'internship' application before.
- I just happened to have the television on at the exact moment that 'Countdown to Christmas' commercial aired.
I
hope that wherever you are in your struggles; waiting for a job, a husband, a
baby, a cure, that you will take comfort in knowing that indeed Jesus is still
in the business of doing miracles.
“Then he said to Thomas, "Put your
finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
