Wow... Job(s)?

Funny how things happen.

A week or two ago, a close friend (Shell) emailed me. She had a friend here whose boss wants to hire someone "just like her," so she thought of Shell. Shell unfortunately lives in NYC and is geographically undesirable for an Austin job right now, so she thought of me. (Have I mentioned how I love my friends?) So she sent an email to both of us to introduce us.

The friend of Shell's, also named Michelle (notice I'm calling them different things so you can keep them straight), emailed me and then called me to talk about the job. She's the only female in the office, so I suggested we meet before she gave me her recommendation. I've been there: you're the only female in the place, and you know hiring another chick is totally going to change the vibe. If I were in her spot, I'd want to meet me first.

We met for coffee and talked about the job and life in general. She's as cool as a friend of Shell's should be, and the job sounds great (or as great as a job with 50% travel can sound). My resume doesn't quite cover all the things it should for that job though, so I go back to the drawing board and get her a new one. Her boss likes it, and I'm now waiting for a call from him.

Fast forward to today. My phone rings, and it's a number I don't recognize. Assuming it's the call I've been waiting for, I answer. Surprise! It's a hiring manager from an entirely different company where another friend works. (She told me they'd call, but one never knows if or when such a thing might occur.) I talk to her for a half hour or more. She says everyone in her group was impressed by my resume ("Really?" I'm thinking) and wants to bring me in for an interview, which they do panel-style, five on one. Oh, the joy. She also says they need leaders, that they have several positions open that would probably fit me well, and I should think about my strategy and what kind of team I'd like to lead. At this point I'm wondering if she's mis-dialed... then I wonder if this question will be multiple choice or essay. Strategy? Really? My career strategy thus far has been "get laid off and take the next job"... so I guess I'm going to have to come up with something that sounds more professional than that, huh?

Both jobs sound like they have great groups, really tight, which is what I had in my last job and what I miss most. That's what I want from my next job -- it's what makes or breaks a job really. The work can be ho-hum, but if your co-workers are the best ever, it's all worth it.

So, um, yeah. All I can say is, "GOOOOOOOO NETWORK!"


Edited to add: The interview for the Michelle job is now scheduled for Monday. Woo!