sixteen days

In sixteen days, my husband received no fewer than three job offers.

He's kind of a big deal.

Thursday, February 24: Rob's boss told him that he should apply for the "Living Style" position in the Helena store. Those positions are filled here in Bozeman, but they come with a regular M-F 8-5 schedule and a probable raise. Vann's doesn't pay salary for their sales reps, but the Living Style rep is the go-to guy for high-end appliances and audio/visual toys and is the first contact for almost all builders, who do not want to work with "floor monkeys." We were both excited, yet ambivalent: it's still sales, dependent upon what other people want to buy. Over the weekend, Rob submitted his resume to RightNow Technologies, a local firm that's got a worldwide footprint and is one of the few professional opportunities available in our tourist town.

Tuesday, March 1: Rob visited the Helena store to get acquainted with the staff up there and liked it. We were drawn by a pair of dear friends in the area, the lower cost of living, and a feeling of starting out all on our own.

Wednesday, March 2: Rob received and returned a pre-interview form for RightNow.

Friday, March 4: Rob successfully navigated a 30-minute phone interview in which a RightNow employee verified that Rob knew what he was talking about on his resume. Rob got off the phone to tell me, "I think I just spoke to the smartest guy I've ever come across." At dinner, a friend gave Rob the phone number for a company in Bozeman that needed more computer/network technicians.

Saturday, March 5: Rob called the computer/network guy and, based on our needs as a family, came away with the impression that it was a dead end.

Monday, March 7: Out of the blue, Rob was offered a job with the computer/network firm as an hourly technician. They wanted him to start as soon as possible or after we returned from Hawaii. Vann's corporate office continued to engage Rob about a move to the Helena store, essentially telling him the job was his, but without a formal offer.

Tuesday, March 8: RightNow set up a Wednesday interview for Rob: two hours, four individual interviews.

Wednesday, March 9: The interviews went very well, though one interviewee asked Rob about the firmness of our plans to go to Hawaii. Rob answered, "Well, let's just say that if I don't go, the woman who comes back without me will probably not be my wife any more." I promptly began wondering if this trip might preclude a job offer from my top pick.

Thursday, March 10: Rob came home from work convinced it was time to give his two-week notice to Vann's. We had now ruled out a move to Helena due to the upheaval for the family, the cost to my job (I'd have to quit or seriously alter my responsibilities), and the fact that we'd still be stuck with a condo in Bozeman. We were not ready to say yes to the computer/technician company, but Vann's was pushing for Rob to start calling contractors in Helena. He was unwilling to jerk them (Vann's and the contractors) around by giving lip service to a job he didn't plan to take, but he also knew that, by saying no, he'd likely strain his relationships to the point that giving notice was his only good option. We talked it through and decided that, if it came to that on Friday, we could muddle by for a week or two, hoping for an offer from RightNow. If nothing came within that time, he'd take the computer/technician job and try again for RightNow at some future point.

Friday, March 11: Rob planned to sit down with his boss at closing, 7:00 PM. At 6:00 PM, RightNow Technologies called to offer him a Technical Support Engineer: Networking Specialist position. His Vann's boss was understanding and appreciated Rob's transparency and desire to do the right thing by the company as well as for his family.

God walked us right to the edge of faith. We planned to step off the "having-it-all-planned-out-and-in-control-cliff" before we saw the safety net of continued employment with the better job offer. RightNow has so much internal growth potential that both Rob and I consider it a career, rather than a job. He's got a salary, amazing benefits, and a future that looks encouraging and challenging to both of us.

After so much time feeling stuck, having so many opportunities was bewildering and humbling. God is so kind.

The only downside is that now Rob's plotting out what he needs to buy before his Vann's discount is no more. He's not nearly as confident as I am that we do not need a plasma television or an iPad 2 or or or!