I have to admit that I am a bit peeved at some people's attitudes at the moment. Yes, it's a given that I am leaving my job. However, I have not left yet. I haven't even checked out in my mind. I don't plan to do that until it's time to officially check out. So, why are people talking to me with the belief that because I am leaving, I don't care what happens now, and after I am gone?
Nothing could be further from the truth. I am still making sure that my team is highly functional and that we can still hit the tight deadlines that have been driven by the executive business end. Not only that, I am trying to make sure that my successor is able to step in as easily as possible without believing that he has walked into a nightmare that may have been left behind. There is plenty to do and I feel that I have a responsibility to get it done. Just because I am excited about the new opportunities and possibilities, that in no way means that I can simply forget everything that I have tried to put in place here. I do not wash my hands of anything until it is officially time to leave the table. I make no apologies for being this way.
So, when you talk to me at work, don't talk to me like I am leaving. Talk to me like I am still here ensuring that everything that I need to get done, gets done. Talk to me believing that I still have the company's objectives in mind. If you feel the need to talk to me like I am gone, and do not possess the will or desire to change this, then please do me the favor and just treat me as if I am gone and don't approach me. This way, you will be making room for someone else who knows that I am still here and is willing to serve them in order to get things done and help them meet their objectives.
-- Posted from my iPhone... because I can
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
The God I Know...
It's no secret that I am starting a new job soon. What people may not realize is how it came about and what prompted my decision to take this job. After all, I had no dissatisfaction with my current job. So what made this different? The answer, at least to me, is rather simple: God was in the decision. In fact, He was in this whole situation every step of the way. Here is my testimony:
The fact that I had applied to this place back in 2003 and consistently tried for about 5 years only to give up, having met up time after time with repeated computerized form letters telling me thanks but I am not qualified for the position and so on and so on, showed that I was doing this under my own power and was amounting to nothing of my own account.
The difference all started when they reached out to me, in an email, asking "if I knew anyone that was interested in such a position". Of course I knew someone... me! I was like, "God, can this be true? A human being from this company is actually contact me?" So, I sent back the response along with my resume indicating my interest and stated to God, thanking Him that even if I got no further, I got further than I ever did in this company.
I then received a second email from this person asking me to answer a few questions before we proceeded. I was amazed because this never happened before. I answered the questions as honestly as I could. Funny enough, it got to the part where they asked why I want to leave my current job. I stated on it that I had no reason to leave. I even told them about my current boss. I had nothing but positive things to say. In fact, I was giving them more reasons why I didn't really need this new job. However, I was honest and kept it that way. Before I sent it off, I once again said a prayer giving my thanks to God that even if I got no further than this, I have gotten even further than I ever did in this company.
Then came a request for a phone interview.
Again, I ask God if this can be true. Is this from Him? Is it by God's will? Has God seen a certain discouragement in my heart that He would go, "It's time!"? So many questions that I can think of, and many more that I cannot even express. Of course, I said YES! to the phone interview and tried to set it up so that I would not be late going into work. Sure enough, we started at our scheduled time and we talked... and talked... and talked. It was great. It seemed the both of us had a lot to say about this and I thought we had a great interview. Already, they were starting to feel like a company that I wanted to be a part of. I lost track of time but I didn't care because I felt that if this was from God, I was going to give it all that I had. Sure enough, God must have met me half way because when I looked up from my car, situated in the parking lot of my current job, the entire building had been evacuated and everyone was outside. What happened was that the men's toilet upstairs suffered a broken pipe which shorted out a light circuit, probably causing sparks. No one hurt, but bought time as I wasn't considered late. As I hung up the phone, I once again thanked God heavily because this was the most I ever got with this company and even if it got no further, I was totally grateful.
Then came a request for a face-to-face interview.
You can bet I was asking God again those same questions. After all, I had to know. I had to know if this was from Him. Of course, I said YES! I did the face-to-face interview with their team lead and a couple of their senior developers and we were talking almost everything technical about Flash. I showed them how I managed to solve certain problems. Heck, I was even drawing things out on their whiteboard. I left feeling great about the interview. Before I drove off, I prayed in my car. I thanked God again because even if I got no further, I have NEVER made it further than this!
About an hour later, I get a phone call. They phoned wanting to schedule an interview. I told them sheepishly, "I... just... had an interview?" They were like, "I know... they want a second interview". How could I refuse. God must has have been at work here because they were kind enough to set up a very early morning interview, so I wouldn't be losing any real time from work. But, of course, I still had to know if it was from Him. Let's face it... 5 years of nothing, and this is happening faster than a could ever have imagined. I spoke with the manager this time. It didn't go as well as the tech, in my opinion. I stumbled. Despite my own disappointment in myself, I was still totally grateful once again. God brought me further than I ever was. I was not going to be disappointed in the least.
Then came the wait...
Joelle would ask me anxiously if I heard anything. At that time, I was certain that if this was to come from God, then He would deliver it in His time and in His way. I kept telling Joelle that either way, I will be grateful and if it doesn't happen, I am still very happy at my current job and am not going to look any further. This would happen a few times and Joelle agreed with me. I think she knew that I would only do this if God were in it. In the meantime, I would have exchanged a few e-mails with their HR expressing my thanks again for the opportunities to meet with them. I told them that it was a real pleasure regardless of the outcome. However, I knew not to ask about the status because I was just going to let it go and leave it in God's hands. I was sure that He knew what was going on and if it was not in His will at this time, I still made it further than I could have on my own power.
Four days before we were to go on vacation, I got a phone call. It was a job offer there. I was totally excited. I was standing outside talking on my phone freezing but I DIDN'T CARE! We talked for about 30 minutes and they could see my excitement. It wasn't just for the job and the tremendous possibilities that it carries. It was because it was from God. I was sure of it. How? Well, I had to take care of some formalities within those four days before I was to go on vacation. Once again, I tried on my own power and hit road blocks right up to the last day, despite not only my efforts, but HR's attempts to help.
However, I was certain that God would deliver! At this point I had no doubt that it was from God because I knew that if it was from God, He would ride in at the last minute with trumpets blaring. I even told Joelle this. I was so certain because this is the God that I know. He set everything up so that He could show me how He works. Sure, it's probably a small thing for Him, but it was huge to me. Sure enough, God did just that. I needed an official signature and God delivered one hours before we were to go away. I got everything off and once again, was to wait until after my vacation.
After wrapping up a few more details when I got back from my vacation. I got a phone call about a week later confirming my start date. After giving huge thanks to God once again as I hung up my phone, I also prayed that I do things right in preparing to say good-bye to my current place of work. Knowing that God was leading me every step of the way, I don't want Him to stop leading as the time comes to leave to go to my new job. In fact, I know He won't stop leading because He brought me this far...
... and I have NEVER been able to go this far on my own!
The fact that I had applied to this place back in 2003 and consistently tried for about 5 years only to give up, having met up time after time with repeated computerized form letters telling me thanks but I am not qualified for the position and so on and so on, showed that I was doing this under my own power and was amounting to nothing of my own account.
The difference all started when they reached out to me, in an email, asking "if I knew anyone that was interested in such a position". Of course I knew someone... me! I was like, "God, can this be true? A human being from this company is actually contact me?" So, I sent back the response along with my resume indicating my interest and stated to God, thanking Him that even if I got no further, I got further than I ever did in this company.
I then received a second email from this person asking me to answer a few questions before we proceeded. I was amazed because this never happened before. I answered the questions as honestly as I could. Funny enough, it got to the part where they asked why I want to leave my current job. I stated on it that I had no reason to leave. I even told them about my current boss. I had nothing but positive things to say. In fact, I was giving them more reasons why I didn't really need this new job. However, I was honest and kept it that way. Before I sent it off, I once again said a prayer giving my thanks to God that even if I got no further than this, I have gotten even further than I ever did in this company.
Then came a request for a phone interview.
Again, I ask God if this can be true. Is this from Him? Is it by God's will? Has God seen a certain discouragement in my heart that He would go, "It's time!"? So many questions that I can think of, and many more that I cannot even express. Of course, I said YES! to the phone interview and tried to set it up so that I would not be late going into work. Sure enough, we started at our scheduled time and we talked... and talked... and talked. It was great. It seemed the both of us had a lot to say about this and I thought we had a great interview. Already, they were starting to feel like a company that I wanted to be a part of. I lost track of time but I didn't care because I felt that if this was from God, I was going to give it all that I had. Sure enough, God must have met me half way because when I looked up from my car, situated in the parking lot of my current job, the entire building had been evacuated and everyone was outside. What happened was that the men's toilet upstairs suffered a broken pipe which shorted out a light circuit, probably causing sparks. No one hurt, but bought time as I wasn't considered late. As I hung up the phone, I once again thanked God heavily because this was the most I ever got with this company and even if it got no further, I was totally grateful.
Then came a request for a face-to-face interview.
You can bet I was asking God again those same questions. After all, I had to know. I had to know if this was from Him. Of course, I said YES! I did the face-to-face interview with their team lead and a couple of their senior developers and we were talking almost everything technical about Flash. I showed them how I managed to solve certain problems. Heck, I was even drawing things out on their whiteboard. I left feeling great about the interview. Before I drove off, I prayed in my car. I thanked God again because even if I got no further, I have NEVER made it further than this!
About an hour later, I get a phone call. They phoned wanting to schedule an interview. I told them sheepishly, "I... just... had an interview?" They were like, "I know... they want a second interview". How could I refuse. God must has have been at work here because they were kind enough to set up a very early morning interview, so I wouldn't be losing any real time from work. But, of course, I still had to know if it was from Him. Let's face it... 5 years of nothing, and this is happening faster than a could ever have imagined. I spoke with the manager this time. It didn't go as well as the tech, in my opinion. I stumbled. Despite my own disappointment in myself, I was still totally grateful once again. God brought me further than I ever was. I was not going to be disappointed in the least.
Then came the wait...
Joelle would ask me anxiously if I heard anything. At that time, I was certain that if this was to come from God, then He would deliver it in His time and in His way. I kept telling Joelle that either way, I will be grateful and if it doesn't happen, I am still very happy at my current job and am not going to look any further. This would happen a few times and Joelle agreed with me. I think she knew that I would only do this if God were in it. In the meantime, I would have exchanged a few e-mails with their HR expressing my thanks again for the opportunities to meet with them. I told them that it was a real pleasure regardless of the outcome. However, I knew not to ask about the status because I was just going to let it go and leave it in God's hands. I was sure that He knew what was going on and if it was not in His will at this time, I still made it further than I could have on my own power.
Four days before we were to go on vacation, I got a phone call. It was a job offer there. I was totally excited. I was standing outside talking on my phone freezing but I DIDN'T CARE! We talked for about 30 minutes and they could see my excitement. It wasn't just for the job and the tremendous possibilities that it carries. It was because it was from God. I was sure of it. How? Well, I had to take care of some formalities within those four days before I was to go on vacation. Once again, I tried on my own power and hit road blocks right up to the last day, despite not only my efforts, but HR's attempts to help.
However, I was certain that God would deliver! At this point I had no doubt that it was from God because I knew that if it was from God, He would ride in at the last minute with trumpets blaring. I even told Joelle this. I was so certain because this is the God that I know. He set everything up so that He could show me how He works. Sure, it's probably a small thing for Him, but it was huge to me. Sure enough, God did just that. I needed an official signature and God delivered one hours before we were to go away. I got everything off and once again, was to wait until after my vacation.
After wrapping up a few more details when I got back from my vacation. I got a phone call about a week later confirming my start date. After giving huge thanks to God once again as I hung up my phone, I also prayed that I do things right in preparing to say good-bye to my current place of work. Knowing that God was leading me every step of the way, I don't want Him to stop leading as the time comes to leave to go to my new job. In fact, I know He won't stop leading because He brought me this far...
... and I have NEVER been able to go this far on my own!
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