After eight and a half months, 34 job interviews, one teaching presentation and four  trips to the dry cleaners I can finally conclude this episode of job hunters. I would like to thank my sponsor – the office of unemployment compensation.

I don’t know what happened yesterday, maybe it’s what didn’t happen. Let me back up, I tend to be a little superstitious about certain things – like I can only buy lottery tickets with single dollars, I have to get a random pick and I’m not allowed to look at the numbers until they are drawn. When it  comes to interviewing I have a lucky hair clip, I have lucky underwear  – I have to be there exactly ten minutes early… I spend a lot of my time worrying about things that (apparently) don’t matter.

Yesterday I went in for the aforementioned teaching presentation; while getting ready I decided to kick it up a notch and wear my wedding underwear. I decided a little extra luck couldn’t hurt, I don’t usually wear my wedding underwear although if we are being honest meeting my husband was probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to me, but you know for the wedding I went for looks, not so much  for comfort and well… it itches. (Is this too much information? Remember no one is making you read this). So I was all suited up and… itchy and when I went to do my hair I couldn’t find my lucky clip – it was no where. This is a bad bad omen because I don’t have a back up, there is no semi-lucky clip. There’s just the one I found under the bed while looking for the good one. A totally untested clip I was completely unfamiliar with. I hoped that my extra good underwear would somehow level out my luck quota back to where it should be.

Because of this serious dilemma I was running late getting to my interview – I got there only 5 minutes ahead of schedule and instead of having a few minutes to compose myself and inconspicuously adjust my underwear I was immediately whisked into the library where all the program directors where already sitting and waiting for me. I launched directly into my presentation and envisioned them all sitting there in their uncomfortable  fancy pants underwear.

As soon as I was done I was sent away with a dismissive wave of a hand and a promise someone would ‘be in touch’. The whole way home I cursed my missing hair clip – if only it had been tortoise-shell and not black I would have done so.much.better. I wondered if I had any singles so I could stop and pick up a lottery ticket (to balance out the universe and you know… make me not care that I would probably never hear from them again).

They called an hour later and offered me the position. I double checked that they knew who they were talking to ( to avoid any potentially embarrassing scenes later on). They assured me they called the right person, that they thought I did a great job and gave me all the details.

I can’t tell you what a HUGE weight has been lifted. I mean, I am very excited for this opportunity and to work at the  place I will be working (purposely vague) but I am more grateful not to spend hours everyday scouring the internet for job opportunities, not to sit by the phone every day and wait for good or bad news, not to be disappointed again and again because I was beat out by someone with more education, better experience, luckier underwear. Now, I can change my voicemail message back to something stupid and funny, I can return my sister’s briefcase I can start saving money and planning for the future.

YEA.