Interviewed

On Friday, I had my interview. I was more nervous and rusty than I cared to be.

I would say it was no home run, but it wasn't a train wreck, either.

I started trying to switch into this position over a year and a half ago. I had my first interview to get into the hiring pool February 2012 and was turned down. They gave me a retry in March. I made it in. A year and a half later, I've applied to almost 30 schools. I've been interviewed 4 times.

Will this time be the one?

Before this year, I would have been more intimidated accepting this position at my school. The first guy at my school held the position for close to 13 years and was one of the original people who defined the position within the county. When he retired, the school-wide thought was "who can equal Steve?"

Apparently, the next techie did. She made her mark immediately and has crossed over into leadership as our newest assistant principal.

Those would have been two very tough acts to follow, but the interim techies last year did not perform. The first one was 'relieved' of her duties halfway through the year, and her replacement didn't garner much affection either from what I can tell.

The bar had officially been lowered. Plus, my principal surprised me by giving me a service award medal at the end of last school year for my work on the Human Relations committee and the annual report. I also came to his attention when he requested me to fill in for another teacher so they could shuffle staff around.

I don't think my chances could be much better than they are now.

Which story will my path follow?

A) Will I get the job? Everything seems to be lining up. This is a far better situation than I would have been in if I had gotten a chance to interview the year before. Is this my chance to get my foot in the door and learn the ropes? I'd miss out on my mini-raise from the academy courses, but my contract would be extended a month and I'd get a real pay raise on top of it.

B) Will someone else get the job? There's a ton of competition for these positions. I don't mind being beaten by a better man. If a moron gets the job over me, I can't say my first reaction will be to jump for joy, but God's plan is God's plan. My job then will be to be the bigger man and accept my loss graciously.

or C) will I be struck by lightning or win the lottery? I haven't bought a ticket yet and it's not storming, but you never know. I can make my plans all I want, but I can't control how well the guy next to me drives.

Carrie and I talked about this on Sunday. I would like to think I was far more eloquent. Here, I'm getting long-winded so I chopped it down somewhat. I am okay with getting or not getting the job. If I don't get it, it's just another challenge on the way.

Challenge is what builds character, creates change, and makes for the most interesting story. Maybe I'll get the position one day, but I'll be able to tell Shane how long I kept at it regardless. I don't think he's ever going to confuse me as a "Mr. Perfect," but he will see how I react to mistakes and setbacks when he's older. I may as well have some stories for him now in case Option C strikes before we get there!

UPDATE: My principal called me into his office after summer school today. I said a quick prayer and made my way down. When I got there, he told me that the committee chose to recommend someone else with "more technology experience." He went on to tell me that I'm doing a great job at my school and that I wasn't 'given' an interview because they knew me. It was on merit. He also said he'd be a reference for me if something else came up. It was a let down, but I thanked my principal and went on my way.

I had a hunch that Story B was going to be the path I followed. It wasn't a nervous/lack-of-confidence feeling as much as it was a solid premonition. It helped me to accept it and move on immediately. Carrie took it harder than I did. She was so sad and worried I'd be upset, because "she'd seen how hard I worked for this." It's nice to have a supportive wife!

It's back to the hunt again. This interview was a good refresher course for me. I kept remembering good things to say from my previous interviews after my interview was over.