A Different Direction in 2021

“I’m a person that knows what I want - and I want you to work for our group. You’re exceptionally qualified. I think you would make a great addition to our team.”

I was a bit stunned, not expecting this sort of enthusiastic response from my now-future-supervisor. She’d called me up, wanting an interview as soon as possible after reviewing my resume. It was honestly flattering - for the first time in a long time I felt valued for my professional experience, instead of just another body to fill a time-slot. “Take a deep, breath. You’re home, now.” Corny as her words were, they did give me comfort. This is going to be a huge change from what I’m used to.

Although this new job doesn’t start until November 22, I’m still making preparations. The first daunting task on my ‘to-do’ list was to inform my current supervisor. This was made more difficult by the fact that she’s been an absolute angel during the divorce - always making accommodations for switching shifts last minute if I had an unexpected court date pop up. I never held any malcontent for her - it was honestly everything else within the hospital rat-race that seemed to be getting the better of me. In the murky depths of the understaffed, overworked, negativity-filled work environment that my job had become, this particular supervisor was a breath of fresh air. It broke my heart to tell her I was leaving, but she told me that she would always welcome me back if I wanted to return. ‘Insurance’, I thought to myself. ‘Just in case things don’t work out.’

The next thing on my to-do list was to create a home workspace. Yes, the new job involves an office, but it also involves the ability to work remotely - something I’d never even considered doing before. I frantically set up a small new work desk in the corner of my room, and plan to add some shelves and an extra monitor for my laptop, eventually. This brings me to my next necessity - clothes. Real clothes. Up until now, my wardrobe had consisted of oversized t-shirts and sweaters, with leggings on the occasional day’s I’d leave the house on my days off of work. Of course, during work, the scrubs were all I needed. My ‘office’ wardrobe is severely lacking, and I’ve lost nearly 60lbs since my last job interview - meaning that the only thing holding up my pants during my most recent interview were a few extra folds in the waistline and a prayer. Unfortunately, a belt wasn’t an option, as there were no belt-loops in the one pair of slacks I own. Spending money on clothes has always seemed unnecessary to me, and now I need to learn to supplement my rather cost-effective, casual wardrobe with some business-casual pieces that actually fit for the days that I do go into the office. Gods help me.