Last Sunday, August 11th, my dad came into town for the first time to check out our new scenery. David and I had a long list of things to show him and fun stuff to do before he had to leave Monday night for his business meeting in Phoenix on Tuesday. Thankfully we were able to do everything and had a fabulous time showing him around!
In the 36 hours he was here, we showed him around base, went bowling, went to the movies, taught him all about Active Duty life, and went hiking!! Below are some pics of our fun.
We hiked the mountain behind our hotel (aka David and my home base). it is about 6000 feet in elevation. David and I plan to hike to the highest peak sometime soon!
SOOOO about the job. I GOT A JOB!!! I did not want to post too much while I was in the interview process but now it is official and I can spill the beans (man I wish I could eat at Spill the Beans in Clemson- but thats a whole different problem). Anyway, this is how the whole job process happened:
On August 1st I happened to be searching the web for jobs, nothing serious just looking around. I figured since it was August I was getting closer to being able to apply for jobs and hopefully get an interview around the time we get back to VA in October. I came across a job description for an event planner on HospitalityOnline.com I decided I would apply because the job looked pretty good and had good benefits. I wasn't really sure at first but then I saw that they offered "company travel discounts" and I was sold. As silly as it sounds I just figured "hey we love to travel so why not!"
I truly believe God was behind me the whole time pushing me to apply for this job. Despite the "travel discounts" I found so appealing, I had not really applied for formal jobs before and found the process slightly daunting. I was not sure about my resume and cover letter, I was not sure about the looming "salary requirement" question and I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to plan events but I really did not want to work 60 hours a week with 4 nights a week and every other weekend. Although this is generally what happens when working in the event field, I was determined I could find something that did not consume my life and left me time with my family, even if I had to start my own business (which I may still like to do someday). Then this job was brought to me by God, through one of His blessing across the screen of my Macbook. He gave me the extra push and encouragement to apply and truly held my hand through the whole experience through giving me excellent mentors like my Uncle Gregg, my old boss and friend Zach, and of course my friends and family cheering me on (Dixie, Alicia, Cara, Kellee, and both sets of my parents (I know I am lucky to have great parents and 'in-laws').
So on August 2nd, I got an email (less than 24 hours after applying) that said my resume and application had been viewed. I was not sure what to think of this but I was interested because in the experience I had with the hiring process applications generally were not pulled until the position closed. But I did not think too much of it. THEN that same day I got a voicemail from one of the hiring managers asking to set up a phone interview! I could not believe it, a phone interview less than 24 hours after applying! I called her back about an hour later and left her a voicemail (it was after business hours her time) letting her know I would love to set up a phone interview and she could call me back anytime.
August 3rd and 4th were the weekend (our wonderful Anniversary weekend), then Monday the 5th and I did not hear anything, I figured well maybe tomorrow. So Tuesday morning I had not heard from her and decided I would call back since last time I had left a voicemail. I wasn't that nervous about calling back because I thought it was a legitimate reason, I called and left a voicemail after business hours and had not heard back. So I called and as it turned out she never received the voicemail and was happy I called, she was going to call me back later that afternoon. So we scheduled the phone interview for the following day, she explained it would be she and I for the first stage.
August 7th: First phone interview
My first phone interview went fabulous. I was totally confident and just felt really good about everything. I had done some practice interview questions, wrote down questions of my own I had and said a quick prayer before the interview to calm any nerves and make sure I present myself in a clear and honest way. I wanted to company to want me for who I was and I only wanted this opportunity if it was right for me and for David and I. The interview lasted about an hour, which I thought was a pretty long phone interview! She asked the typical questions about strengths and weaknesses, and a few scenario questions about dealing with difficult clients and gaining people's respect as a young professional. I felt really confident with my answers and got to ask the questions I had for her. I learned all about the company and what I would be doing. I would be working as an event planner for Capital One Bank through Benchmark Hospitality, a company that runs their conference center. The conference center is located in Mclean, VA and I would be working from 7:30-4:30 planning events for Capital One employees. The best part is that I would not have to work weekends, nights, or overtime. I would not have to work bank holidays and get all paid holidays and vacation time. All of these things were exactly what I was looking for. At the end of the interview I asked what the next step in the process was and she said she had approved me to the next round of phone interviews and I should be expecting a call from "Omar" within the next few days.
August 7th.. still
Omar called! I received a call from Omar, who is the boss of Tina that I had spoken with earlier (Tina would be my boss). Omar scheduled the phone interview for the next day, August 8th and said he looked forward to speaking with me tomorrow.
August 8th: Second Phone Interview
I had my second phone interview with Omar. It went really well once again. He kept saying he thought my answers were really good and that he thought I had great experience (thanks Clemson). He asked me about salary (which I had prepared my answer by looking at glassdoor.com and doing some research about the average for that area). I felt really confident and was starting to think I was actually a top candidate for this position. It was all so exciting and a whirlwind all at one time. I could not believe I was knee deep in an interview process and could potentially have a job soon, one that I really had grown to like. I knew they needed a candidate soon because they informed me the position was currently vacant. I also had some looming questions about the in person interview process. How was I going to fly to VA for the interview? They already said it was not in the budget to fly someone out for an interview because they were looking for a candidate with knowledge of the local area. So needless to say there were a lot of questions still and I had to rely on my faith to ensure it would all play out.
So I just realized this blog post is getting REALLY long and I need to make my hubby some spaghetti so I am going to leave you here wondering how the rest of the story plays out.....
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