When I was searching for my first “real” job, I interviewed for two positions in the same week and then I got to make a choice between them. Looking back on that experience, I feel like I took the wrong job. I should have taken the other one. As I’m revisiting this experience, I realize that there were some subtle signs that the job I took was going to be more challenging than I realized. It was in this position that I had the communication conflict with my supervisor. It wasn’t that this interview went badly, its just that the other interview was a slightly more positive experience.

The interview for the job I didn’t take went REALLY well, and the woman who would have been my supervisor was so enthusiastic and excited for me to work there. She knew she wanted to hire me. BUT (sadly) I took the other job.

I am thankful that I got to experience a really bad work environment. If I get into that kind of situation again, I realize that it is still my prerogative to get out of that situation as quickly as possible. But looking back at the contrast between those two interviews at the beginning of my career, I feel that this experience will add to my ability to discern whether a position will be the right one for me.

I feel that it is ironic that my current position and duties are eerily similar to the ones I would have had at the job I didn’t take. It feels a little weird, or perhaps circumstancial that despite the choices I’ve made, I think I ended up in the place I was meant to be. It just took me awhile to get here.