I admit it, updates have been really, really scarce lately, but for a good reason! I’ve been preparing for, and running around between, job interviews. It’s taken a lot out of me, it has been grueling and I’ve been tired.. Very tired.. But, y’know what? Fuck it.. Ladies and gentlemen: I have landed a job!
From March 1st and onwards I will no longer be known as Johan Johansen, I will be known as Johan Johansen, IT Coordinator. I will primarily be in charge of online solutions (websites, intranet, web shops and more) for one of our small country’s largest chains of IT retailers, as well as some of their internal IT systems. And, in case you were wondering, it’s pretty much a dream come true.. Which is probably why I still haven’t quite fathomed that it is in fact true. Even after two one hour interviews, a personality profile test, review of my academic results and a bunch of e-mail correspondence back and forth, one of which contained my contract, I still haven’t quite gotten it, and I still find myself walking around, suddenly coming to the realization that “I have a job, y’know?” – Surreal, awesome, unbelievable! 😀
Landing this job hasn’t exactly been easy, but that just leads me all the more to believe that this job is right for me. I started out by submitting a lengthy application long before Christmas, I then waited and waited for almost a month before getting an e-mail that they wanted to see me for an interview. I prepared myself for the interview best as I could and then went along on the day, feeling happy, confident and prepared. Now, admittedly, I’ve been to quite a lot of interviews lately and the only thing I’ve come to expect about them is to not know what to expect at all. And even bearing this in mind, I was (positively) shocked to see what this one brought. To make a long story short, we ended up talking for going on 75 minutes about everything from the company, their background, my background, our dreams and expectations, strange anecdotes of yesteryear, my love for hard rock and cooking.. Possibly even some talk about mad dog and Englishmen.. I also ended up taking a personality profile test which was very exciting in a slightly scary kinda way.. ’twas all a very nice, very positive experience and I left feeling fulfilled and happy, thinking I’d given it my best and had met some really interesting and friendly people.
I’d barely made it home before I received an email from the nice people to please submit a copy of my MA diploma which I of course did, and not long after did I receive an email to please show up for a second interview the following week. Incidentally, this was around the time that I started thinking that, unlike many of my other efforts to land a job, this might actually be going somewhere.
So, the next week, which coincidentally was this very week, I once again packed my stuff, got penguinized and went for a follow-up interview to discuss the rather interesting results of my personality profile test as well as my academic results, my likes and dislikes in various job situations and my way of tackling specific problems. It was a much more professional and serious setting than our previous talk, but there was the same friendly vibe and good humor that had characterized our first meeting. I was challenged to really explore some of the depths of my character and behavioral patterns and it was nothing short of an amazing experience. I left again after an hour feeling drained, nervous but also strangely fulfilled with a good feeling that I had given it my all and at least been honest about my strengths and weaknesses.
And then the utterly unnerving waiting game began. I knew the choice was down to me and one other candidate and I knew that they would let us know ASAP.. Which is kind of a broad term which might range anywhere from three seconds to.. umm.. a week, I guess.. Luckily, my waiting period was closer to three seconds than it was to a week. Actually, it wasn’t much more than 24 hours later when I was sitting in the office at the theater, minding my own internship business (I know, I know, we’ll get to that, sorry!) when an e-mail ticked in with the subject line “decision on interview process” .. This is it, I thought, another thanks but no thanks.. Why else would they send an email and not call? Then I clicked the email open and started reading: “Dear Johan, thank you very much for a couple of really interesting interviews, I’m very pleased to offer you the job as IT Coordinator..” and then I didn’t really get much longer in my first five attempts to read the email..
“Excuse me,” I proclaimed standing up, “I’m sorry to interrupt everybody, but I FRIGGIN’ GOT THE JOB!!” .. And then all hell sorta broke lose, the decibel level soared past 110 as people started yelling, trying to drown out one another with congratulatory statements, an innocent visitor and bystander got knocked over as my boss jumped to her feet and threw herself at me in a big hug, I myself managed to stumble over my chair and wound up on my knees, muttering incoherently.. And then everything was madness for a few hours as I tried to brief everybody, starting with Tina then family and friends, the social web outlets and what have you.. Then the news spread, as these things do, and I got equally busy trying to respond to congratulatory messages as I did trying to spread the news myself.. It was, in one word: “crazy”, but it was also, in a few more words “an overwhelming, touching, emotional response which immensely pleased and even humbled me.” So thank you so much guys, I hope you all know how much it means to have so many people rooting for me, crossing their fingers and believing in me, and being so happy for me. I’m both happy and humbled.
And, as could be expected, that was pretty much it for that Friday as far as work was concerned. I spent the hours from noon till 4 PM pretending to be doing something worthwhile all while spending most of my time being all happy faced, speaking to everybody about the good news, either on the phone or in person or through other means. I even had a beer with my boss to celebrate, and a piece of cake which I didn’t so much eat because I wanted to, but rather because it was given to me by the kid who was celebrating his 12th birthday at the theater and thought I deserved to share the cake with them because I had just landed my dream job.. Aww!
Eventually, at around 4:30 PM, I plain gave up pretending to be working and headed home where I more or less collapsed worn out from a mix of exhaustion and the emotional impact of everything that had happened. It wasn’t much of a celebration, really, but that’s alright. I just happened to have a dinner planned with Tina, Emelie and Jeppe tonight, so we might do a little celebration there. I, for one, wouldn’t be too surprised if a bottle of Premier Cru Champagne hit the table..
So, well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, parts of the explanation why things have been so quiet around here lately and a personal guarantee that the posts containing bitching and whining about the woes of life as an unemployed young man will now cease.
Random drunken rants 