Job-less in Moncton?

My hands are shaking, I’m sweating, my sight is getting blurry, after almost a week without posting on the blog, and I’m having blog post withdrawal symptoms! I have been updating Facebook, but I stayed away from the blogs. I didn’t even read some of my favourite fellow blogger’s post nor commented on anything… today will be a day for catching up.

Yesterday was an emotionally charged day… Julie was being interviewed for a position at the University of Ottawa!

She has been working on a 3 year contract in Moncton (New-Brunswick).  We were very happy for her to have gotten this opportunity but we were sad to see her working so far from our hearts. As of now, her contract is ending at the end of March and might not be renewed.

Since she has accumulated leave, her last full week of work should be this week, next week she has 2 days of sitting on the senate committee where they are about to vote on some really important policy changes at the University of Moncton.

At this point, I don’t think anyone in Moncton is expecting her to do much work… however she is still doing her normal work load and is professional till the end. She also has to juggle between her priorities and her employer’s.

We are not worried about her, she has money put aside in an emergency fund in case she loses her job and she will also be eligible for unemployment for almost a year. We also know that she will not be unemployed long.  I remembered she took ONE summer off after obtaining her bachelor degree, but has been working ever since. Even while undertaking her master degree she was working.  When she completed it, she had money in the bank… and was NOT in debt.

Before leaving for Moncton after her master, she paid cash for a car and still had money in the bank that would make people in their fifties, jealous! What I’m really saying is that she is one responsible woman!

Yesterday her interview was being done via skype. I assume all of you know what skype is… She had first asked her boss if she could do this interview in one of the conference room. Being a prepared person, she brought a laptop, headsets (she had 2 pairs), extra video cam and in case there was a problem with the headsets, the laptop has a built-in speaker.

She got called at the pre-arranged time but she couldn’t hear them and they had problem hearing her… not the best way to start an interview! They ended up calling her and using skype only to see each other. On the Ottawa side there was a committee for the interview, so I imagine they had a speaker phone to be able to hear Julie.

After the interview, Julie wrote to us that it didn’t go as well as she would have thought. You know when you are interviewed you always feel like you failed, like you could have said more or said something differently… but Daddy knows best and I was sure she did just great and the next hour proved me right!

An hour after her interview, she received an email asking her to come in person for an interview and to give a presentation in Ottawa; on Friday March 7^th.  They will foot the bill for her air fare. This is when her priorities were being tested… She had the senate committee meeting on March 6 and 7^th and now she was asked to be in Ottawa for the 7^th… She had to decide whether she would ask the interviewer if she could reschedule the interview in Ottawa or not go to the Senate committee meeting. To me, it was not even close to being a choice. At this point, she has to take all the chances she can get. She would have been happy to stay in Moncton and have a long career but since it will probably not happen, she has to put herself first.

I see it a little like a hockey player, once he is told that he is being traded to another team he will not be playing that night.  He is expected to go to the dressing room and pick up his equipment. It doesn’t mater if he loveD his former team! He is now moving on and has to set his priorities straight, himself first, his future team second and third clear his locker!

After several hours of emailing back and forth with us, Julie decided to skip one day of the committee meeting and come to Ottawa for her formal interview and presentation. Her flight is already booked; I think she is really excited to be close to Mom, paw and her little sister, who happens to be working at the University of Ottawa.

If she doesn’t get the job… there might be a homeless shelter in Julie’s future! Ya right!