Just sent a resume...

[Janet]

Lindsey, it sounds like you're just second guessing yourself or like getting cold feet. You can always follow through with your plans...visit the area and check it out and decide from there. I hope whatever you decide, it makes you really happy and content.

[Lindsey]

Thanks Janet. I know it's seeming all a little too real now and it scares me. The problem with me just going to check it out first is that it would cost me $600 to fly out there, or it would be 18 hours to drive. I'd like to know for sure that I could get the job before I just go look.
And I sort of got a "mean" vibe from the guy I don't know, maybe he was just being really serious but when I interviewed with my current company everyone was so happy and always talked about what a fun environment it is to work in. He was all business and it felt like I wasn't good enough for him.
I guess with a phone interview it's harder to get a job just 'cause I'm cute j/k

[Lindsey]

I don't know if I should go with my gut feeling, or if my gut feeling is just nerves.
The recruiter tried calling me at work again and left a message to tell him how the interview went. I think I will write him an email tonight instead of leaving work early as I have been doing all week to speak with him and the guy who interviewed me. I actually have work to do at my job and I don't want to put it on hold anymore just for these people.
The direction this company leans towards is the area I have absolutely no experience in. If it were something like land usage and environmental studies, I would be all over that. I guess working at my current job I've really gained an appreciation of the environmental side of things and I think I'd like to stick there. I LIKE DIRT. I don't care so much about pipes and manholes and sewers and all that stuff. My interest lies in soil
And on top of that, I am great at what I do. I don't mean to sound concieted, but I am really really good at drafting. I pick up computer programs so quickly, and I can easily imagine 3D structures and build 3d models on a screen. It's not something everyone is good at. And I wonder if it was just coincidence or fate that today was chosen to have a spur of the moment meeting at work to let me and my coworker know that we're doing a great job and we're very appreciated. It made me feel so good about what I do for the company.
And finally, my trip to NYC is something I've wanted to do for almost 10 years. We have basically been planning this trip for 10 years! In BC, there are only 2 weeks of holidays a year, and I definitely wouldn't get paid holidays after only a few months of work. I would need to take about a week and a half unpaid vacation, and there would definitely be no way I'd make it home for Christmas. If I stuck it out at my current job until at least after NYC, I'd keep my paid vacation time, plus almost 2 weeks off for Christmas when my office shuts down.
When I talked to my dad tonight he thought it might be a better idea to think it through a little more and apply for jobs later. Just in my one search tonight I found offices throughout BC and Alberta wanting civil technologists to draft. That's where my specialty lies. I'm very nervous about going a totally different direction. Right now drafters are in high demand almost everywhere and I don't think that trend is going to stop anytime soon.
Okay well that was a very long and drawn out ramble. I think I just needed to get that all out If anyone has the patience to read it all, let me know what you think.

[judy]

Lindsey,

I'm so glad you got a great response, but....

"If it were something like land usage and environmental studies, I would be all over that. I guess working at my current job I've really gained an appreciation of the environmental side of things and I think I'd like to stick there. I LIKE DIRT. I don't care so much about pipes and manholes and sewers and all that stuff. My interest lies in soil "

I might consider waiting for an opportunity to come along that I would love. To leave just because ?????, move, and learn skills I wouldn't be that interested in, doesn't sound like I would find it worthwhile.

You are very talented and very good at what you do. Do it in an area you're really interested in.

But....

[Lindsey]

Thanks Judy. That's the response I was hoping for I just sent out one resume to see what kind of response I'd get, and it just got really overwhelming really fast that I could have another job and be living halfway across the country in a month. I think that if drafting starts slowing down, I might ask my office manager if he thinks it would be okay if I followed someone doing a phase 1 environmental site assessments... we get a ton of those and apparently they are really easy to do. It might be good to get experience into that kind of thing while I'm here.

[Lindsey]

So after a bit of searching I happened to stumble upon a website for this great looking company with offices throughout Alberta and BC. And the offices in BC are in the Okanagan area which is absolutely beautiful, and I actually do have family there (my mom's brother). And they are looking for people who do exactly what I do. They also hire people straight out of school and the website seems super friendly and basically they're saying they want people who want to go and learn new things and expand their knowledge and skills, not something like "We need you to already know all of this so you can start work right away" which is how I felt with the company I interviewed with.
Anyways, I'm not going to jump the gun on this one and send out a resume just yet Right now they have openings in a few offices for drafters, and hopefully they will later on in the year too. Even if I don't get the office I want, I could always start and gain experience somewhere and then transfer later!
Oh yeah and this company even has a list of publications in which they've been named best employer (Top 100 Canadian employer for a few years straight, top 30 in BC) and a lot of the website is how great they treat their employees and yadda yadda yadda Anyways, I don't get the bad gut feeling from this place. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on it!

[judy]

This one does sound interesting Lindsey! You really have it all planned out well.

[Lindsey]

lol story of my life. I plan EVERYTHING. I think that's half of what scared me about the other job. It was spur of the moment and I hadn't planned it at all so I'm just not ready yet. I'm going to keep my eyes open for jobs in Canada and the US so that I can find the perfect fit for me LATER.
I still have to call back the recruiter this week. I'm not sure how to say I'm not interested anymore.

[Marilyn]

Sounds like you are making a good decision, Lindsey. I think the experience of sending out the resume and considering the other job was a good exercise for you. Now you appreciate what you have where you are for now, and have a new perspective on things. You will know when the time is right and when the move is right. Thoughtful planning like you are doing is key to a successful transition.

You are growing in maturity, young lady, and in confidence. This is a really good thing and so happy that you are sharing with us!!

[Lindsey]

Thank you so much

I tried calling the recruiter back today but he was on another call. I'm really getting annoyed with him constantly calling my cell during my work hours. I've told him the only times I can talk are lunch breaks, or the half hour after I'm done work when he's still at work. He still calls and leaves messages during my work hours saying he needs to talk to me as soon as possible. He's a nice guy and everything but he can't expect me to be taking calls like that when I'm working at my current job. I hope the next time I talk to him is IT. I'm still trying to figure out how to say I'm not interested anymore. Will he want reasons? He wants to "discuss the interview".

[Marilyn]

This recruiter sounds a bit over anxious and more than a little unprofessional. He should be respectful of your wishes about contacting you during working hours. Sounds like you are considered a good candidate and he is excited about the prospect of fitting you with that job and getting paid quickly.

He will definitely want to know reasons for you not wanting to continue to pursue the position. You need to be nice to him and think through what you want to say. Don't burn any bridges. You many need him someday. If he likes you, he will remember you and maybe even years down the road when he matures a little he may come across a job he feels you would be great for and contact you again. Once they get to know you, they seem to keep contact until you just flat tell them you are absolutely not interested in making a change at all, and it's never a good idea to do that until you are nearing retirement.

And it is good to discuss the interview with him. He may be able to give you some pointers for doing better next time. We all have room to learn and improve!!

[Lindsey]

The recruiter just called me AGAIN at work and left a message, and he seems to be annoyed with me not answering. He was like "I need you to call me back because we can't just leave them hanging. I got your email but obviously there's a lot more we need to discuss. If you're interested or not interested, that's fine but you still need to call me" I don't know why it bothers me but it does. His tone of voice just made it sound like I'm completely ignoring him and I need to grow up or something. I've TRIED calling him!

[Janet]

I sure hope you can get this recruiter to understand (in a nice way) not to call you at work and make it sound like an emergency. You'll have to explain it to him again, but then ask him if he understands.

Lindsey, I think it's so wonderful that you have to many options open to you. Just take your time and you'll find exactly the position that fits.