Paul's blog

Today was the first WORK day of my unemployment. And what did I do? Yes … I had an interview!

I was on my way to the interview, singing and just enjoying the nice weather, the small flock of Sandhill Cranes that flew by and just realizing it’s not so bad to be unemployed when your wife still has a very well paid job.

And then the phone rang (gotta love cars with bluetooth enabled ‘entertainment’ centers).

This is a blog, not a novel, so let me just skip to the facts: she lost her job too (military, contracting, bidding for new contracts, blah blah).

I was a bit concerned. I had several irons in the fire (one of which I particularly liked) but hadn’t heard back from any of them.

The company I would be interviewing with today … I don’t know. A colleague of mine showed me their job ad and I emailed him my resumé which he forwarded to them: hey: I AM a fimware engineer! (and I have seen and done it all!).

I didn’t quite get what they were doing, making, selling. But hey .. a job is a job.

The very first thing that impressed me with these folks was the fact that they called me, only TWO hours after I forwarded my resumé to this co-worker of mine. And they wanted to talk to me ‘tomorrow’! (no ‘telephone’ interview!).

I couldn’t do ‘tomorrow’ (had procrastinated a bit with cleaning out my cubicle), but went there the next working day: today.  I was still not sure what to think about it .. still secretly hoping for the other guys to call me .. I went to the interview. I ignored my wife’s advice to ‘dress up’ and went in jeans. Glad I did. I was not the only one in that meeting room in jeans! Anyway …

My buddy and friend Eddy has been to MANY more interviews than I have (in fact, this was my first one), and he recalls interviews that went absolutely perfectly! Done deal. And then .. he would get a call, telling him he didn’t fit in with the team.

So… I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up too high …

But let me tell you .. the more I think about it, the more I understand the product, the more I understand the challenge … the more I think of the people I interacted with today … the whole package … even though I was hoping for something else (and the other guys DID email me today, after I got home) … the more I think THIS is a PERFECT match! With a very exciting future! (the many more things that can be done with THAT technology!).

The only dark cloud I can see is pay: I got VERY well paid in my previous job (6 figures), so I know I’ll have to take a heavy hit in the money department, but .. we’ll see. An interesting and fun job is worth something too (can’t say I have had too much fun the past few years!).

I know I shouldn’t (yet) … but I’m ‘pumped’!

(okay, okay, for all the smartiepants who pointed out that both Dawnell and I are wearing the same wrist watch … so, I did some very sloppy rudimentary photoshopping … just click on the picture to see the originals .. if you really must! Jeesh!)