Seventh Time's A Charm!

I haven't been updating about my internship search recently because I figured you would all get bored with reading "I had an interview with Sabre today. It went well" and then the next day "It was between me and one other person, and they took the other person" over and over again. I have had 6 interviews with them to date.

So today I wasn't expecting a whole lot when the recruiter, Nicole called me again and said "Another position has opened up in Airline Solutions and the managers would like to speak with you. I was calling to see if you're still available." She told me that she was hoping she could get them to do it in a phone screening so I wouldn't have to drive out to Southlake yet again and that she would be in touch this afternoon to set it all up. I called my mom to tell her and joked around about how I wish they would just call me and say "Yeah, we don't need to interview you. We're just going to offer you the job...."

Fast forward about 2 hours. I'm walking into Pei Wei with some friends for lunch and my phone rings with Sabre's number. Nicole asks if I have a minute to talk and I say yes. Then she says the magic words: "Well, I have some good news. The managers looked at your interview transcripts (**My thought: they've got plenty to choose from**) and have decided that they don't need to interview you again and would like to extend you an offer!"

So my official offer packet will be in my hands via FedEx tomorrow morning and assuming my background check and/or drug screening doesn't come back poorly, I will be a marketing intern in the strategy group of Sabre Airline Solutions! The position is exactly on par with the direction I am hoping to go in my career and the pay is more than I could have ever expected for my level of experience. I consider myself extremely lucky right now...I'm going to be one of those people who are getting paid to do what I actually want to be doing! Seventh time's a charm!

A song my Mom used to sing and I have been singing to myself lately

Be patient
Be patient
Don't be in such a hurry

For when you
Aren't patient
You only start to worry

Remember
Remember
That God is patient too

And think of all the times
That others have to wait for you.

Emily vs. Sabre - Round 3

Well, I didn't get the Sabre Travel Network job that I had the interviews for last week, but they asked me to interview for another position with Sabre Airline Solutions. So I'm rockin the business suit again today to endure Round 3 of my quest to work for Sabre. And this morning I got to listen to the CEO of Travelocity (another Sabre division) talk about the company's strategy and the Travelocity turnaround, so now I'm really pumped! Unfortunately, I had some extenuating circumstances after the speech, so I didn't get to take my picture with the Roaming Gnome like most other people did, but it still inspired to me to do well today in my interview! Wish me luck!

THE Interview

Remember this post? Well take away the 2-way mirrors and add 1 interviewer and you have my interview today! Hardest interview I've ever had in my life!!

It actually went rather well...I think...you couldn't really tell because both interviewers kept this little smirk on their faces the whole time like they had a huge secret. They were throwing questions at me left and right, would interrupt me and challenge what I had just said (even though a few times I KNOW it was just to try to get me to back down from an answer that I knew was right), and asked so many questions I can't even remember any of them. It feels like when you drive somewhere, get to your destination, and then are freaked out cause you can't remember the trip you just took.

I talked to the other 3 people that got callbacks and we all basically feel the same way - no one feels particularly good, but no one feels bad about it either. I guess we are all on level playing fields and just have to wait! The good thing is, all of the other people are awesome candidates too, so if i don't get it, I won't be feeling like the job went to someone that I was better than. I guess I'll have to post an update on this in a couple of weeks when we find out who gets it! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers!

Prayer of a Godly Woman...

If you read my last post, I had 3 interviews today. 1st one went really well with RadioShack. 1st Sabre interview was all case based (ex. You have a $100,000 marketing budget for a B2B product. Ads are already bought for TV, Radio, Industry magazines, trade shows, and sales staff training. What do you do with the extra $100,000?).

Then comes the 2nd Sabre interview. We were a bit ahead of schedule, so I was in there a little before 2pm. The first couple of questions, I was stumbling over myself a little bit, thinking in my head how mad I was at myself because I had such a great 1st interview and I was totally blowing this one! Then, all of a sudden, words just started coming out of my mouth. Phrases I never thought I would have the guts to say, totally putting myself out there and just saying that I really want this job and I know I'd be the best at it. The interviewer's face changed significantly at that point, and I could tell I had just won him over. I got a call about 30 minutes later letting me know that I made it to the 2nd round interviews tomorrow!!

Then I check my blog and find this comment:
karen b said...
1:49 pm : prayers going up for emily from my house

Thinking back at the interview....that was right at - or at least VERY close to - when my interview totally turned around for the better. So thank you Karen!! I owe my 2nd interview to you (and God, I guess...)! :)

So now for the 2nd request for prayers...the 2nd round is a set of panel interviews (AKA Emily vs. 6-8 Sabre executives). Anyone who's been through those knows that they are really intimidating and difficult because you have questions coming at you from every direction. The interviews are tomorrow morning, not sure exactly what time, but I think starting around 9:30am and going through lunch time. So if all of you out there think about it, pray for me....I'm going for at least one prayer per interviewer! :)

My Schedule Today

9:00 am - Interview with RadioShack

1:30 pm - Interview 1 with Sabre (Travelocity)

2:00 pm - Interview 2 with Sabre

And hopefully....
5:00 pm - receive notification of acceptance into 2nd round interviews with Sabre (2nd round is tomorrow)

So if you think about it at any of those times...pray for me!

My Newest Nightmare....

I'm sitting in an interrogation room, 3 gray walls, 1 wall of observation mirrors, 1 cold, steel table, and a faceless person. There are people on the other side of the mirror, and I know that they will soon be deciding my fate. I'm sweating, dreading the next hour or so and trying to figure out how I got here in the first place.

Then the faceless person starts throwing out the questions, straight up Jack Bauer style: "Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it!" "Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way!" "Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker!" "WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK HERE??" "ANSWER ME!!!"

Before long, I'm in the corner, crouched in a fetal position, shaking with terror. I can't remember anything I've ever done or any jobs I've worked. I am certain that at any second they're going to figure out that I'm a fraud and drop me off in the woods to be eaten by coyotes. Or at least killed by Trey's "meeting ninjas" that decide to storm the interrogation room. I really hate interviewing. I've gone to 3 in the past month and have about 4 more lined up over the next couple of weeks. If only the meeting ninjas would come and put me out of my misery right now!

I've Said NO!

People always say Step 1 is identifying the problem. Step 2 is fixing it. Well I identified my biggest problem in my last post - not saying no - and today I began to fix it. I turned down the 2nd interview I got with Alcon. Seems crazy, I know. But when I went to the 1st interview I found out that I was not only interviewing for a summer internship, they wanted me to start next week. Seeing as I am starting what a lot of people think is the hardest semester in the TCU MBA program and have already taken on 2 extra projects, I just don't think that I could add in a part-time internship and be able to give anything the best effort that I think they all deserve. I would be setting myself up for failure. So I am sticking with what I have committed myself to already and focusing on quality. I hope I don't regret it as I now have to interview with other companies and hope to get a good internship!

Interview Season has officially begun!

Today I got my first interview for a summer internship. It is with a company that I have been looking at since I was in high school - Alcon. I am really excited to be interviewing with a company that consistently makes Fortune's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For (this year it is #42) and that is in my hometown so I wouldn't have to think about relocation. My interview is Monday, so as soon as I finish with IP on Wednesday, I get to start studying for my interview! I only thought I was going to get a break this weekend!