The Suspense is Killing Me!

Image courtesy of JerryStocking.com

Quick update since my last post about losing my job. Things are starting to look better. The first few weeks, there were a few major road blocks in my path which required me to just sit and wait for time to pass. The annual Girls Camp with church just happened to be scheduled about one week after I was laid off. That meant four days of me at home with three of my darling toddlers while Wifey enjoyed a campout with our three oldest girls up in the pines. Yup, made me a bit envious to say the least.

There also just happened to be a pre-planned, pre-paid weekend trip to Disneyland the very weekend prior to campout.  For who? You guessed it, Wifey and the three older girls. Daddy Daycare was in full effect. Talk about getting stressed out. Knowing that you lost your job and having your hands bound with childcare while your better half was off having a whirlwind tour of Disneyland is NOT good for moral. But we endured, after my minor...okay, slightly major meltdown in the church parking lot when picking up from campout.

FINALLY, I could start SERIOUSLY looking for a job. I had spent time emailing, calling, LinkedIn-ing, and FaceBooking everyone I knew in my field. I attempted one phone interview with watching Team Bravo (my younger set of three girls). That just made me a wreck trying to corral them while focusing on whatever the interviewer was saying on the other end of the line.

I had about a week and a half before another roadblock was quickly approaching. Before losing my job, I had sensed a need to fortify my resume. I scheduled two heavy duty Board Exams back to back on consecutive weeks. I am currently studying for one now. My Abdominal Ultrasound Board Exam is tomorrow (Friday). I've been studying at the local library all week in a solitary study room. Next week, on Thursday, is my Computed Tomography Board Exam and I plan on studying Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in the same fashion (library). The two certifications were going to be crucial if I ever had to find a new job and sure enough, the timing was impeccable.

I couldn't re-schedule them to look for a job, I needed them to land a job. My prior employer didn't require them for employment. They were simply an extra credential to hang on the wall. Now, with the current healthcare situation (thanks Obama), everyone is requiring these certifications because as of 2014, imaging centers will not get reimbursed for examinations that were done by technologists unless the technologist is certified.

Nevertheless, by the grace of God (literally), I secured some good interviews. I currently have in the hopper:

1) an offer from an indian reservation for full time employment at a hourly rate HIGHER than I was making prior. However, this "group" is not family-friendly and expects me to work on their reservation while living in their government housing. They'll pay for the housing but I'll only see my family on the weekends. This is a 13 week temporary assignment. If both parties agree, it could go permanent. Not happy about the family situation but it was offered before I had any other options. I am still waiting for final approval as I counter offered at a higher rate of pay.

2) a beautiful little town three hours south of me has reported that I am one of two people they are considering for a management position. This would be a promotion! It also means moving the family but they would be with me, which is great. We would start over in a new town with new adventures. They said they will announce their selection in mid-June.

3) a smaller town three hours north of me has offered me an interview for management after I turned down an afternoon shift. After much deliberation, I decided working from 11:30am to 8pm Monday through Friday was miserable for family life. Regardless of what the indian reservation paragraph may have led you to believe, I am all about family. This position offered less pay, crummy hours but beautiful location for my family and me. Once I summoned the courage to politely decline the shift work based on the hours offered, the Director asked if I had ever considered management. Of course I have! So, sometime in the next few days, I should have an interview up north for a management position. That would be a promotion and move my family and me to a beautiful snowy town.

4) saving the best for last, if you have read my previous posts about our family farm in Oklahoma, you'll be excited to hear I am uber close to landing a job in a small town right next to my family farm. I passed a successful phone interview a few days ago with the boss. I can't afford to go back there for an interview because I've been there twice since December already (once to visit for Christmas, once for my Grandmother's funeral). Now, with limited funds, I simply can't drive or fly out there (same price). $450-500 either way I travel is not doable at this time. Potential boss is working on a Skype/Internet Video conference solution and waiting on his Human Resource department to approve his paperwork to hire me.

So, there's your update in a nutshell. I do not absolutely have a job yet but things are sure looking positive at the moment. Keep your fingers crossed. I know I am.

~OJD