Job Hunting

What did your last job search look like? Was it an active search or was it quick and simple to find that next job?

We’ve been preoccupied these last few weeks with a transition back to the U.S. after three months in Israel. Part of that transition has been looking for jobs. Reality was setting in that we were returning home and that we would need to begin looking for employment according to our plan. In an effort to get a jump on it, we used the various digital tools available to us to submit applications to employers while we were still in Israel.

We are each at different points in our career. I graduated in May with a new IT degree so I’m basically starting over. Earlene was well along in her career in accounting and wanting to find work in that field. There are a lot of jobs available, but we both were wanting something that served Messiah’s Kingdom more than a regular 8-to-5 gig. That was our plan. Now what is His?

For me, I didn’t really know what I was looking for so I cast a wide net. I looked high and low for a Kingdom-oriented job including “the one” I’m continuing to pray toward, but nothing is currently open in the area of serving the Kingdom directly. At least not that I was able to find. “The one” may come open at another time, so I have expressed my interest should something open and I’ve moved on to looking in the secular world until such a time as they call me.

There are many technology jobs available, but it would surprise me if I submitted more than twenty applications. The patterns of life repeat though and our life this year has been a *wild* ride with God paving the path of exactly what He wants us to do. As much as I’m looking for a job, I’m depending on Him to point me toward what I’m supposed to be doing – of course as I constantly express my opinion about the job I really want that will take us toward Springfield Missouri. There’s an open dialogue there, but of course, HaShem wins out over any opinion I have.

Out of all the jobs I applied to, I had a only one job call and set up an appointment. Just one. Without exaggeration, every other job replied with a “thanks but no thanks” response. That’s odd. In all of my previous job hunts I found half a dozen jobs that I interviewed with. I’ve turned down several jobs and others just didn’t work out for various reasons. Not this time though. Not in the year when God is so tangibly present that doors open and we just step through.

My first interview was very short, but before it ended, I had a second interview set up. That was just the gatekeeper in my mind and the next interview would be the real test. It was Thanksgiving week so my interview was the following Monday and my second call lasted longer than the first. When I finished the call I honestly wasn’t sure if I “passed” or not, but it wasn’t too long after that where I got an email setting up the third and final interview. I knew ahead of time it was a three-interview process, so I got excited. The final interview came, one of the two people on the phone had many questions and the other had a single question to which he said “that’s all I have I’m good.” I hung up the phone with an official offer for employment while still in Israel.

Now, it may seem like a compact interview process that I just shared with you. How much could I actually explain in a paragraph anyway? But, seriously my interview process *felt* like a quick paragraph with only six different faces and a job offer. What?! That doesn’t happen. So much so that Earlene and I were starting to wonder if I got scammed. That’s right! I starting digging into this company to ensure it’s real!! I laugh now, but the thought did put a pit in my stomach at first. Now I’ve started my new employment that God seemed to appoint.

Earlene’s story is equally crazy… no, probably crazier than mine. She had no one respond to her dozen or more applications for days. It was enough to make her start questioning herself in various ways. It all started to fall in place though just as HaShem seems to have desired. Earlene is in a place of incredible humility before God. She’s well into her career and therefore the number of positions equal to where she left are far and few between. Out of humility and awareness that the Father will place her where He chooses, she has been applying to jobs that would be basically a complete reset to her career starting at the bottom of the totem pole. She’s also been applying to jobs that are equal to her position and even a step up if she found them.

Earlene had three interviews set up for the Tuesday and Wednesday after we got back. It all happened kind of suddenly, but it’s like all of a sudden people looked at her resume and thought to give her interviews. It was super cool to see it come together though.

She had her first interview and unlike my 1- or 2-person interview calls, she had a panel of 6 people on her first call. We joked beforehand that they were just trying to get all the interviews over with in a single call. She also had a couple of normal interviews set up where it was just a couple of people on the calls. It’s the first one that was interesting though.

Earlene hung up from her interview and came to tell me how it went. She was talking to me for maybe 15 minutes and then she checked her phone. She had missed a call. Her voicemail said she had a message and upon checking the call she discovered she had a job offer. Wow!

It’s the conversation that clinched it though. She called the person back to discuss and not only was she getting the job, but the woman offered a candid personal remark as well. It’s not something you will normally hear a secular job utter because of the risk it entails. She told Earlene that she felt that God was calling her to this position. There’s more, but we have to provide minimal details to protect against any troublemakers, but the way that news was delivered was astonishing. It wasn’t just a person sharing their faith. For us, it was like God reaching in and saying this is the job. It was earth shifting, yet again.

God is continuing to pave the path. We just have to follow. Now we’re in a mad rush to find a place to live. Her new job requires that we move to the Joplin area and mine is remote. So, Joplin it is! Please pray that the Father appoints for us a home as well. He’s been so tangible and present through everything we’re praying that He’ll make this option clear as well.