After the interview, a few weeks went by and I began to grow a little concerned. I was tempted to call and follow up, but feared that, like dating, if you are the one doing the calling then the news isn’t at all good.
And my concerns were justified. I was driving Scooter to school one morning and got a call from the person who would’ve been my supervisor. They appreciated my interest, but hired someone who had been doing the same job for about a decade at another Baptist institution. Since this would be my first time to perform this job, I was the unknown quantity and they elected to go with experience over potential.
Scooter burst into tears as she figured out the conversation. I think the most difficult part of this experience has been the girls going through it with Kadie and myself. We decided when I got the campus visit stage that they should be a part of the process. We were surprised at their willingness to move, a willingness that turned to excitement as the events unfolded. So the rejection was felt across the family, only Squealer remained unaffected.
Grief cuts across a lot of things, and my life has been relatively grief free. But for a few months we had been paralyzed by this process (do we enroll the kids in summer programs when we may be moving? Do we take on new responsibilities at church when we could be moving along soon? etc.) and now we grieved its conclusion.
A few take-aways from the experience.
1. I've been motivated to work on some areas of weakness. Since this rejection, I’ve volunteered for several committees across campus that are involved in accreditation issues. These are boring, painstaking, and involve sustained focus to minutia, yet vital to anyone interested in academic administration.
2. Some second guessing about involving the girls in the process. Although it’s good for them to see how Christian adults approach big decisions, it also meant that they felt the pain of rejection as well. I talked with them about their involvement after I didn’t get the job. They each affirmed that they were glad we included them in the process, even though it hurt at the end. And there’s the pride part of it too. Not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s painful to fail in front of your kids.
3. The process confirmed for us as a family that we will be moving on from our current location at some point. As a family we have the sense that God will take us elsewhere. We trust that God has in mind a place for us to go and contribute to discipling young lives in a Christian context.
4. But I would be remiss to pretend that there’s no regret. Whenever I see the school’s name or encounter someone at a professional meeting with whom I met during the campus interview, I can’t help but to think about what might have been.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Friday, February 03, 2012
Seeking a New Job (IV)
The on campus interview was wonderful. They invited Kadie to accompany me and she spent time looking at neighborhoods and also hospitals (as potential places of employment). We were feted throughout the process. The administration made sure that Kadie had a positive experience with campus tours and other interesting side trips while I was locked in various meetings. When we arrived at our hotel they had a beautiful gift basket full of swag from the university, and they personalized a parking space for us on campus, complete with my name.
On the interviewing front, I met with the search committee, various directors, as well as the president of the institution. I delivered a lecture to the campus community and had numerous opportunities to speak with faculty about their areas of interest. In addition to these formal gatherings, we were also treated to some casual dining experiences at local restaurants with the chair of the search committee as well as the person who would be my supervisor. We received a tour of the campus and got a good sense of various elements of campus life. The school stands in stark contrast to the staid regional state institution in which I now teach.
The interviews themselves went well. There weren’t any real curve ball questions, and while I could always have answered questions better, I’m pleased to say that I didn’t have any Rick Perry moments. The interviews felt like a conversation among faculty colleagues, rather than a microscopic look at a prospective employee.
As Kadie and I finished our two day trip, we drove home imagining ourselves in a new house, a new neighborhood, and a new state.
And we were excited.
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