By: Revanche

An Official Announcement

March 15, 2010

I got the job.

<-- Congratulatory cake and root beer. 

I’m kind of sad that I didn’t make it out to the East Coast like I’d originally hoped to when starting this journey because I’ve got so many awesome friends and blogger friends out there (so many, can’t link to all!), I’d yearned to take on the East Coast, and I’m a little envious of the crowd that populates the DC Blogger Happy Hour.  But those are maybe not the best criteria on which to be gauging a relocation for a job, especially considering the HCOL and lack of jobs that were as interested in me.

And that’s not in the least meant to be a slight against my West Coast blogger friends (again, too many to list) because they are darn awesome too!  We’re just so much more spread out over here that Happy Hours don’t actually happen.  

Oh, “what about the job” you ask?  Right, the job.  I’ve been hired to a full time position for a non-profit in the colder, more northerly half of California.  It’s going to kick my butt while giving me a chance to really learn and show what I’ve learned in more adverse conditions. I’ll officially be in charge of people and telling them how to do their jobs better. [It’s in the job description. Really. Don’t worry, I don’t plan to be obnoxious about it.]

More importantly(?), years after I defiantly made up my mind to do so, I’m finally moving out.

In light of recent developments with the family, I can’t cut the money cord so this poses some new budgetary challenges. I’ll be salaried for the first time so that’s made budgeting easier but affording life harder.

I’ve powwowed with Excel and calculated to a fare-thee-well my family’s expenses, my projected expenses against my probable take-home pay. It’s not unemployment but it’s no great shakes after all’s said and done. My savings will be a long time regenerating, and I’m definitely living on a broke student budget for at least another year.  At that point, if I’ve done my job, they’ll be throwing the money at me. 😉 Just kiddin’, there are no guarantees there.  I’ll also need to spend some or the better part of my 3 weeks of vacation doing freelance work.  

The interview was a heck of a thing but not nearly as bad as what I’d braced myself for, only 6.5 hours, not 8.5!)  I did negotiate though I’m not surprised that I didn’t get everything I wanted.  I did my research, took into consideration the market and the fact that I didn’t have competing offers versus continued unemployment, presented a case in a friendly but firm voice, and let the die fall where they might.

They fell on the patch of felt marked, “this is our best offer,” and I took it.

I’m pretty nervous excited terrified nervous. I have mood swings.

I have two weeks to put my life in boxes and ship it out, I have two weeks to fully automate my family’s financials, I have two weeks to see and hug everyone one last time before I fill out a change of address and walk out of the town I grew up in.

The logistics are frustrating but I’ll get a handle on them. (It only took a week to get any moving company to return my calls!  Hello! Are we or are we not in a recession? Isn’t cash-money what you want?)

I’m still working on that other part where I’m really truly moving out, except not really telling my family it’s a real move because I can’t trust my brother to act right if he knows I’m absent.  I’m all kinds of conflicted about that.  I need to be able to come home to a non-wrecked home and a set of live (and as healthy as possible under the circumstances) parents. I don’t see that happening should the sibling realize that he essentially has no parole officer.

But I’ve got a job.  I’ve got a job.

P.S. Days of the week, like Mondays, are going to have to mean something again! 

46 Responses to “An Official Announcement”

  1. Carolyn says:

    Congrats!! And way to focus on the positive 🙂

  2. Congratulations! I’m very pleased for you 🙂

  3. Congratulations and good luck with the move!

  4. In Debt says:

    Congratulations! I’m sure you have mixed emotions about leaving home, but sounds like you will be able to handle it. Good luck with your new endeavor!

  5. I’m so happy to see you cutting the cord, though I was indeed pulling for you to land here in NYC – for both your future success AND the effect your presence has on my work flow 🙂

  6. Money Funk says:

    Congratulations on the job! Do you have a relocation place set up to move into already??? How exiting, nervous, scared… (you’ll do just fine). 😀

  7. Carrie says:

    i’m in the more northernly half of california and enjoy happy hours 🙂

  8. Kathleen says:

    Congrats on the new job!!! Moving is always very exciting. 🙂

  9. oilandgarlic says:

    Congratulations! I’m glad you negotiated for a higher salary.

  10. Congrats! OMG, The great move out! Can’t wait to hear about that and how you plan to automate your family’s budget. That sounds pretty interesting.

  11. Bart says:

    Congratulations, Revanche! Sounds thrilling! Glad you told me to stop by so I could hear the excitement the day you announced it!

  12. Sunflowers says:

    Congrats!!! 😀 I’m very happy for you!

  13. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Congratulations!!!!!!

  14. Serendipity says:

    Congratulations! I know what its like to be nervous but it’s gonna work out, I feel it. 🙂

  15. Abigail says:

    Congrats! And the mood swings are perfectly understandable. I imagine Tim will have them, too, as he gets back into the working world.

    Sounds cheesy, but I know you can do it. You’re a smart, capable woman and you’ll knock ’em dead!

  16. L.A. Daze says:

    Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! Good luck sorting everything out these next few weeks.

  17. WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Revanche! So happy for you!! 🙂

  18. 444 says:

    YAY! Congratulations and I just know it’s going to be a blast!

  19. RC says:

    Congrats on the new job. Make the most of it!

  20. Shevy says:

    So, so, so great!

  21. Anonymous says:

    Yippeeee! Mazel tov! The job sounds great! Glad you decided to take it.

    Sabrina

  22. Danielle says:

    Oh my gosh! Congrats! Tears in my eyes for you.

  23. mOOm says:

    Congratulations! Hope some of your luck will wear off on me 🙂

  24. Wow!!! I am so proud of you. Well done.

  25. Congrats on the new job! I’m kind of jealous of the DC blogger group as well.

  26. I’m ********************* this many stars’ worth of happy for you! WAY TO GO CHAMP!

  27. Congrats! Moving away at first is very difficult. Find ways to entertain yourself and make a couple of buddies – try the library.

  28. I’m so glad you’re making a move for yourself. Best of luck!

  29. Miss M says:

    Congrats! This is going to be great for you, lots of luck with the move.

  30. Sense says:

    CONGRATS!!! so happy for you, and that you are able to both move out (and semi-far away from the ‘rents) and still take care of your family, financially. It seems like the best of both worlds. 🙂 And isn’t NoCal also closer to your guy? 😉

  31. J. Money says:

    YOU = AWESOME!!! Even more so for telling me before this post 😉 aww yeahhh….you shall always have a cold beer waiting for you anytime you make it to our blogger happy hours!

    CONGRATS my friend in real life!

  32. YAY! Congratulations!!!

  33. I’m so happy for you! 🙂 Meant to write a comment yesterday but I have limited internet access here at my parents house.

    I bet you must be so excited/nervous/anxious/happy about the move. Congrats on getting the job. You definitely deserve it. And it gives me hope that perhaps I will be able to land a job soon too. 🙂

  34. Michelle says:

    LONG time lurker – first time commenter(?): CONGRATS! I am more happy for you than is righteous…good luck with the move. Relocating for a job 9 years ago is Still The Best Decision I Ever Made – praying you find similar joy/success!

  35. eemusings says:

    AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

    A huge congrats – you deserve this. So happy for you :D:D:D

    And seriously, a 6.5 hour interview?

    It’s enough to put me off ever moving up the ladder 😛

  36. Mrs. Money says:

    CONGRATS! I am a little late to the game, but I am so happy for you!

  37. savings says:

    Congrats! It sounds like an exciting new adventure, and I can’t wait to hear all about it!

  38. This is such good news! I was sure you’d find something…but who knew the crash would be so severe that it would take so long?

    It’s not only great news for your financial life, it probably is good news for your sanity. Though an out-of-town move is always challenging, it’s surely past time for you to escape from the environment you’ve been struggling with. You’ll no doubt have to deal with the continuing headaches, but at least they won’t be in your face all the time.

    Northern California is so beautiful. You’ll love it!

  39. Revanche says:

    Thank you, everyone, for all your joy and warmth and excitement! Every time I get nervous about the challenges, I come back here and *see* everyone’s smiles.

    @Krystalatwork, moom, WellHeeled, Abigail (by proxy for Tim) — anyone else? So much love here, I can’t keep track anymore! I send you my very best job landing vibes.

    @moneymatekate: We’ll have to make arrangements for me to be in the area periodically 😉

    @MoneyFunk: It’s all the works! They don’t have a relocation policy so it’s all up to me to make the move, but I have an allowance for it.

    @Carrie: So it begins ….

    @oilandgarlic: Well,I negotiated, anyway. Got rejected, but still did negotiate!

    @InvestingNewbie: To be honest, it’s a little cheatery to say that, I’ve got most of it automated already but I’ll do a recap of everything later.

    @Bart: Good to see you, thanks for popping by to join in the fun. 🙂

    @Sense: 😉

    @J.Money: Love the (free) cold beer promise!

    @Michelle: Welcome!

    @eemusings: The first time I interviewed with them, it was an 8 hour interview. :O It was probably best they didn’t warn me ahead of that it’d be with 8 separate people including the CEO.

    @FunnyAboutMoney: I guess it wasn’t TOO much longer than you had predicted, but it surely felt/sounded like a lifetime. Only a few months short of a year!

  40. Red says:

    Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! 🙂 And good for you, focusing on the positives. I can’t wait to hear about how the transition goes! Moving away from the town you grew up in can be stressful at first, but I know you’ll do great! 🙂

  41. SS4BC says:

    I’m so late on this I apologize! But CONGRATS!

    And omg moving, this doesn’t sound like fun. =(

  42. […] something I’ve ever counted on from family. When I was last unemployed, I had an incredible outflow of unimaginably generous and loving support from the blogosphere that knew nothing but my story for […]

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