Yesterday afternoon the phone rang and on the other end was the recruiter for the job I am trying to get. She had good news. The company now wants references from me. In the past, when I have been in the hiring process, at this point I would have expected a “Congratulations! after we complete your reference check and background check, you have the job.”
But no. This outfit is apparently very lawsuit sensitive, so they wouldn’t tell me that. I was told, “Good news. The next step is that we need your references.”
“Does this mean I have the job?” I asked.
“It’s the next step.”
We went back and forth in a very friendly way. She made it clear that the next step is background checks, so I should be happy. Apparently this is the new way companies say that you’re hired without actually saying it until they have all the red tape out of the way. I should have expected this. My online research, which admittedly only covers more junior positions, indicated that there was a ton of red tape and delay in the hiring process. Yup, there is. What’s bothering me a lot is that I don’t feel happy about this. I am still worried. It’s my personality. I need definite information when it comes to things like this, Ironically, when it comes to work issues, I love ambiguity. When my ability to pay the rent is involved, I am way less comfortable.
I was wild (no chastity device) from Sunday afternoon through last night. As Mrs. Lion has been saying, the stress of job uncertainty has taken sex and enforced chastity off center stage. After today’s call, all should be well now. But for me it isn’t. After two months of uncertainty about the job, anything less than an offer letter is hard for me to believe. Still, it’s time for celebration. Unless one of my references reveals I am a horrible employee, I should have the job. As that realization sinks in, I feel better and better.
