Suits, Ties, Clocks, Snow, Waiting, Training

So wow these last two weeks have been nuts and exciting.  Last Tuesday night I got an email about Krannert management's career fair on Thursday with resume critiques and a social on Wednesday.  I'm not in management, but I decided to attend anyway.  I figured that my technology major could help me stand out a bit from the mainstream and bring a different skillset to the table.  This decision completely changed the mundane attitude of studying, to frenzied preparation.  I had some work to do to update my resume, and companies to research.   I only found two or three companies that really held my attention, so I decided to spend most of my time and effort on these.  I armed my resume, and headed to the resume critique.

At the resume critique, recruiters from hiring companies actually come in to look over the resumes and it provides an initial, informal opportunity to chat with them.  It turns out that a rep from one of the companies (Case New Holland) was there critiquing resumes, so I patiently waited for his table to come available. As he looked over my resume and made suggestions, we chatted for a bit over some of the content.  As we talked about what my interests were and what I was looking for, he suggested that I should stop by at the career fair.  That evening was an informal social, where snacks were served and we were able to walk around and meet the recruiters.  I enjoyed this and ended up talking to several recruiters for positions of which I had no qualifications for, nor interest in, we just simply chatted.  This was mostly due to the fact that it was hard to identify what company people were with because the only indicator was on a small print name tag, so I wandered into several random conversations.  I made contact with the CNH recruiter again and he made sure that I was going to bring my resume to them later.  There was another company that I wanted to talk to, but either they weren't at the social, or I wasn't able to find them.

The next day was the career fair. I had a short list of companies I wanted to talk to, with only two really in mind.  CNH and Praxis as it were. I quickly found Praxis and chatted with the recruiter, gave my resume and then found Trevor, the CNH recruiter.  He was happy to see me and we scheduled an interview for Friday.  So long story short, we held the interview, and things went really well and he told me he would send my resume on to the next channel.  As for Praxis, I sent a follow up email and am waiting for a response.

So now this week has been just as crazy.  Tuesday was the Engineering career fair, which is enormous.  I again started pinpointing some companies that I may be interested in, including a company called Greenlee Textron.  Greenlee was holding an info session on Monday, which I attended and met the recruiters.  Meeting people beforehand makes conversation at the career fair so much nicer and builds a much better connection.  I am not a big group person anyway, so I enjoy being able to talk on a smaller setting, then meeting formally to present my resume at the career fair.  Tuesday was the career fair, where again I went through the process of talking to people, and submitting resumes and online applications.  I ran into Trevor, the CNH recruiter, again. We chatted and he told me that he had sent on my information.  So I am expecting to hear from them for a second interview soon.  I also got an interview with Greenlee, which ended up being an interesting story that I will get to.  On a different note, I also talked to a brother from church who works for a small manufacturing company and he sounded like they might be able to use an industrial engineer there.  There are a few companies that I submitted resumes to who I am expecting to hear from within the next few weeks as well.


So for the Greenlee story.  In  case you didn't know, we got a winter storm that rolled in yesterday (Wednesday).  I had an interview scheduled for yesterday morning, but the storm shut Purduedown, thus no interviews, so we had to reschedule.  We set the morning right after my first class today.  On my way to class, I realized that I was off on my days and was headed to my Friday class.  The class that I was actually scheduled for was a 2 hour lab, which meant that I would need to leave early to make my interview. Not a huge deal, but slightly unexpected.  After class is where things began to get interesting.  So it turns out, I found out later, that the password for the email system I use to keep all my accounts together expired, which halted all incoming emails.  What is worse is that the recruiter for Textron had emailed me the new meeting location, which I didn't receive.  I thought that he had forgotten, and gave him a call.  We got in touch and he confirmed that the room was 240.  240, Got it.  I assumed that it was in the same building we were scheduled in before...... bad assumption.  I was ready, I left lab, got there early and every room on the floor was dark.  It was about 10:15, interview at 10:30.  Plus in this building there was no room 240, and if there was it was hidden and not typical of an interview room.  Maybe I misheard, so I headed to the third floor where my interview with CNH was.  No luck.  I headed to the Union, again no luck.  I asked several people who looked at me funny and had no idea.  10:26, I call the recruiter again, no answer.  Maybe they were at the career center, definitely a possibility, but it was a few minutes away and didn't want to walk over there if they were at the Stewart Center.  10:33, I call again.  He answered, "Hi, I must have misunderstood, did you say that you were in room 240 at the Stewart Center?"  "No we are on the second floor of the career center."  Great.  "Got it!  I am on my way!"  oh brother, not good...  so I proceed to rush there, bounded up the stairs, plopped my things in a waiting area, grabbed my little leather folder, smoothed out my suit, put on a smile and entered. Not sure what time it was, but it was somewhere around LATE.  Probably 10:40.  We proceeded to have a good chat, I think, but 10 minutes late is kind of a big deal, no matter what the reason.

So now we wait.  I am actually very peaceful at the moment.  I have done my best.  I just got back from a resume critique, and she was not able to make suggestions.  Applications have been sent, interviews attended.  I have done the best I know how.  So now I let God guide.  He has the habit of putting us where He wants us, and I trust Him.  If I get multiple job offers, I trust He will guide my decision.  If I only get one, I trust that it will be the right one.  If I don't get any, He will open a door.  God has qualified me for the position that He wants me to be in.  My resume represents, not my own accomplishments, but rather the journey He has brought me on.  I have been able to walk into my interviews confident, not because I of myself am something, but because I know that if this is where God wants me then I am perfectly qualified.  If I am not supposed to go that way, then what is there to worry about?  I look at the story of Joseph.  God led him definitively.  Not necessarily clearly, I'm sure that he had his share of wondering what God had in mind, but when it was done, the path was obvious.  The same happened for Abraham, Noah, Isaac, Moses.  They were perfectly qualified by God for the position that He put them in, as am I.  "I will walk ahead bold and confident, taking every step in obedience."

God has done amazing things, and even writing this, I am amazed at the first few steps of the journey.  I know that in a few weeks I will be tested again when the other shoe on this drops.  Now I am simply excited to see what happens, real life decisions will be made within the next two months.  I am not afraid, simply aware, and I know that God will grant grace once I come to the next crossroads.

Here is a song that I love that I just quoted from.

This song gives me so much courage.  Looking back on parts of the journey, it is so obvious that God has used it to prepare me for each step.  In football we had conditioning during every practice. It was the worst part of every day.  Coach sometimes would have us sprint up hills, over and over. Perform running drills against each other, run up and down the field.  Whatever he told us to do, we were sure that it was going to be hard.  The thing is, when the game came, we were prepared.  Our bodies would react almost instinctively to plays.  Maneuvers which were difficult at the beginning of the season, were now as simple as turning.  Now, I can see the conditioning practice God has put me through.  Every struggle now has made me stronger.  I am being conditioned to battle sin and to trust God.  Areas where Satan had a firm grip on me are now starting to melt away by the grace of God.  When I prayed "God, give me strength" He did, but he has done so by training me to be strong.  When you pay a trainer to make you strong physically, he doesn't give you muscles, he teaches you how to build them.  Sometimes we need spotted.  Sometimes, we get to a point where we are physically not able to continue the exercise.  This method is called "reps till fail."  Often this is the best workout.  Once you can't lift anymore, your spotter helps you lift the weight.  If we are following God's direction, and trusting in everything that He tells us to do, I believe He will train us, and sometimes bring us to the point of fail, and we have to rely on Him.  I'm pretty sure this is what Paul means when he says to work out our soul's salvation with fear and trembling; trembling muscles and fear of injury. (maybe not, but it seems to fit the bill!)

Don't misunderstand, we can never say that we can train on our own, and get strong by ourselves. God still grants the increase. But if we think this means not having to work, it is like only listening to the trainer and expecting to get fit.  If we try to do it all on our own, without relying on His strength, then we will be crushed in an instant and our labor is in vain.