So...

It's been about two full months since I posted on here, much to the chagrin of a certain someone, I know. So why didn't I blog on here for a while? Well I think for a while there a lot of what was going on revolved around the job in Seattle and honestly a part of me didn't want to jinx it by talking too much about it.

So going back to the interview at the end of July. It's kind of hard to look back on it objectively now knowing that I got the offer. An offer I somehow got despite screwing up on the written case. So during the interview day I spoke with 4 or 5 consultants, had lunch with the lead partner, then had two cases.

There was an excel case with several tabs of data and 10 questions that I had to either answer or manipulate the data. Then there was a written case where you were presented with a problem and related data. You then had to analyze the data the way you saw fit, then write some conclusions that you've made as well as discuss what additional questions that you'd want to ask.

The written case took about 90 minutes or so and it wasn't until the last 15 minutes when I was reviewing it that I realized I had completely misunderstood a major assumption of the main data set. Basically I had written my entire case off a wrong assumption. Sigh. Anyways, all's well that ends well I guess.

The pic above is from when I was there during my interview. After dinner on Friday night I spent some time walking around the downtown area and walked down to market place. It's difficult to explain clearly and sounds kind of cheesy now, but as I was walking around I just quietly knew, very deep down inside, that I was going to end up here. That I belonged here... that it was going to end up being home. I think its the same intuition that led me to turn down the offer from the Chicago firm for the opportunity to interview in Seattle.

There is still a ton that I don't know yet... such as whether I'll be able to sell my place, where I'll live in Seattle etc etc. If I really think about all I have to do, it freaks me out a little. Well, a lot. But same intuition is telling me everything is going to work out.

Going with your gut

Wednesday was my interview with the Chicago firm. It was an interesting interview because I definitely went into it with the mindset that I was already getting the job because of the two people there that I already know. But I think that mindset put me at ease, lessened any anxiety, and ultimately made me more confident, which probably helped make a good impression with the two new people I met. I need to remember this for the Seattle interview.

Oh so funny story about the interview. After interviewing with these two guys, the three of us went out to lunch to continue a more casual conversation and just to get to know each other. We went to this restaurant in downtown Chicago that is a pretty big business lunch place. We walked in and I was surrounded by men in suits.

Now for my lunch I ended up getting this pretty yummy salad. It comes to the table, and I start on my salad. I had had a couple of bites, when I see this little black spot on one corner of the plate. I'm like huh... what is that? I look closer, and I kid you not, it was this tiny tiny bug. I was surprised and kinda grossed out, but I was more freaked out that the two other guys would find out. I could have made a scene and called the waiter over and sent it back, but that would have made these two guys really uncomfortable. There they are trying to take a prospective hire out to lunch, and they find a bug in their food?

So I told myself, nope, I don't need to put them in that situation. No need. They would have been really embarrassed, needlessly, and it would have taken away from the conversation we were already having. So I kinda shoved the little bug down underneath the salad on that corner of the plate and then proceeded to eat about half the salad, on the opposite side of the plate. Maybe I ate another bug or two, but eh, I could always use more protein. :)

Anyways. So yesterday I am out to lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen in a while. And I'm telling her all about the interview and the circumstances with the Chicago firm. And I kid you not, as we're talking about the firm and my relationship with this partner, my phone lights up and this partner's name comes across the screen.

When I saw her name, I was glad but also filled with dread. Because I knew exactly what she was calling for. I knew that she was calling to give me an offer, but that she was not going to allow me to wait a month to interview with Seattle. I know this partner pretty well and know how she handles things. She is a business woman who knows what she wants and is not scared to go after it.

So I listen to the voicemail and she's telling me what I already knew... that she'd love for me to come join them etc etc. Then she says something to the effect of, 'I would like for you to come work with us and I need to know what I need to do to make that happen'. Yeah. Whoa. She doesn't mess around. It did get me thinking about what kinda crazy salary I could demand! :)

When I called her back, she told me pretty much what I already knew. That she can't wait for me to decide if I like the Seattle firm or if the Seattle firm likes me. That she is turning away work now and needs someone now. She said that I should think about where I want to be compensation wise and that she'd give me a week to make a decision. She also said that she can't guarantee that there would still be a need whenever I finish up the process with Seattle. But that if there was, she would still be open to that.

After talking to her, I spoke with two former colleagues, one at the Chicago firm and the other at the Seattle firm. My issue was that my gut was very strongly telling me that I needed to go through the interview process with Seattle. I wanted to make the best decision possible, and not feel like I was pressured to pick one firm. And yes, there is no guarantee that I would even get an offer from Seattle. My greatest fear is that that might happen, and that the Chicago firm would feel pissed or hold a grudge, feeling like I put them at second place, and not want to take me in 6 weeks.

My former coach at the Seattle firm told me that if she does hold a grudge, would I really want to work for someone like that? And that while the Chicago firm has an immediate staffing need right now, this is a big career decision for me. I am looking to be at my next firm for a while, so I have to feel comfortable with making the decision.

I knew what I needed to do, but knowing that I needed to call this partner today filled me with dread. This morning I did what I typically do when I am faced with a tough decision, consulting the I Ching. And as always, it was right, telling me what I already sensed... that everything has its proper time and that this is not the right time right now. That I need to trust that everything is as it should be and that everything is being prepared to achieve what is in my best interests. And that I just need to trust in that and be still and relaxed and confident.

So I called the partner shortly afterwards, explaining to her how I don't take her offer lightly and that I really do respect her. And because I respect her, that I want to be completely honest and tell her where I am. I told her that I want to maintain a good relationship not only with her, but the other person I know at the Chicago firm and the person I know at the Seattle firm.

I explained that its not really the case that I'm preferring Seattle over Chicago... that its two very different firms and opportunities that would put me in two different circumstances, circumstances that would affect my personal life very differently. I said that I do want to finish out the interview process with Seattle.

I finished up by saying that I don't know how things are going to end up, but I would hope that she would still be open to hiring me if she still has the work and the staffing need, not just in 6 weeks but in the future as well since I see myself in consulting for a while.

I think the conversation went as well as it could have, and she said she did appreciate me telling her so they didn't have to go through the work of putting together an offer. I don't know if she really means it when she says she would hire me again if they still had a staffing need, but I can't really worry about that at this point. She did say to keep her updated on how things go and perhaps in 6-8 weeks the Chicago firm may become more attractive to me. I kind of took her saying that to mean that she really does feel that I'm putting her firm as a second choice. Oh well.

I then talked to the other guy I know well at this firm and explained my decision and the conversation I had with the partner. He told me that they had actually had dinner last night and discussed this a bit, and that she knew that I had called him to talk about this yesterday as well. He said that she told him that she hoped that I did not get a bad impression of her from how forward she was with the offer and saying that she can't wait for a month. So that's a good sign, I think.

He told me that he really does anticipate that the work is only going to increase. While they are now going to hire this other guy, their second choice, that he feels that they would definitely still hire me in another 6-8 weeks if I was interested. He told me that I need to do what is right for me, and that he believes in the quality of my work so much that they would rather wait a bit than not have me at all. I have to hope that he would help advocate for me if I needed it.

So all in all, after a drama filled day yesterday, I think things worked out for the best. I still have no clue what will happen with Seattle. I may not like them, or they may not like me. And by then I may end up not being offered a position with the Chicago firm. Isn't there a saying like this? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush? But anyways, that is the chance that I have decided to take. I can't make a decision because I feel forced into it. If I had accepted the offer, I would have always wondered about Seattle.

And something in my gut is strongly telling me that I need to at least interview with Seattle. So we'll see what happens!

Interview update

I've finally gotten the two interviews scheduled! The Chicago firm is at the end of June. They're making it a very condensed interview process because I already know the lead partner and another managing director in the practice.

In terms of the Seattle firm, I ended up having to take this online personality test of sorts. It basically gives you many screens to rank how you would describe yourself. Each screen had four adjectives or phrases and you'd rank 1-4 which were most apt to describe how you work.

I didn't really think I'd "fail" the test, given I have been consulting for four years. But basically they look for people who are going push and drive people to results instead of just being a people person. So when you're looking at a list of adjectives, you'd think that words like sociable or gets along with people are important. And they are. But they aren't as important as driving to a deadline or pushing to an end goal.

Other traits that I think are important for consultants are those who are calm in stressful situations because we often come into locations where not everyone wants us there. It's also important to be comfortable with ambiguity. If you want to know exactly how things are going to work, it just doesn't happen that way. You have to be comfortable working with the unknown, not having every single detail planned out. Then you just adjust as things happen.

Finally I think one of the most important traits for consultants is to be comfortable with change. Things change all the time. Not just in work a work setting, but in travel. Remember how a week and a half ago I ended up not going home? Well things like that happen. And you just have to deal with it. You can complain and bitch a bit, but deal with it.

Anyways, slight side track there. So yes, I "passed" the personality test. But unfortunately given my work and personal travel plans, as well as the those of the lead partner, we weren't able to get a date for me to fly out to Seattle until the end of July. One exact month after I interview with the Chicago firm. Boo. I had really wanted to get them close together. Oh well.

I was talking to my mom over the weekend about how I feel about these two firms. And really how I'm not really stressing over them. I really do think that whatever happens will be the right opportunity. I think back to being disappointed with not getting that offer from that firm in Atlanta last fall. And honestly these two firms are a better opportunity than that Atlanta firm. So even though it sucked a bit for me last fall, it was all meant to be.

The only really tough thing is going to be if I get both offers. I'd almost rather just get one so the decision making is done for me. Hard decisions are hard!

Crazy day

So I had a 11 am flight this morning from RDU back to O'hare. Emphasis on the word had. I get to RDU and shortly thereafter, they cancelled the flight. They initially said they couldn't get me on a flight until tomorrow, but then they were able to get me on a flight that left at 6 pm that would get me into Chicago at 7:30.

Except that I had already had a ticket booked to turn right back around and fly from Chicago back to Charlotte on Sunday. So what... I would have been in Chicago for 36 hours? I said forget it, and decided to cancel my return leg today and my initial leg on Sunday.

But this now left me at RDU with a rental car reservation to pick up from Charlotte's airport on Sunday. So I ended up changing that reservation to pick up today, but then had to rent a car from RDU to drive to Charlotte to pick up this car. Given that I was going to have this Charlotte car for two weeks, picking up from RDU and returning to Charlotte would have been crazy expensive because when you return it to a different location, they add a charge per mile.

Long story short, I got to RDU at 9 am today. I got a rental car at 11 am and drove the 2.5 hours to Charlotte. I picked up another car in Charlotte and drove back to Chapel Hill. I did stop on the way back to Chapel Hill at an outlet mall and did some de-stressing by buying some cute tops. Hey, I couldn't let today just be the day that I dealt with travel for 10 hours!

This now means that I am back in Chapel Hill this weekend, and next (as planned for Father's Day). And it means that I left Chicago on May 30 and will not return until June 24. Craziness.

The rental car game

A certain someone in New Mexico who shall remain unnamed told me to keep the blog posts coming. So I shall entertain!

Anyways, one of the little games I always play while traveling is "What rental car will I get this week"? I've had everything from sports cars that are super low to the ground to the point that I have issues getting in and out of the car... to Lincoln Navigators with wood paneling in the inside where I feel like I should be picking up my social security check and going to the 4:30 early bird special.

The Avis at Charlotte airport has been hooking me up lately, giving me much higher class cars than I am paying for. Last week I had a Mercury Mariner SUV which was a nice car. Not as nice as my Honda CRV at home, but nice nonetheless.

This week I have a hot red VW Jetta. I've never driven a VW before. I told a friend (who I already knew drives a VW) that I feel like I should be wearing birkenstocks, drinking a chai soy latte, and listening to NPR while driving around in the Pacific Northwest. I'm not sure why I have this notion of VW drivers.

Anyways, I'll have this Jetta for two weeks since I'm driving it to Chapel Hill and back this weekend!