The Last Stretch

Well, I can't believe I made it. Three weeks ago, I finished my online American Heritage class (definitely not recommended) which brought me down to 18 credits (definitely definitely not recommended). This week, my Capstone finished up and there's no final associated with that. So far, I've taken two of five finals, so three left. They're tough ones, but I know no matter what that I'll pass all my classes. I have definitely been blessed, and I am very humbled and happy to be where I am today.

The Plan
What a change in pace the last few days have been! Shauna's been on Spring Break, so that has made any chance of me studying very slim. We've just been chillin and it feels...odd. It's great, just very odd. From 21 credits to pretty much nothing in less than two weeks is crazy! I don't know how I'm going to take summer with no classes and no job. Let's just say I clean when I'm bored, so our apartment will be in pristine shape, as will our complex, my car, Shauna's car, and I'm certain that I'm going to burn through a few DVD drives catching up on movies and playing video games. If anyone sees me just chillaxin in front of our complex on a beach chair sipping some Mt. Dew for a few hours, don't be alarmed! I'm just 'taking it in'.

The Hunt
Another crazy aspect to the last few weeks has been the job hunt. Up until about a month ago, I hadn't heard a single word about jobs. I applied all over the place (which wasn't alot, considering the lack of postings right now). Then, out of the blue, I found a posting for a defense contractor at Hill AFB looking for software engineers, so I applied. Within a couple days I had an interview set up in Clearfield, UT. Then, around that same time I found out about a career fair for engineers for the actual U.S. Air Force itself. And what day was it to be held? The same day as my interview with the contractor, and in Clearfield, UT, and only two hours after my interview with the contractor. This was fantastic, especially because to drive from Provo to Clearfield is more than one hour on I-15. So I went to both. And then I waited. Didn't hear a thing from either place for weeks. Then, the Air Force called and wanted me up for an interview with them. The same day I got their phone call, I got a phone call from a huge defense contractor regarding an application I'd put in months ago. They wanted a phone interview with me--on the same day and one hour after my interview at Hill AFB. So, another trip to Clearfield.

Round One
Both interviews went extremely well. I was stoked about both jobs. The Hill AFB job would be a software engineering position supporting the F-16 fighter jet. How sweet is that! While there, I met with numerous people, four teams total. Everything from the F-16's mapping software to the weapons systems controls. I even got to see the new F-16 simulator for pilots to test the software that's developed, I tried on a brand new helmet with a brand new, color heads-up display, and I got to stand next to a bunch of live missiles in their test cells! Man, what a day! Afterwards, I went and bought some lunch and just tried to relax. That round of interviews took three hours straight. Then I had the teleconference, which lasted about another hour and was for another sweet job. But, I knew the huge contractor job wasn't to be because, one, it would require us to move down to Edwards AFB in Southern California, and two, it was highly classified and could require me to travel "anywhere in the world" to install and support my software. Hey, in my defense, I was all for it! With images of Josh the next Jason Bourne-Jack Bauer-Hawaiian hybrid running through my head, I was like, "Where do I sign?" But, the thought of me army-crawling it across Afghanistan to bug Bin Laden's blackberry didn't appeal to Shauna at all. And, well, I haven't heard anything more about it anyway.

Round Two
Then the waiting game started again. Nothing heard on from either job for a couple weeks. Then, out of the blue, one of the managers from Hill calls me and asks if he could bring me on board with his team, supporting the F-16 main computer software. Of course I said yes. It will take a couple of months to complete the process, which is fine with me. But, this story doesn't end there.

I kid you not that within 24 hours of the call from Hill I got an email from a company called Wavetronix, based locally in Lindon, UT. I applied and interviewed with them a few months ago but I hadn't heard anything from them since. They're a small, relatively young company that does some cool stuff with radar and makes devices useful to departments of transportation around the world for things like monitoring traffic flow and signalling stop lights. Well, they wanted to know if I was still interested in a full-time position with them. Based on my interview experience with them previously and how well they treated me and talked about their line of work, I had to say yes. So, a couple of days ago, I went up to Lindon and spent another three hours in a round of interviews, and I wasn't disappointed. They treated me very well and I am very impressed with and excited about what they do. They even took me to lunch. They should be making a decision in a couple of weeks.

Conclusion
Now, all that talk about jobs and not concluding with a job offer may seem like a let down. But after that onslaught of opportunities that just sprung from nowhere in a matter of weeks all at once, who wouldn't feel extremely blessed? And not only do I feel extremely blessed, I feel calm. I know the Lord is watching out for us and that He has plans for us all.

I'll keep you posted.