Part I-The Road

Part one of this trilogy takes us thru the last 3 months. From here, we will be going backwards, and then looking retrospectively at the last year. What a year its been.

To start, Braden has been working for USPS for the last 6 months. He got that job because he needed a job. It never was something he searched out because he wanted a career in it, but figured he could work at and, if necessary, stick with until something else came along. He was hired as a casual employee, meaning non-union, non-benefits, non-respected peon. Ooh, that was harsh. At first, he really enjoyed it. He still does, at least the work part. But the union is a pain and has created quite a few headaches for us. Also, because of the economy and other factors, in July, when a new manager came in, his hours were cut dramatically. So, since then, they have tried to keep him under 40 hours per week, even close to 30 some weeks.

So, he started applying for new jobs almost as soon as he got that one. He got an offer from a legal/technology data entry firm but we felt that it really wasn't a good fit for our family. He also basically got handed a job for a sports marketing company, but we both felt so sick about it that he told them no before his final interview. Since then, he's just been plugging away at the post office, working 6 days a week, 5 hours most days. Many times, like this morning, he gets called at 5 am to come in as soon as possible, because a coworker takes days off like they're going out of style, leaving Braden to clean up his mess.

In June, we had a new couple from our ward over for dinner. They are such great people and we really wanted to know them better. So, during a great meal, we enjoyed great getting-to-know-you conversation. Thru this, we learned that Jeff, the husband, works at the University of Phoenix as an enrollment counselor. In talking with them, it just felt like a road we should try venturing down. Braden really doesn't like sales (which is what an enrollment counselor does) but thought if he could just get in with the company, he could possibly move into a different department after the required 6 months. He was interested in either Finance or Academics, but for now, the only networking we had was with Enrollment, so he applied.

The interview turned out to be very different than he expected. Needless to say, he didn't knock them off their feet and they didn't give him the job. We were disappointed because everything about this opportunity (at least the company, not the job) seemed to be exactly what we were hoping for. The hours, the pay, the benefits, the security, the growth, the career paths. At the interview, he overheard someone mention that the University was interviewing for the financial positions. He asked about it and all he was told, besides that this interview wasn't for that, was to contact the recruiter. So he did. For 4 weeks. But the guy never returned his calls or emails.

Frustrated and wondering what to do next, he finished the paper work to be a Substitute teacher. The schools in our area are desperate for substitutes that they could guarantee him work 5 days a week. So he planned on getting his teaching certificate and quitting at the post office because he would make more money, work better hours, and save the $180 on gas each month with the commute. But first, he needed to get his fingerprint clearance card, a process that can take 3-10 weeks.

Meanwhile, miracles continued happening, at least they were miracles and tender mercies to us. But you can read about that in Part II, The Miracles. Yadda yadda yadda, another friend mentioned in conversation that she had worked as a financial counselor with the University of Phoenix (U o P). What!? And we've never talked about that?! She had a friend who was still a manager in that department, so she called her and later faxed her Braden's resume. That was on Saturday, September 13th. She sent his resume over the the correct recruiters for that position, but they were out of town for training in Las Vegas.

The recruiters returned to work on September 22nd, and we received a call that morning to set up an interview. The last interview process took a month between applying and interviewing for the first time. We expected the same here but we so pleased with the interview was scheduled for that coming Thursday, the 25th. Braden went to that interview with so much more preparation and confidence (again, see The Miracles) that he came out feeling like he did really well. Apparently he did, because that night, he got part II of the interview: situational scenarios. He finished those and emailed them back the next morning. We received another email stating he was moved to part III of the interview: the background check. Fortunately, his fingerprint clearance card came in the Friday before, so he was already in the DPS database, hopefully speeding up that process.

We were so excited that he had come this far, especially for the job he had been searching after since June. It was finally taking shape. Uh-oh. Wait a minute, it can't be that easy, can it? Nope, we were thrown a real scare that night. I picked up the mail on my way home from something and found a postcard from the Phoenix Police Department stating that Braden was being contacted by a detective who was investigating a case he was a part of. WHAT?! He racked his brain but couldn't think of what in the world this could be.

All the possibilities started flowing. Did he get a ticket that never arrived and he missed his court appearance? Did he witness a crime he didn't know he witnessed? Was our identity stolen? Had someone destroyed our credit? Was it about our store? Of all days, this was the day his new career could be starting and yet, as soon as they started their background and credit checks, he may have a serious and unknown dent on either or both records. Fortunately, he was already going to our friends' house that night who happened to be a Phoenix police officer. He called the detective and we found out the full story.

Apparently, the car we had sold last August, was then fixed, painted, and immediately sold (probably for a nice profit) to some 64-year old man. In September of last year, he went out of town and that little Mazda Protege was stolen. This September, it was found. But because they didn't know why our name was attached to the title when it wasn't us who reported it missing, they didn't know if we were involved in foul play. So, they had to be all discreet about it and force us to offer the information. In the end, she said there was nothing for us to worry about and our identity was not stolen. Phew.

So, now we waited. That was last Friday night. Now it is Friday again, so it's been one week. We got an email yesterday that said the background check was complete and they would call to formally extend the offer. Yeah! I called Braden to tell him and to warn him they might be calling. I hung up and no more than 3 minutes later, the phone rang. It was Megan from U o P, not Shannon, his recruiter, who was the only one allowed to offer employment. Who was Megan, and why was she calling?

Braden called her back and she introduced her self and asked how his interview went for the Academic Counselor position. What?! He didn't interview for that. He didn't even apply for that. Oh, great, is there really another hangup? We just wanted a job! He explained the situation to her and she said she would get in touch with Shannon and get it worked out. We hoped to hear back from Shannon yesterday, but didn't.

So, we were left with time to figure out the mix-up. What we came up with was that Shannon called Braden before his interview to make sure he knew that he qualified for the Academic Counselor position because he had a 4-year degree. Though it paid more, Braden knew he wanted to go into finance (see Part III, The Journey) so he told her he wanted to stick with his interview for the Financial Counselor. She must have reserved an interview spot for him for both and forgot to take his name off the list after he gave his decision. Problem solved.

This afternoon, Shannon finally called and formally extended the offer. So, he starts on October 20th and will work M-F (no Saturdays for the first time in 2 years...yeah!), is salaried, and gets full benefits. He also gets to take all classes for free and can get any degree he wants for free, as can his immediate family (no, I don't want another degree). That's not the reason he wanted the job, but sure is a blessing for him to be able to learn all he can about finance and accounting without us paying for it. From what we've heard from all our friends who have worked, do work, or know someone who works for the University of Phoenix, its a sweet gig. We are really excited.