It's sad how almost no one updates their blogs anymore. ("Hi, my name is KaRynn, and I'm a blog neglector too.") So, to the brave few who continue to check blogs and update their own, props to you.
So I spent several months at the beginning of the year updating my resume, applying for jobs all over Los Angeles County (and, when I came up empty, Ventura County), and interviewing. I was SO out of practice with my interview skills. Not that they were fantastic skills in the first place. The only "interviews" I've ever had in the past were when I was at BYU. At the Morris Center Cafeteria: "Hi. Your name is KaRynn? You're a freshman? Ok. You start tomorrow." And at Prosper, Inc (three years of torture that put me through school): "Hi. Your name is KaRynn? You know Lisa? You can answer phones in a professional manner? Awesome. Can you start this week?"
You see? No interview skills. So this was my first experience post-undergraduate degree that I seriously needed interview skills to succeed in life. I tried to practice in the mirror a few times (that was an awkward experience), so I ended up honing my skills by making mistakes in REAL interviews. I have banished the specifics of those interviews from my memory as they were excrutiatingly embarrassing, but I have vague memories of saying things during the interviews and mentally cringing. And then beating myself up driving home, thinking, "Oh, KaRynn, did you really say that?"
I thought one particular interview was bad when it lasted two hours long because the interviewer wouldn't stop talking. He seemed to want to hire me on the spot, which was promising, except that there were too many red flags and I wanted to do more research before accepting the position. But I had to end the interview myself because he just. wouldn't. stop. talking. It was ridiculous. Biggest headache ever. Didn't take that job.
But then I had my interview with LAUSD. Sooo was not prepared for that intense of an interview. There was a written portion first, with a prompt and a time limit. No joke. Felt like taking the GRE all over again. And then a panel of SLPs for the district went through my answer before they called me in. They basically had me defend what I had written before we got into the nitty-gritty questions.
After I answered all of their questions, they walked me out. But instead of walking me to the elevators with a "goodbye, you'll hear from us by Friday," they asked me to sit and wait for a few minutes. My immediate reaction was, "What did I do wrong? Oh no!" But a few minutes later, one of the SLPs who interviewed me walked down the hallway and took me aside to offer me the job. On the spot. I accepted, of course.
I am now an employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District, working fulltime as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA). I work on the west side of the city. My caseload of school is spanned across three elementary schools, although the majority of the kids are preschool-aged. I am having so much fun.
Not long after the start of the 2013-2014 school year began, I was offered a position to be an assistant to the specialists in the district who work with Augmentative and Alternative Communication. I jumped at the chance and it's been quite the learning curve. I basically train teachers, SLPs, aides and parents how to use special devices that will aid the communication skills of students who need the extra support to communicate on a daily basis.
In addition to the overload at work, I decided to apply to graduate school for Fall 2014! And the application process, for the most part is complete. (I have one more stupid essay to write. Yuck!) But I have 6 applications complete and am now waiting....and waiting. Hopefully I'll know more in a few months!
So excited for this year. It's going to be quite the adventure.
