I'm getting so close!

Last week proved to be very challenging, and I was nearly ready to just throw in the towel. The pressure of finding a job before the end of July (my original goal) combined with the stress of looking for somewhere new to live really started to get to me. Although I had my first full-on interview (no thanks necessary for any of my many staffing agencies) last Monday, it was extremely overshadowed. Applying for that position was a long shot, and I wasn't extremely confident in my qualifications for the job to begin with. I did the best I could at the interview, but I thought it could have gone better. When they didn't call by the end of the week, like they said they would, I thought that opportunity had passed. In the spirit of getting that dream job of mine, I called them this Monday to see if they had filled the position. Much to my surprise, they were just taking a few extra days to decide who to call back for second interviews.

So, my week was off to a good start, and I had the motivation to keep trudging through the job search. After another 6 or 7 follow-up "Happy Monday" emails, I received a phone call for an interview with a government relations firm on The Hill. If I knew a few crazy antics would help me break through the clutter of other job applicants, I would have used them long ago! In any case, I scheduled my second, self-earned interview yesterday. Things were definitely looking better, but today added even more hope to getting that job...and soon!

I received a call from the lobbying firm I interviewed with last week. They wanted to schedule a second interview with me! Apparently the first interview went better than I thought, and now I need to impress the CEO with my personality (as I'm competing with several other people with similar qualifications). If it comes down to a positive attitude and a go-getter personality, you better believe I'm in the running! And as if two interviews in two days wasn't promising enough, I also received a call from the public policy division of a PR firm I had applied to two weeks ago. They wanted to schedule an interview with me this week, too! So...I will be engaging in three interviews in two days, all of which I found/earned on my own. My persistence paid off, and I really think that one of these will result in a job :)

With my job situation looking up, now I am trying to get a handle on finding somewhere to live. I have just over a week to find something. I've spent many hours on the Metro meeting potential roommates. Although the last house I visited had everything I could want (including friendly housemates), it is all the way out in Fairfax, VA and would require me traveling to the end of the orange line and taking a 15 minute bus ride to get home. Depending on where I work, my commute would likely be an hour or even more. Plus, I would need to rely on two separate forms of public transportation. That's a scary thought. So, my housing search continues, but it's definitely crunch time.

As for my social calendar...I attended a special event at an art museum last week, went out with the girls to the Clarendon Ballroom this weekend, and enjoyed Screen on the Green (an outdoor movie on The Mall with the Capitol in the background!) last night. And tomorrow night, I am attending a book signing at the Sewall-Belmont House with several big name women politicians to be in attendance. All great stuff, really!

If you spoke with me last week, thanks for your support. I was struggling, and I am happy to report that I'm finally getting close to finding that job. And if you haven't gotten the chance to talk to me on the phone recently, I hope to be calling you soon with good news!