The Post I’ve Been Hoping to Make

I got a job!

Yes, you read that right. Through some amazing twist of fate, I have landed a job in spite of the economy. I start on May 18th, which is exactly 3 months after getting laid off from my old job. I’m extremelly excited about it, too. This isn’t a “Well, the economy is bad so I’ll take what I can get” kind of job. This is a “Wow, I really, really *want* this job” kind of job.

Remember how that one job I interviewed for fell through? Well, a day or two later, I got a phone call about this position and had a quick phone interview. That went well, so I was invited for an in-person interview last week. That went exceptionally well, and I’ve been about going insane since then, hoping for an offer. I didn’t want to tell many people, though, because it’s just been too much of a rollercoaster. If it didn’t work out, I didn’t want a bunch of people asking if I’d gotten the job.

But now it’s safe to say I’ve got the job. Wooohoo!

It’s a business analyst position, like my last job. It’s a good mix of things that I already know how to do, along with things I will need to learn. I like that. It’s also a really good group of people, including the manager. I feel like a very, very lucky woman indeed.

I’m also a bit stunned. Part of that is going through so much significant change in such a short period of time, and having very little control over that change. I’ve felt such terror at times, but also had to shield myself from feeling a lot of that in order to keep moving. Now that I know where my next paycheck is coming from, I guess I feel safe enough to feel some of the things I didn’t have the luxury of feeling while I was doing what I could to get through this. Kind of like if you are in a car accident and you do what you need to do, and then days later find yourself crying over the close call.

The other part of feeling stunned, though, is also some “survivor’s guilt.” I’m thankful I landed a job, but I know so many people, including some of you who visit here, are still hurting and frightened. I wish there were something I could do to lift that burden. And it’s going to be hard going back to work and not be able to hang out with my layoff buddies. I’ll miss the socializing, but I also know that they’ll miss the support. I’ll still be there for them, of course, but I won’t be able to be there to the same degree since my time will be tied up with work. I’ll worry about them, and I know they’ll feel a bit left behind. It’s how I felt when one of them found a job fairly quickly.

However, I also think that they will find jobs too. They’re good people, and an employer will be very fortunate to snap them up. I do think that things are stabilizing a bit. Although there aren’t many jobs out there right now, there are jobs. They’ll find their way through too.

So I’m in this weird spot of feeling excited, but also holding my breath. I’m glad I have three weeks before I set foot in the door at the new job. I think that will give me some time to get myself sorted out. Plus, there are practical things to take care of like buying clothes. My last employer allowed casual wear. This employer is business professional. I don’t need to wear suits or anything, but I do need nicer things than what I’m used to wearing.

Anyway, thank you to all of you who have expressed your support during this difficult time. I’m fortunate to have connections with many wonderful people, and that’s what matters most in life. I didn’t feel all alone in this, and that made a big difference.