Welcome to my blog! This blog was set up to fulfill a promise I made to family and friends back in Arizona that I'd do a blog or facebook to keep in touch and let everyone know the happenings here in Texas hill country.
What a year, huh? It's been quite the up and down ride, but I can only look back on this past year with gratitude. I'm finally working again, even though I had to leave my home state to get a job. I've been fortunate to land a job with a great company with outstanding coworkers, and I look forward to growing in my profession here as I recover from 9+ months of unemployment following my layoff last year.
For anyone who hasn't been laid off for an extended period of time, it's difficult to describe the emotional ride it can be. After several local Phx openings never panned out, I extended my search into the closest markets out of state, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Albuquerque/Santa Fe, and Vegas. I almost landed what appeared to be a great job in SD and then another one in downtown LA, but for some reason they both fell through.
As springtime rolled around and all my funds were depleted - slowly bleeding to death financially - I took on a "go down in flames" mentality and took my job search nationwide, determined to rather "burn out than fade away" and I began applying to jobs from Seattle to Miami; from Colorado to Boston & NYC. No place was out of the question, however my preference was to stick to the coasts, with a few middle America exceptions including: Denver, Chicago, Austin, and New Orleans, but I'd listen to anyone who'd call - and that was pretty rare.
Then, while walking into an interview with the Town of Florence, AZ I received a call from the New Orleans Third Municipal District. Miss Jacquelyn Fisk invited me to New Orleans for an interview as a GIS Analyst. The day before I had a phone interview with a firm in Austin, and they wanted me to come over for an interview. So the plans went in motion for a sweep of the South, trying to land a job. I set up a second interview in Austin with the gas company along with a possible interviews in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport.
When the trip was over a had 3 great interviews, all of which seemed promising. The prospect of moving was daunting, but at this point I was just trusting that the Lord would help me find a job in a place that would be good for me. I had presented myself the best I could and now it was time to wait and see.
A highlight of the year was a vacation with my family in Washington, DC. My brother, Kenny and his family in Indiana (a.k.a. the "Indy Bigs") drove over from Indianapolis and met the rest of the family at a cottage we rented for the week at the Cherry Hill campground north of DC. What a great time that was, and I'll remember those good times for years to come! Once I take some time to figure out how to post pictures on this blog, I'll have to attach some pics.
During the DC trip I interviewed in Virginia, a state I've always been fond of, and I also had some follow up conversations with The University of Virginia in Charlottesville regarding a former opening (that had closed), but I had developed a back n' forth with the GIS director there and we kept that door open for future opportunities. I've always like UVa, and its Jeffersonian approach to education. Thomas Jefferson is arguably my favorite fore-father and I find his life and works fascinating.
While I was visiting the Smithsonians, I received a call from a recruiter in San Diego and he wanted me to do a follow up interview and visit with a utility in SD, after which they would offer me the job. I was really excited as this was the closest I had been to receiving a job offer, even though it was a temporary contract position. Following the phone call, I went to an interview in Fairfax.
That night some of the family went and visited the Washington DC temple. That is quite a sight to see, especially at night while driving west on the northern part of the Capital Beltway. We had a nice time touring the visitors center there.
The next day was Friday and the family checked out of the cabin and began our trips back home. I stuck around for one more night as I wanted to meet up with my friend Brooke Salzman from my Master's group. Later that day while checking into my hotel, I received a call from Texas Gas Service in Austin - the last company I was able to interview with on my Southern job search. They offered me the position! As the HR rep described the details, I felt this would be a good opportunity. They gave me a week to respond to the offer, which I accepted and began preparations to move South by Southwest to Austin, TX!
