My first real job interview.... over the phone

On Friday, April 16, 2010, I had my first official real job interview, over the phone...! I received an e-mail earlier in the week saying a position had opened up at Forest Ridge in Bellevue. Having been raised by two wonderful parents who taught me always to call and write thank-you notes, as soon as I received the e-mail asking me to participate in a phone interview I called the Head of the Middle School. The outcome of the conversation was that they wanted to move my interview ahead so that if necessary they could fly me out to Seattle for an interview!

I hung up, with a looming interview for the coming Friday.... Hoping I could WOW them with my personality, good looks (too bad they couldn't see me), and stunning intellect, I set off to conquer every possible interview question known to mankind.

Friday came around, slowly but surely, and I felt prepared and ready to take on the world. Ok, maybe not that quite dramatic, but you get the point. After a great 45 minute phone interview, the conversation ended with me being asked to fly home to meet with them personally! Holy smokes! I had become ok with the understanding that I wouldn't be going home until the middle of May, and now I was actually flying home, free of charge, in less than 3 days! Yikessss!

I packed my bags, laid out my best clothes, accidentally drove to New Hampshire when I was really trying to go a town just north of Boston to get my evidence binder from my supervisor... yes, it's a true story - my sense of direction failed me, which is rare, and I set off for the West Coast Best Coast (again, this is true).

I flew in late Monday night and my own bed was AMAZING. I got to play with the cutest little Leila, hang with the family, go for a run around Greenlake, get my haircut (a bigger deal than it may appear at first sight), see Jacquelyn... and oh yes, I was there for an interview.

I was oddly calm, yet secretly my stomach was in knots. I was quietly nervous, but I also felt fairly confident. I was teaching about resources in Latin America and designed a lesson to focus on Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Long story short, I loved the school and left feeling as though I absolutely rocked the interview. Apparently they thought so too, because a mere 6 days later I got a phone call telling me I landed the job! My first real job, at an incredible school, and in Seattle! Amazing! I couldn't be more excited, and I feel like it is absolutely the right place for me to be right now. The best part is, I will get to coach! Even though it is a small school with not much of a running team, it will be great to see what I can piece together!

Late Thursday night I begrudgingly headed back to Boston.... I had 2 weeks left of teaching to power through and two weeks left of classes... Lovely. The upside? Andrew and Courtney were flying in the next night to spend the weekend in Boston with yours truly :)