Summer was ending.
But the stress was building.
Until one day it hit a breaking point.
A phone call of concern in the morning
had me basically in tears for the rest of the day.
For it was the last straw in my barely held together composure.
I didn't know what to do.
I was stressed out to wits end.
Money. Bills. Responsibilities. Expectations. Self Confidence.
It got to me.
But...with a phone call for help.
A willing drive.
and a weekend away from collegetown
and doing some hard tiring work
helped to restore me a bit.
Things though...didn't seem to start rolling until I got a father's blessing for the 'school year.'
Though I didn't have school it is custom to have my dad give us all blessings for the coming year.
I don't remember much.
But the key thing that stuck out to me was "Be Anxiously Engaged."
It stuck out to me because that was our Institute's Kikay's first year here with me in Collegetown.
So I was like "Huh. I should go to institute!"
Though...I doubted myself because...well....I didn't really see how that would help and I might have misinterpreted the meaning.
But I basically took it as a sign that I should....go ahead and play at being a 'pseudostudent'
Basically I would come up with a schedule that would have me out and about around people at the school.
I was hesitant to act upon it thought. This thought to sign up for institute.
because I don't like making a commitment and then having to back out or choose between the first plan and the new plan.
So I told myself that I would sign up the Saturday before school started.
Yet, earlier in the week... a day or two after my dad's blessing...
I confided my thoughts to Kikay about signing up for institute.
I had looked online and seen what classes were being taught when and had already picked out the ones I wanted.
So Kim told me "Why don't you sign up now? I hear they're closing classes when they get full."
lol Of course panic set in
()_() WHAT!?! THEY'RE CLOSING CLASSES OH NO!
So her words needless to say spurred me into signing up for classes days earlier then I was planning on.
Ha and I had the thought "Watch I sign up for classes and presto! Instant call for a job offering!"
;) See my sarcasm, but I half believed it too lol.
I mean its pretty typical that when I make my plans....other plans come up. So I was hoping that this would be no different.
:D
It wasn't. ^^
That Friday afternoon. The Friday before school started. I got a call.
I was a bit hesitant to answer the phone....
as I'd been getting calls from numbers I didn't recognize....but they hadn't been job offers.
Plus I was in the middle of a meeting.
But I took a chance and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey is this Sarnic?"
"Yes."
"Hey this is Toc from Starsmet you turned in an application at the end of last month are you still available for a job interview?"
*ahem* Excuse me while I pick up my mouth from the ground.
"Uh...yah! yah" (Processing and trying to figure out what he was saying...as I was trying to think what applications I'd put in at the end of last month since I didn't hear the name right away."
lol I wonder if Toc thought I was a ditz...I was just so surprised that it actually was a call for a job interview.
In any case I got an interview for the next day in the afternoon.
hehe I was pretty hyper after that.
I was in the middle of being critiqued as well.
But I couldn't let the critiques get me down.
JOB INTERVIEW JOB INTERVIEW!!!! WEEEEEE!!! lol
On the other hand.... I was trying not to think too much about it...as I didn't want to stress myself out to the headache point about this first interview of mine.
I mean....what sort of questions do they ask in interviews?!? I couldn't think. Couldn't remember the mock interviews I did in like 9th grade.
So I tried to think of it as a 'first test' concept.
The first test concept is this:
It's the first test that your teacher gives you of the semester. In most cases you haven't had this teacher before, so you don't know what their testing style is like. They can tell you what they expect and the style of testing (abc/essay/tf/fillintheblank) but until that first test the teacher gives you....you really don't know how/what you need to study.
At least it's that way for me.
So I went to the interview with that thought in mind. It's a first test. This is to see how they ask questions and what sort of questions they ask.
Though I did do some research on Starsmet just in case they asked me questions about the company...I mean they could right? :)
I at least needed to know enough about Starsmet to answer the "Why do you think we should hire you question."
It got harder the closer to my interview it got....Idk who's idea it was to do an interview in the afternoon...I mean it's like 1:30 church on a Fast Sunday...you can't eat until after the block... lol :) meaning I couldn't relax til after the interview.
So for added comfort I read my conference talks and said a prayer right before I left that I would have a calm heart and a clear mind.
And off I went.
I met up with Toc after wading my way through the throngs of people. Whew. Busy busy.
Sat down and talked with him.
Making sure that I kept my feet/legs uncrossed and my hands in my lap but not folded.
-that's hard for me.
But I made the conscious effort to appear open.
I was kinda thinking of my internship a year ago actually :) How to present myself in a confident manner.
In any case we got through the interview and Toc said. "Well I have Reth here as well. Let me get you an interview with her while you're here."
-Reth would be the manager in charge of me for the position I'm in. Toc is like vp bossman. :)
A flutter of hope quickly shuttered.
Two interviews in one day?!
Well that means I passed the first test right?
Confidence is growing.
Plus I'm now on the second test! Second interview second test.
Which means some questions will be the same and then there will be new ones more specific to the job I applied for as she is the manager over me.
That meant I had a moment to think over my answers again.
Though mostly...i just said whatever came to mind first lol.
I liked Reth alot. She and I connected a bit during the interview process :)
My favorite random question she asked was "Can you do dishes?"
"Yes."
"Like, by hand."
O.o "yes. I don't like it but I'm willing to and know how to do it." lol -after all I didn't grow up with a dishwasher in the house.
Funny....that's the one chore I avoided as much as possible....and its a chore I'll have to do alot here at Starsmet.
My other favorite part was when she asked "Do you have any questions for me?"
...obviously I avoided the "How much money will I make" questions.
So I went for something more store related. "What's your favorite part about working here?"
followed up by "Oh, which one is your favorite?"
She was like "wow...these are really hard questions...I'm used to asking these types of questions but I haven't really thought about it."
lol ^^;;
It was fun, and I was a bit more relaxed with Reth.
Though of course there's always that "Ugh! I should have said this instead" moment after the interview was over.
But.
I must have done something right.
Why?
Because I got another interview!
This one set for Monday morning in the am before the store even opened.
The first day of school.
Dun dun dun.
I had actually forgotten that it was the first day of school because....well I'm not 'offically' a student anymore. I just signed up for institute classes :)
In any case.
this interview was with the boss man. Dun dun dun.
Cinres.
So monday morning came.
I got up.
Did my read the conference talks and pray like crazy routine and went to the interview.
Again. similar questions asked by Cinres the bossman
It was the Third test.
lol I think my favorite answer was when I was able to use the store's motto to help me say why I wanted to work here and why I thought why I would be a good empolyee.
And then he said the magic words. "How would you feel if I paid you this much an hour?"
()_() We're talking about money? OOOO.
"You said you can work these hours."
"Yes."
and there it was.
I was in the system!
I had done it!
Passed!
I had gotten a job!! ^^
Ooo the excitement.
First day of school and I had gotten a job!
But first....a fourth test.
The drug test.
Which I had 24 hours to take and a 48 hr to 2 week period to wait for the results.
I went to my institute classes first before the drug test.
lol I shouldn't have any reason to worry about the drug test.
But theres this paranoid side of me where it's like "Oh no I took Advil last night and what if its in my system still and causes me to fail the test?!?! The horror!" ;) I wasn't going to take anything for granted that I would pass...even though i would pass. :)
And I did :)
So I came back in a couple of days later.
Got all the paper work government stuff done.
And walla!
I have a job!!!
^^
It's so exciting and nerve wracking and I keep telling myself that its like a new way of going to school....or like my internship only different lol :)
I just keep finding comparisons to things I already know so I don't feel totally out of my depth. :)
It seems to be working.
And you want to know what the most exciting thing was?
lol.
That I had brown shoes...and I thought to myself. Self I need to get some khaki pants the tan colored ones to match those brown shoes.
Since I've had those brown shoes on my first day of college...and wore them like once maybe twice never to wear them again so they're in like mint condition. And it would save me from having to buy black shoes...use what I have right? lol :)
So I got myself some tan colored pants and a collared black shirt.
Went to the job interview and realized.
I was wearing basically their uniform. (this connects to my color thoughts post a few posts ago)
^^;;
It's just rather....a blessing I suppose. That subconsciously I was picking out work clothes...that would work for the place I would end up getting a job at.
It's a sign.
Sarnic WORK HERE!
haha ^^
I feel so blessed right now. :)
It is very true. The darkest hour comes just before the dawn.
But I also think it's super true that if you put the Lord first, he will provide a way.
If I hadn't gotten a father's blessing where the priesthood was used.....would I have got the job?
If I hadn't signed up for institute.... would I have got the job?
If I hadn't chosen to read conference talks before my interviews to get the spirit and calm myself... would I have got the job.
I I hadn't prayed...would I have got the job.
I really don't know.
But I feel strongly that because I did make the effort. I was blessed for it.
And I'm really grateful for the blessing of this job as it takes weight off my shoulders that has been hanging around all summer.
Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!
-Sarnic Dirchi
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