I resigned from W*USA9 May 30. The next three weeks are a blur of training my staff to perform my duties and multiple goodbyes. Who doesn't hate goodbyes? Probably the only thing worse than a goodbye is a long goodbye.W*USA9 will always be an important chapter in my life. I'll never doubt or regret coming to work at the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC. The opportunity presented itself at a time I truly felt that I had to "know someone" in order to get out of Jackson, Mississippi, and work on the east coast. The Lord reminded me, "Yeah, HELLO, you know Me!" Boom, I'm in DC!
The last four years have been tough professionally and personally. If you've read my earlier posts, missing out on my child's first year of life and wondering when my house was going to sell...yeah, tough. Being away from friends and family in Mississippi...tough. Being on call 24/7 and being constantly "plugged in" via a smart phone and computers...mind-numbingly tough. What's not tough is realizing the peace I have from closing that chapter and moving on.
Actually, I've been searching for other opportunities the first year I've been here. First, due to wondering when our house would sell. Then, growing weary of indecisiveness and lack of support and resources from W*USA9's previous management. Since October '07, W*USA9's current administration proved that my input had little value or everything I shared was questioned.
At a job, there's little worse than being a department head and having staff of multiple personnel adore you and you them...but having no support above you.
I learned about recruiters as many came of of the woodwork to offer their services. Recruiters are paid by companies...so, they don't work for you - key point. Their reputation is to bring to the table solid candidates, so their companies will pay them and reuse them for their keen candidate sense.
I'd been on multiple job interviews - some with, some without the assistance of recruiters. I visited about three local recruiter offices before I asked myself, "Why do you keep going to these recruiter offices, interviewing in front of them, and then waiting for them to set something up for you or interviewing again with their client?" It seemed silly and a waste of time. So, I canceled what would've been my fourth visit and refined my prayer: "Lord, if it's Your Will for me to get a new job, please create the opportunity and grant me the discernment to know what to do with it."
I said "refine" above, since the Big JC and I had been chatting about my woes and struggles for a while. But just like in Jackson, He would pave the way...I just needed to trust His timing.
Several weeks would pass, maybe even a couple months...but then WHAM! I get an email out of the blue from Christine Hampton, Manager of Recruiting at Harbor Light Recruiting, Inc. in Tampa, FL. She shares with me details of a new position at AOL. We begin trading information and before long, she's passing those details along to AOL. Christine and I haven't spoke on the phone. Every recruiter before her, I at least had to interview on the phone and go to their office. Granted, she was in Florida, but no calls? She had everything she needed over email and via my resume.
Next, the phone interview and in-person with AOL was a super-breeze. All of this became quick confirmation that when the Lord paves the way, it'll happen fairly quickly and fairly painlessly. When we are doing the hunting and pushing - we're exhausted, frustrated and overall spent!
This next week will be a pleasure to have no responsibilities...to unwind and have 3 days to myself...and a weekend in Ocean City, Maryland, with my family and in laws. I'll start at AOL at a position where I'll have the freedom to mostly work from home, make more moolah than at W*USA9 at year's end, have less stress, and not have everything I do dictated by every breaking news, weather or sporting situation. Intoxicating bliss.
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