I had a job interview this past spring for a teaching position as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at a local high school. I was thrilled when I saw the job listed on teachgeorgia.com, I immediately filled out the application and delivered it in person to the Board of Education. A few weeks after turning in my carefully filled out and reviewed application, I received a phone call from the principal asking me if I was interested in an interview. Of course I said yes and the next day I anxiously drove to the high school. I arrived almost 20 minutes early. Despite my confidence in getting this job I was a nervous wreck during the interview. Side note, I have been through several interviews in my life. Also, I've received interview tips from my university mentor, husband and former co-worker. Not only have I been the interviewee, but I have also been the interviewer. I always give short, simple answers. During this interview I kept giving short answers and the interviewers kept asking me if I had anything more to add. Asking me if I had anything else to add to my answer did not help my wavering confidence. However, I was praised by one interviewer for graduating with honors and earning a minor in Child and Family Development. I am pleased to say I did show my personality in the interview because I was able to make them laugh with my witty humor and smile (showing personality in interviews is something I struggled with in the past). When the interview was over I was ready to get home and relax.
My husband, sister-in-law, former manager, and friends were confident I would be offered the job. I was confident I would be offered the job because I believed I was the best qualified-I was praised for my minor in the interview, who else would better qualified than me? Three days after the interview I sent the principal an email saying thank you for the interview and the opportunity to learn more about the school. Two weeks passed I had not heard anything so I called the principal to ask if a decision had been made. The principal did not remember me. My heart started racing because that was the first clue I was about to receive disappointing news. After reminding the principal who I was and which job I was interested in I was told with apologies the interviewers had selected someone else. Somehow I held my composure to say thank you for the interview and good-bye. As soon as I pressed the end call button I burst into tears.
I felt so crushed not to be offered my dream job, the job I went to college for, the job that required me to pass a $200 teacher certification test. I felt as though if I can't even get hired for a job I'm qualified for, how will I ever get hired? Thankfully, I am surrounded my amazing supportive people who helped restore confidence in myself. I was not offered the job because I was not good enough, I was not offered the job because they simply did not like me. Simple as that. It hurts to think these people did not like me, but it is true. I was and am qualified for that teaching position, it came down to liking me and they did not. Everything happens for a reason, and I was not meant to have that job. The job for me is still out there, and when the time is right, it will be mine.
My new addiction is Pinterest, and I found this quote that goes along with the lesson I learned from this experience.
~Jonnie
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