It was now October 2006, by this time I was working part-time as a Web Researcher - a glorified data inputer - in Hatfield. Still, it was a job, it got me out of the house, I met new people (not all nice) and I was earning a tiny bit of money.
One Saturday, I noticed Benjamin's card and wondered about him. It had been 6 months since we last were in touch. The next day, Sunday, as I paid my tithe in church, a pittance, I asked God if He was happy with what I was presenting. I had not paid tithe that small since I first moved to England and did odd jobs, did He not want to bless me with a better job that my tithe may be more?
Miraculously, Benjamin called me on Monday, the very next day. He had another opportunity for me. An SAP Trainer role. "It's perfect for you Omara" he said "but it's in Leicester". Not thinking much of it, I told him I was available, afterall, I had applied for loads of jobs with no success so why would it be different this time around? By Wednesday, he called back saying "Your God has decided to show you mercy and answer your prayers" - I thought it was weird, what did he know about my God or even my prayers? He offered me a choice of a telephone interview either that Friday or the following Monday. I opted for Monday so I'd have time to prepare but he suggested I was to be interviewed on Friday instead. "Don't worry Omara, you don't need to prepare" he said.
Still, I tried to revise the little I could and I prayed also. On Friday morning 9am, I got a call and the interview was underway. It lasted about 40 mins and when it ended I knew I had truly messed up. I did not get a chance to talk about my stronger skills. I seemed hesitant in responding to questions and when I was asked why there was such a large gap in my CV, I replied that I had taken time off to look after my son after he was born. I was certain that after that damning revelation - she has a baby?! - I would not be hired.
Benjamin called me late on Friday to say I had been shortlisted. "Shortlisted - what the hell was that!?" I thought. I did not care about shortlisting - just tell me if I got the job or not. I had to spend an agonising weekend wondering whether I got it or not.
On Monday. by 3:45pm, Benjamin called me to tell me I had been hired! In exactly one week, my whole world had changed. I was suddenly going to be earning in a day more than what I was earning in a week! I was going to be using my I.T skills again. I was going to be developing my career in a direction I'd always wanted to AND I was moving to Leicester! Yikes! Am I crazy?
What about my baby? My beloved child I cried and begged God for? A child I would sit and watch as he slept so that I would be the first person he saw whenever he woke up? How can I leave him?
I did not worry too much about my husband at the time - in a way, it was him I was trying to prove myself to.
I was happy, escatic, thankful and grateful to God for truly having mercy on me. I did not apply for a job in Leicester, the job in Leicester came and got me. For whatever reason that this had happened, I was grateful and determined to go.
Now I too had a job testimony that someone else would hear and go "yeah right".
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France, Italy, Spain - here we come!
Omara's Weight loss progress (started diet 17th March 2007)
1 comment:
in addendum to my other comments, hate to sound redundant but its like we r living similar lives in different continents. going thru the same thing withthe job search. i have kinda just given uo at the moment. too numerous interviews that i had to explain the gap in my resume. i even ahd this one lady lately a recriuter for the american society of medical professionals here in atl who had to really really try to sell me to this one practice explainig why i gave up my careee n worth not. b4 they finally agreed to interview me. i really hate that i have to explain my self or proove my self worthy of comsideration . at one of the interviews i could tell one of the drs was just in her head thinking how could u put ur career in the back seat for kids. asi understabd she has kids too but u have to think of the quality of time she got to spend with them. its just sooo unfair. i am considerign goign back to school at this point if nothing else pans out
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