Thursday

I thought next week would be the pivotal week in my life so far... But no. Thursday was the day. The day that marked the change in what I will be doing for the next couple of years. It's weird to say that, because obviously I don't know what the next few years will have in store exactly, but according to what happened Thursday... I at least have a good idea about some things.

So as you know from my last post... on Monday I got a call for an interview with a local bank. They apologized for such a short notice, but asked if I could interview on Tuesday or Wednesday. I chose Wednesday. 

The day of the interview I walked into the bank 10 or 15 minutes early, so I sat and waited until they were ready for me. While I was waiting, I had a flashback to the time last summer when I interviewed with the same bank at a different branch. There were two women interviewing me, and I just could not be comfortable with them; we just didn't click it off at all. I'm not sure if they saw that I was nervous or something and it just turned them off... or if they we just not very gracious. I mean, they were friendly and nice, but our whole conversation just seemed to be stifled by something. I remember they asked me a lot of questions that I answered with really awkward anecdotes. :/ And then they told me how hard the job would be and blah blah blah -- probably trying to actually scare me out of the job. And I think it worked because after the interview I was so overwhelmed that I thought to myself: "I'm not sure of I would even like this job..." D: And I escaped to a clothing store to do a little therapy shopping before I had to head home.

11 months passed since then, though, and I still came back to the point where I thought I might enjoy working as a teller. So here I was, waiting at another bank, trying to look calm and collected because the Vice President's office had nice little windows where he could see me the whole time ;)

But while I was looking around and waiting on Wednesday everything just seemed so right. I loved the design and layout of the bank and it just gave me all the right vibes about the type of atmosphere it would be while working there. It was comfortable, but classy. It was quite, but not awkwardly silent. I don't know how else to describe it, but when I was job searching, I would think of places where I already liked the atmosphere (as a customer) and I would apply at those places first. And this bank was definitely becoming among my favorites as I observed things going on.

 We spent 30 minutes in the interview. It would be too hard to tell you exactly what went on, but it was much more relaxed than the previous one. As I left I thought I saw another young girl sitting in the same spot I was at when I was waiting for the interview. But of course (in my mind) she looked more sophisticated and business-y. o.O Ack! "There's already another person they're interviewing??" :/ I walked out, feeling like I had a little less chance of getting a job, just because they would be comparing someone else to me so shortly after my own interview. D:

When I got home I wrote them a "thank you" for the interview (thanks to my mom's promptings) and I assume they received it the next day.

But after that, I tried to push all thoughts about the interview off, because there was no need to think about it until I got a call the next week anyway.

Thursday I went to College for an awards ceremony for the Quill magazine where they publish college, high school and community artwork and literature. 

Here are my four photos that were published...

After that, I had to hang out at the college for a while until an appointment I had in the afternoon. So I went to the library to do homework. I had barley settled in, logged onto a computer, and started reading about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 when I saw that I was getting a call. :P So I grabbed my purse and phone, deserted the computer and rushed out of the library. I didn't recognize the number, but somehow I was sure that I knew it was from the bank. It was. And I got the job. :D I went back into the library and I sat back down at my computer. All the words to my homework was a complete blur. I couldn't do anything, so I didn't :P That whole day I felt like I was completely scatter-brained! I actually almost still can't believe I got the job. :) But yeah... that's what happened Thursday :) I will officially transition from college to an employee on Monday and Tuesday when I go in to work for the first day and when I finish up my last college final.
The Lord and his timing is so perfect, though. A month after I had my first interview (last summer) with the bank, my dad was talking to a man at a wedding and Daddy told him that I had been interview, etc. The man happened to be the Vice president and bank manager at the branch here in my hometown. He told my dad that if I ever needed it, to put him down as a reference. So I put him down on the last two applications I've sent in since then. When I got the call from him on Monday, he said that he had actually just transferred to a branch (the one I applied to) and they needed an employee. Little did I know when I submitted my application to this same branch a few weeks ago, that the person I listed as my "reference" would actually be the person to hire me. Haha! Yep, he's my boss now :) And I am soooo glad he is at this bank now because he is such a nice older man with a really kind heart. (And he has a great bass singing voice, too ;) I've actually heard him sing at a concert before). I already really love the people that I will be working with... and like I said, I feel like the atmosphere of the whole place is perfect. :)

So, here we go. I'm leaving my life as a student, and I'm becoming a bank teller and photographer... the two careers I had always considered and couldn't decided between... and now I have them both! :)

-MarLeahJoy