Most interesting interview

Today I went on an interview... in general... I really hate interviews.  I am good at what I do... I am a GREAT employee who goes above and beyond (at least I think so) but I am not good at selling myself.  And in an interview that is exactly what you are doing... selling yourself - and all the time of trying to tell someone how great you are and why YOU'D be perfect for the job, you are trying not to come across like a pompous, I am better than the other candidates because, ass.  Can be a fine line of extolling your virtues but not going to far.  Plus in general... I am really uncomfortable talking about myself. 

But in the Church bulletin the other weekend they mentioned looking for a secretary for their Christian school.  I submitted my application.  I got a call last week to come for an initial interview.  Which is exactly what I did today... 8:15am.  I think it went well actually.

Talk about a different venue... I have worked in the public school sector since 2006.  I was the admin assistant to the Asst Super. of Finance at Addison School District 4.  I liked what I did and my boss was awesome (so much so I followed her to Elmhurst CUSD 205 in 2008) but even before I worked in a school setting its always kind of bugged me that public schools don't call a spade a spade... meaning... they call Christmas Break, Winter Break, they call Good Friday, Non Attendance Day, Easter Break is Spring Break (funny how it ALWAYS coincides with Easter though hhmmmm???) you get my drift here... if the time off from school in any fashion is because of a religious holiday, we are not allowed to call it what it is - well then why do you even bother to have days off around that time????  But it is what it is and I can't change that.

So at today's interview I was pleasantly surprised!  Yes its a Christian School so God is very much a part of their teachings (AMEN to that I say) but I get there and had to wait a few moments for my interviewer.. chaos is what happens first thing in the AM at any school I can assure you.. specially after a weekend and a sugar and candy laden weekend for kids - OMG I am sure most teachers are pulling hairs out today!

While waiting there was a small boy, maybe 1st grade, sitting out front too.. .I sat next to him.  it was obvious to me he had some issues with sitting still today and likely that is what got him into a smidge of trouble... so front desk lady is calling his mom and I can hear one side of the conversation... the boy looked at me and we said Good morning to each other... then he was talking out loud to himself about forgetting something or not remembering something... I said it sure is hard to remember things in the morning isn't it, your still kind of sleepy, and its Monday... he said yes it sure is... so the front desk lady comes over after talking to what appeared to be his mom on the phone... She kneels down in front of him, asks him to look her in the eye and stop fussing with his shirt sleeves and proceeds to tell him that Adam has to be responsible for Adam, and that God has given Adam a job to do and that is to pay attention in class and listen to the teacher, she said Adam I know you can make good choices today for the rest of the day can't you?  Adam answered a sheepish yes.. she gave him a hug and took him back to class....a bit of stern talking to discipline peppered with love... :o)

Come to find out.. Adam was adopted from Romania when he was 2 and has had some issues and is on medication, most likely for anxiety or ADD, I'd assume - just a cute little guy and I have to wonder what that must have been like for him at 2 yrs old.. he was probably in an orphanage but to be taken from what you know into America... I can't imagine...but I thought the talking to she gave him was wonderful.

Then my interviewer comes out, apologizes for being late (no worries I was early anyhow) and we proceed to our interview.. 1st it was in the nursery room.. I mean how can one be nervous when you are in a room with Noah's Ark painted on the wall?  Too cool!  And then we didn't sit with her behind a desk and me facing her.. no we sat in rocking chairs face to face.  Believe me any nerves I had in the pit of my tummy, went right out the window. 

Then she said lets pray before we begin.... I was floored!  not in an OMGosh this is horrible kind of way, but in a WOW this is over the top cool kind of way!  It was a very nice prayer and funny because some of what she said as she prayed aloud for us to be guided by Him in this interview, were some of the very words I used as I spoke to Him on my drive over - I asked God - if this be your will for me, if this be the place you need me to be, then please guide me with the right words to say.

Now I don't know if I said the right words or not but I was not at all nervous.. I realize that I am way over qualified for this position and I doubt it will pay near what I was making in IL (and that was not a ton of money either), but that's ok.  You know to be very honest, while YES I need the money, I think I want this position more for the God aspect than anything.

As I have eluded to before... religion and God were NOT a part of my growing up (oh how I wish they were) and I have mentioned that my 'knowledge' of God is probably like that of a young child but with an adult mind who gets frustrated because she feels she should just 'know' all this stuff... But my hunger to know Him, to trust Him, to be in love with Him, is bursting at the seams... but sadly I again have that adult instinct breed into me of TRUST... the one person I should have been able to trust, my mother, was not trust worthy... as a child and young adult and even into my 20s I was beaten, broken, and abused - so I learned to doubt, learned not to trust - so yes I admit along my walk here there are times I am dragging my feet and not letting go - but I think being in an environment where God is encouraged, where in some fashion we are serving the Lord with what we do day to day, to be surrounded by the wonderment of kids as they grow up in the Lord - well I just think somehow that would be a huge help to me... Dunno I could be wrong it happened once ;o)

Anyhow, we spoke for a good 45 minutes, she was taking notes, said she was very impressed by what I had to say.. she was not aware of the starting salary or benefits, those would be things discussed with the head master in a 2nd interview - and that I should receive a call by the end of the week if they were interested in setting up a 2nd interview...

So lets pray for a 2nd interview....