Chapter 20: now... Walk away

Seth and I started the interview process with a company in Virginia.
They had been recruiting me for a couple years now so I decided to see what they had to say.

First we took an online personality assessment and spoke to the recruiter,  Larry. He said they'd get back to us after Christmas, it typically takes about 5 days to hear back from the company.

An hour later we get a call from Larry. The company wants us to interview ASAP.
Larry set up a time with us later on that day and we did a prescreen phone interview.
We have a phone interview with Human Resources set up for Monday...
It's on odd feeling to he desired.

We're also interviewing with a company in Texas.
Seth got a call at work from a headhunter.
In an ideal world,  getting a call while at your work from another company trying to steal you,  you would feel a sense of loyalty.
This is not an ideal world.  Rather than loyalty,  he felt intrigue.
They are a huge Texas supermarket looking for new talent and want to discuss opportunities with Seth.
He tells them his wife works for the company as well and it would have to be both of us or none of us.
They said ok.
The next day we went our resumes over and will be interviewing with them shortly.

This is what happens when you make your associates feel like numbers.  This is what happens when you make it clear that we are replaceable.

While all this interviewing is going on, I got a call from Training and Development in regards to the job I applied for...

The one i really wanted. 
The one I went through five interviews for over the span of 3 months.
The one where I got an email from the VP saying "don't drop out on me ;-)"

It was the VP that called me.  He said the recruiter didn't want to call me because she knew I had been led on. I had to chuckle at this.

He is nervous and I get this evil satisfaction from this. He is stumbling over his word and finally he tells me I didn't get it (I had already heard this through the grape vine early this morning so I was prepared for the no)

He proceeds to tell me the job went to someone who has more experience "speaking"... What does that even mean?

He then tells me he was very impressed with me and thought the presentation I put together was amazing and my interview went exceptionally well.
He wants to mentor me.  He wants to get me ready because he doesn't think the candidate is going to stay in the role very long and he wants me to be ready when its available again. Well that's interesting,  and very fucked up!

I ask him what exactly the deciding factor was and he says,  " I don't think you'd be comfortable giving a presentation to say,  50 store managers and peers. "
I laugh out loud,  "oh, you mean like while I was at Dale Carnegie a month ago and had to give a speech in front of 100 store managers,  upper management,  and peers where I won best speaker?  Your right I must not be comfortable. "
I am a little shocked at my bluntness.
He responds,  "maybe it's me then,  maybe I'm just scared and need to go with someone with a proven track record. "

He then brings up the mentor thing again,  he would really like an opportunity to make this up to me. (I wish I had this conversation recorded... )

I respond,  " gosh that sounds great,  thank you so very much.  I so look forward to working with you. "

We hang up and I just stand there,  in the kitchen,  at the sink,  shaking my head.

Sometimes you have to be wise enough to know when a door has opened. And although there seems to be a lot of locked and slammed doors lately, I would like to look at everything as a door of opportunity standing wide open. If I don't walk through it and part ways with this awful company, I don't know when I ever will.