Job Drama

Damon has been actively looking for a new job on and off since before Mina was born. He loved the planetarium when he was writing and producing shows, doing voice acting, and educating half-pints... But in those times when there was struggle at Science City, be it financial, personnel, mechanical/electrical, he would start to look more seriously.

Last summer, it became pain fully obvious to him that things were not going to improve, so he looked, in earnest EVERY NIGHT and applied to countless jobs. We are 15 months out from his original serious job hunt. The only time he stopped looking was when Jovie was born. He was home with me for 3 weeks, and BOY DID I NEED HIM!!! In that time, we got NO Bites. No calls, not even rejection letters. Until last month.

He put his application in with a company that was looking for something very specific. He sent his application at 9am on Monday and had a call back at 3pm. It was a recruiter (aka headhunter). Since the job was a mix of customer service, theater/tech work, and IT- Damon was a "Slam Dunk." He was told the process would involve narrowing the group down to 3, interview those 3, immediately take it down to 2 who would get a second interview, then a decision would be made.

Damon made it to the second interview and felt it went well, except for an awkward interview with their IT person, who spent his interview time talking badly about the company Damon wanted to work for. (In hindsight, we think this was on purpose) Damon felt he still built a rapport with this guy, but did not really get to show off his talents in A/V and IT. But the rest of the interview was STELLAR.

So we waited... and waited. it was really only about 2 weeks from the second interview, but it felt like months.

Damon got an email on Wednesday saying he did not get the job. And gave him the "consolation" that is was SO CLOSE. So 50/50 that they could not decide and ended up going back to their notes on the second interviews. You know what feather broke the camel's back? The IT person.

Again in hindsight, we think that perhaps this person decided he liked the other guy better (the other guy interviewed first) and totally trashed talked to Damon in order to make sure that he would not want the job anymore. Thankfully the recruiter called Damon to clarify that he still wanted the job- and Damon restated his excitement about the job.

But he did not get it. And he is devastated. The job would have been nice. The money would have been great, the company in California was roughly 2 blocks from Disneyland (you know he loved that!). He really felt like the job was his for the taking.

Yesterday was his first day back at work. He had daydreamed about yesterday being a day to walk in and hand in his 2 week notice (I had hoped this about my job too). And sadly, the planetarium is not even working right now so he is at work, all alone with his thoughts.

He is so sad and broken and I don't know what to do. Losing the potential of that job was really bad for us. REALLY HARD. But going back to work was harder. I drove with him to work today. His shoulders were slouched, his head hung low, and his face was pale. This is not my vibrant, creative, stalwart husband.

People are trying to comfort us saying the regular things- "Something else will come along."

Really? Because I am starting to believe that things don't work that way. The nice guy does not always win. Working hard and doing your best does not always get you ahead. Sharing your talents with the world may not get you a damned cent.

I am still grieving the loss of this job. Of its possibilities. I am delusional and keep thinking that the other guy will totally suck and they will call Damon and beg him to come work for them. Its not great to hope for something like that, I don't know the other guy's situation. I will get through this. I just keep vacillating between all of the stages of grief.

The girls are asleep, I am going to go try to use this emotion constructively and try to vinyl tile our floor.