Hi All,
So ... I didn't get the job I interviewed for at the beginning of October. Sigh. In asking for feedback, I was told that all 3 (THREE!) of us scored high, but that the one had the highest score. They also told me that I might want to focus more on current experience - I had focused more on previous places/experience because I was trying to target management skills.
I also had brought a sheet of paper in with me with notes, and was told that I might have projected more confidence without it. I'd never brought a sheet in with me before ... and won't do it again.
Thankfully, the same day I received the disappointing news, I also got a different interview scheduled! That happened this past Tuesday.
This job is working at a city agency which helps seniors. They really have an amazing breadth of resources they offer. My job would be a lot of data entry, data verification, data reports, and also helping to put out fires at different centers (the agency covers 8 counties.) It would be one step up from the position I am currently in - which obviously means not a huge pay increase, but I would go to the next step in pay, so *some* increase AND the ceiling is higher.
I should know about this by the end of this week. Sigh. I was a whole lot nervous going into this one - didn't use a skills reminder paper, and made sure to emphasize current related experience.
They had completely different questions than what I was expecting. Mostly directly related to the required job skills. None of the usual - what is your strength/weakness, tell about how you handle a conflict, etc. They did have one very different question - tell us about how you are amazing. I was pretty stumped on that one ... but did come up with something which I think worked (the person who would be my boss said "that is amazing!")
In other news ... I am SERIOUSLY contemplating taking a trip to Ireland this coming May with the community college I'm taking classes at. It's from May 18 - 28, and cost $3200. That covers airfare, hotels, ground transportation, breakfast and supper, costs of entrance to various sites, and something else. The only thing it doesn't cover is the cost of the 3 credit class you have to enroll for as part of it.
I looked up airfare to Dublin, and found the cheapest flight is $1200. So ... 9 days of hotels, probably another $800 (sharing rooms), and the rest the cost of food/entrances/transportation.
I have $1600 that I had set aside for going to France when I thought my brother/sil were going to have a formal wedding ceremony there (doesn't look like that's happening ... they just bought a house - $623k!!) So, that is about half the cost. The total is due in April, so that gives me about 6 months to come up with the other half.
I haven't done the BOFA credit card bonus for $200 yet, so I could do that. Then I'll keep my eye out for more checking bonuses - I just got a $300 bonus from BOFA, but need to keep that open a couple more months with direct deposit. Otherwise I'd go for the Chase Bank checking deal and get up to $600 bonus (can't split my direct deposit unfortunately.)
I'll just have to keep on the lookout. Plus just will have to really be careful on my spending. Plus if people as me for gift ideas ... 
My DH thinks I'm silly to be spending so much money on a trip. I agree, it's a lot of money ... but IRELAND?!
I have a couple more weeks to make the final decision. But I really think I'm going to do it! (I am waiting to hear if I get the job first too - would need to run the vacation dates by my new boss first to make sure that's not a bad time to leave.)
Job and Life Updates
October 26th, 2019 at 05:55 pm
October 26th, 2019 at 07:40 pm 1572118818
October 26th, 2019 at 08:10 pm 1572120638
October 26th, 2019 at 08:55 pm 1572123326
That trip to Ireland sounds amazing.
October 27th, 2019 at 01:26 pm 1572182766
As for the trip ... I always think there will always be "something" to keep
you from going ... it never seems to be a good time or whatever..
so if it's something you'd like to experience (and it sounds like it is)
then my vote would be to go while you can! (do I get a vote ha ha)
October 27th, 2019 at 03:29 pm 1572190142
October 29th, 2019 at 02:44 am 1572317084
My daughter did a similar trip through her community college and she went to Kuai for ten days - hiked and canoed and camped and still talks about it almost two years later. I hope you decide to go!
October 30th, 2019 at 01:22 am 1572398522
October 31st, 2019 at 05:21 pm 1572542483