Bigger and Better

It's so surreal that just a month ago I was writing about feeling trapped and unable to move forward in life. Let's jump ahead to 6:30 this past Monday evening. My phone rings and the HR director at my dream company is offering me a full-time position. How did I get here? It's such a crazy, serendipitous story.

I realized after walking past a real estate office several times on my way home from work that real estate is something I am really interested in. I began to apply for part-time and full-time positions. I got a call about a weekend receptionist position on the lower east side. I met with the manager and must have really impressed him because he mentioned my name to the HR director at the larger company within the same family of companies. She gave me a call and said that she'd really like to meet me.

I met with her under the impression that it was regarding the weekend position. She told me that she didn't think that position was right for me. She said, however, that there was an opening for a full time position as the assistant to the Executive Vice President, Director of Sales. She explained that the position would also report to the President / CEO of the company. I was instantly shocked and I believe my jaw hit the floor when she mentioned the starting salary. In that same meeting, I met with another of the VPs and he seemed to really like my personality too.

I went back last week to meet with the President / CEO. I watched all her videos on the company's YouTube channel. Walking into her office was such a surreal moment. It almost felt like meeting a celebrity. I'll admit that I was very nervous and I think that it came through. I tried my best to be my normal, personable self and that must have worked. When we were done, she said that she wanted me to come back on Monday to meet with the Executive Vice President, Director of Sales. I later found out that she really like my enthusiasm and was impressed that I was familiar with the company's social networking and iPhone app.

This past Monday, I met with Executive VP. She was such a warm and friendly woman. It seemed less like an interview and more like a casual conversation. I think that I began to realize that I could do the job and would excel in the company. It'd been my third time to the office so my nerves were much calmer. The President / CEO happened to walk by and needed to talk to the VP for a second. She told me that it was good to see me, that she loved my tie and then she gave me a little shove on the shoulder. I...died.

I was on cloud 9 as I took the bus back to Sinai. The HR director told me that she'd give me a call that day or the next day, so I anxiously waiting with my phone attached to my hand. Finally, I got the call at 6:30 this past Monday. They offered me the position. I was shaking. It was such a powerful moment. I could literally feel my world change. I had just been handed my dream job at my dream company with a very generous salary. It felt like a dreaming come true.

All the struggles and stress of the past year and a half have paid off. I won't have to struggle to buy groceries or have trouble finding my own studio apartment. I feel like the world's largest door is in front of me and I've just been handed the key.