It's the end of April and I haven't written a thing in all of 2024. But if ever there was a time to break my silence, this is it.
I'm sitting at my work desk, or at least the most recent incarnation of it. It's a remarkably small desk. If I stretch my arms out, I would be reaching into the next cube space. And this was one of the final straws for me at my current company. I essentially was downgraded from an adjustable large L shaped desk to what essentially amounts to a bookshelf. Also there were times when admissions was shown appreciation from the higher ups and FA wasn't, such as a lunch after a January start had gone well. FA wasn't notified about it and those students can't start without being packaged. Also the constant changing in my job duties. I was going to work reentries, then I was going to work military students, then I was going to work independent students. And these changes would happen every 6 weeks or so.
I have been working here for 6 years, since July of 2018. I met a lot of good people. I worked with a lot of students. I did my job very well. But it was really the lack of respect and appreciation and lack of stability that did me in.
So I started applying for new jobs. I narrowed my search on Hampton Roads as well as the Triangle in North Carolina; I didn't have any intention of moving too far away. So it was early March on a Saturday when I sat down at the Captain's Den, my favorite local coffeehouse, and began updating my resume and cover letter and started completing online applications. I probably applied for 6 or 7 jobs over the course of a week.
I didn't hear back from too many places. I would have relished a chance to work at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. But as I found out from a former manager, they don't hire for profit employees. I think it's absolutely absurd, but it's the cold hard reality. And they can do business how they choose, even if they are missing out on qualified candidates.
And so it was on Wednesday March 20, I got an email from a guy named Kevin, the FA Director at Meredith College. I knew of the Raleigh, NC based school since my mother has former co-workers whose daughters went there. We arranged a Zoom interview with him, the assistant director, and the current info director who is working her way towards retirement.
So the following Monday, I drove home on my break and did a 15 minute interview. I don't remember a ton of the questions, but I did feel pretty comfortable through the interview and I was sure I carried myself as knowledgeable, confident, and personable. I asked about next steps and they said there would be in person interviews for qualified candidates. I asked if it could be the upcoming Friday or following Monday since I would be in town for Easter and I didn't want to drive the 7-hour round trip twice.
Sure enough, they agreed to a Monday in-person interview that would last two hours. At that point, I pretty much figured there wasn't more than one other candidate and chances are I was the only one they were interviewing and they wanted to make sure I would fit in.
So the Monday after Easter, which was also April Fool's Day, I put on my suit and drove into the picturesque, pine tree-lined campus and drove a lap around the campus. It was rather quiet, but well maintained. I parked and walked in the Johnson Admin Building at the front of the campus. I met Kevin and chatted casually with him for about 15 minutes. Then, I began my tour with various departments. 4 people in accounting, the registrar, and finally the entire 7 person FA team. The whole process lasted 2 and a half hours. And I have to say that's a long time to be that on your game. Words, tone of voice, body language, everything. But Kevin walked me to my car after, maybe he wanted to see what I drove, I don't know!
I think it was Friday when Kevin emailed me about references, since an email address was wrong. When job is checking your references, you have to feel pretty confident, and at this point, I knew I was about done with my life in Virginia. We got the email issue resolved, and the next Thursday, April 11 when I was donating plasma, he emailed me about setting up a phone call. I knew he wouldn't set our first phone call to say they went in a different direction.
Sure enough, he offered me the job. I took 24 hours to consider it but I knew I was going to accept. I emailed him back Friday morning to let him know. And all that was left was the background check and that took another week. He told me as long as I didn't murder anyone, I was good. I told him as long as flies in the kitchen don't count, I was good. And I was hoping they didn't find my YouTube sports page, cause they would have seen my emotional side!
That afternoon after work, I drove down to Raleigh for more apartment searching. I probably went to 8 or 9 places, including two of them for the second time. And when one of them offered me 2 free months rent, I knew I was going to take it. Yes it will be a quarter less space than my current place, but the complex is only 2 years old, I'm on the 4th floor with an elevator, it has a balcony, a large kitchen, and the gym and pool are super nice.
So that was enough for me. Two days later, Monday, March 15. I turned in my resignation letter, which had been sitting on my OneDrive for a couple of days.
Ten days later is today. And today is the end of a chapter for me. I'll be spending the next two weeks packing and loading.
So as I prepare to leave Virginia, I realize I have definitely changed over these last 7 years. And I'm not always one to recognize changes in myself. But I'm a different guy than that 35 year old who left Chicagoland after living 14 years in the same house and boldly went on his own for the first time. I have been hustling harder than ever, balancing full time work, and multiple part time jobs, and now NY Sports WickerMedia on Youtube. I learned to budget. I learned to manage my time, as no one was there to do anything for me. I learned more about decision making. I loved a girl or two and got my heart broken. I made some friends, some lasted, some were only meant to be in my life for a period of time. My faith, well, I don't know if it's grown. Church was a struggle here. After all the great ones I attended in Chicago, nothing in Virginia could come close. It's time for that to change.
