I thought things were looking up y’all, I really did. I applied for a decent job straight to the company through their HR email address. I wrote a nice email and attached my resume, 2 days later they called asking for an interview. I was very excited. It was a cool business/industry and the commute wasn’t bad.
I’ll save every little detail to not make this super long (as usual), because this started a roller coaster of a week. But they called me on a Friday asking if I could come in that afternoon, well obviously I had both girls and couldn’t make it happen. So they offered me Monday at 1pm, and I took the girls to my sister-in-law’s. She works from home so I hated to have to do that to her, but of course, she didn’t mind.
I went in Monday confident and prepared. The interview went great! She complimented my attire, didn’t cringe at my salary expectations, and even moved me to a larger conference room where I would interview with 2 additional managers that she felt would want to meet me. That’s where I met the HR manager, she was awesome and we hit it off. I was going to get this job. I left happy, so happy in fact that I cried on the way home because this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. I felt validated, smart, professional, wanted by a company. Something I haven’t felt in over a year now.
That afternoon the HR manager called to schedule a second interview with the owner/CEO. They didn’t want me in the position I applied for. They felt I was over qualified and my skills would be underutilized within their organization. They had 2 other positions to talk to me about. We discussed them both over the phone and I expressed to her my interest in only 1 of them. The other, was not for me. She agreed and I was going to have my second interview on Wednesday morning.
I immediately started doing more research on the company and found many, many negative reviews… but only about the CEO, the guy I was going to interview with on Wednesday. And how him and his partner the COO never get along and are always arguing. All other aspects were fine. So I went in knowing what to expect about him. I stepped my interview outfit up a notch and Ryan ended up coming home to watch Cicely for me for a couple hours while I was gone. I arrived and waited for a few minutes in the conference room, finally the HR manager came in, then we waited and waited. He was late. After chatting about the company for a few minutes and how she had been there for 9 months now and used to work in oil & gas too, I was feeling pretty comfortable with her, so I decided to bring up all the negative reviews about him that I read and asked her to be honest with me. She was, she knew. She explained he means well, but he is all business, and very strict, and has a horrible delivery in the way he speaks to people and she’s been trying to work with him on that. Now his partner, the COO, is the exact opposite. Too laid back, too carefree, liked by everyone. And that’s where the arguing comes in. Okay, I get it, I understand the reviews better now.
Then I see an older gentleman in jeans and a tucked in collared shirt through the window of the conference room with his readers low on his nose and his head down trying to see where he’s going. “Here he comes”, I said. I knew that had to be him.
Finally he comes in… I’ll skip all the extras, but long story short, another great interview. He asked me only one semi-difficult question that he said I answered exactly how he wanted me to (whew!) and he brought in another manager for me to meet, one I hadn’t met before. We had great conversation, agreement on the position I’d be great at, etc. He ended the interview telling me, I was charming, smart, intelligent and a pleasure to be around and he hopes that I will come and work for his company. He actually said that shit, one of the nicest compliments I have received in a long time. I was very grateful. I left with a smile on my face, a pep in my step and once again cried tears of joy. I even cried with Ryan when I got home, lol. This has been tough y’all, a hard season of life. Hard as fuck. For once I’m crying because I’m happy and not sad, or depressed, or anxious or overwhelmed. Can’t beat that feeling, right?
Now it’s Thursday, we had a 9am call set up to discuss the offer (between me, the HR Manager, and CEO). No call. I emailed at 9:30am asking if we are still having a call. The HR manager calls at 9:35am saying the CEO had an emergency and we rescheduled for 11am. Okay, no problem. (I mean it kind of was because I was trying to keep a needy toddler quiet and busy by herself for an extended period of time which is a battle in itself) The phone rang at 11:05am, now he’s stuck in a meeting… like what the fuck people?! I’m annoyed, but trying to be understanding, he’s a busy CEO, right? So she says she doesn’t know when, but she’ll call me back when he’s available. By the way, she’s super sweet and apologetic throughout this whole ordeal.
4ish pm rolls around and I’m in the car with the girls, just picked up Erian from school. Phone rings and it was only her, again… she had a conversation with him and he now wants to offer me only one position, the one I do not want. I said no, that’s not what we discussed, we agreed on the other. She said she knows that and reminded him of that but will let him know how I feel. 4:30pm the CEO calls me. Y’all he tried every which way to get me to take this other job. Even started making up different skills needed in the other position (which he knew I didn’t have) that were not even on the job description, and I called him out on that. “It doesn’t say that anywhere on the job description I read, sir.” Look man, I do not want to do that shit!!! I want the other position, I will rock that job and prove it to you! At this point he suggested we “table” the discussion until next week when the manager for the position I actually do want is back from vacation. Cool. I’ll be on vacation then but call me anyway. We hang up. HR manager calls me back and could not believe I stood up to him and didn’t cave. We both know the other job is better for me. And confirmed the “bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting” is not a requirement for the other job. What a fucking dumbass. He just wanted me so bad at the other position because I would be an attractive, female face representing the company in a male dominated field; he didn’t want to look at any of my other skills and abilities.
Ugh, guys, that job requires 50% travel and high stress, I cannot do that. The compensation wouldn’t even make up for it. My life and home responsibilities no longer give me that freedom anymore. Ryan’s career comes first and I am secondary. I run my home and am the majority caregiver for our children. Ryan leaves before we wake up and most nights is home after dinner. It will not work for us. Sorry, dude.
At this point I’m on a big family vacation in Missouri, like 20 of us. The HR manager calls on Monday and by the grace of God, offers me the position I wanted and at the salary I requested. Hallelujah! I verbally accept and will start in 1 week (which was supposed to be yesterday). She says to look out for the formal letter and once I sign and return they will get started on the background check, etc. AWESOME! I got a job y’all!!! I was so relieved! I even emailed the daycare to get the girls started for full-time. We just signed Cicely up to start back part-time after the vacation, so it was all falling into place.
The day came and went…. no offer letter. At 6:30pm I check my phone and had a voicemail from the HR manager asking if I was still interested in the position. I was like what the hell? I never received the letter so I thought she was asking because I never signed it. I emailed her since it was after hours saying yes, I’m still interested but hadn’t received the email yet and confirmed my email address.
The next day, Tuesday she called at noon. I was on the party dock by the lake with the family and had to run into the house to get decent service. Y’all will not believe what the fuck she told me. They rescinded the offer from yesterday (that I verbally accepted) and now are only offering me the second, unwanted job. The CEO had them hire someone else in the other position, some lady named Eva. He wanted me at the other position so bad and wanted me to do what HE wanted, and made them give me no other choice. That job or none. I respectfully, declined and told her I would look for other opportunities elsewhere. Once again, she’s super nice and apologetic, explaining she’s only been there 9 months and has no pull with him, etc. I understand, he’s the owner/CEO and I’m not about shooting the messenger, and I told her that. And that just puts the cherry on top of how my entire 16 months of job searching has been going.
