Week 8: End of the Beginning

Previously on Dan 2.0: My job search was not going well. I had two interviews and was rejected for both jobs. I had one more interview to come, my final hope of having a school-based job for the upcoming school year.

I considered drawing this out in a post re-telling events in a tense filled way, but I am so excited I just have to talk about it from the off. I HAVE A JOB! The last six months have been awful and I couldn’t be more pleased to finally have some good news to share. In fact, I feel something akin to this:

Logic dictates that I must have done rather well at that third interview and offered a job there. In this case, logic is hopelessly wrong. I was doing my best to prepare for the interview and was more nervous than ever seeing as though it felt like my last chance and I’d messed up on the previous two interviews. It was Monday lunch-time and after finishing some building work on the Family Guy: Quest for Stuff (which I may be a little obsessed with) when I thought I would check my e-mails. I expected to find nothing more than a message from Amazon showing me lots of nice things I couldn’t afford to buy and one from a job site listing the latest jobs. But then an e-mail with the subject “Interview Update” popped up.

Naturally I assumed the times had changed or something for the upcoming interview but after several re-reads my brain finally accepted what my eyes were telling it. The school I was desperate to work for, the second who had interviewed me, had offered me an alternate job. It involved working with younger children than the position I had applied for but was essentially the same apart from that.

For the whole week I couldn’t get too excited because it almost seemed too good to be true. They wanted me to go and visit the class to confirm it was the right thing for me. Until I’d been in I was afraid that for some reason it was all going to fall through. It didn’t though and I spent a few hours in my new class this morning and it was the best time I have had in ages. I immediately sought out the senior members of staff and accepted the job. From September I am going to be a teaching assistant in a school for children with autism and I am so very happy.

The prospect of a full-time job is a lot to take in. At the moment, only hours after it was confirmed, I am excited and happy. I suspect this will fade a little as I consider the fact the daily grind is about to begin. For the first time in my life I will be working full-time permanently and I know it will be exhausting and really hard work. I also know though that it is going to be really fulfilling and the best thing ever.

My big goal now that I’m employed is to pass my driving test in the six weeks before I start. Failing to do so would result in a combination of commutes via several buses or a frustrated father and whilst both are possible in the short term I’d much rather be making my own way there. It is frustrating that there will be so much pressure to pass but the image of me driving to my new job in my new car is delightful. I am very nearly test-ready so that last barrier is so close to being overcome.

You may wonder what this means for this blog which has so far almost entirely been about my job search. Actually though if you look through my posts there are a few different things like  “Dyspraxia and Me”. Well you can expect much more of these sorts of things and other stuff as well. I may now have a job but the mission to become a new Dan, a Dan 2.0 is far from over. This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, it is just the end of the beginning.

As the weather here in England reaches the highest temperatures of the year, I can now properly enjoy my summer. Thanks for reading, especially if you are a regular reader. The messages of support and encouragement here are something which has really helped in my times of need, so seriously, thank you.