How did you get hired?

Someone asked me today “Angel, how did you get hired”. My reply was “I was brought on in 1997 because I graduated top of my class, Suma Cum Laude”. She didn’t believe me and said she was serious, that she wanted to know how I got the job. Thing is I was being serious, that’s exactly how I got the job.

I guess lucky timing combined with hard work when it mattered were the reasons I got in here. One of my school alumni had put out a request for a new employee working in the release management migrations team.

I had just finished my Associates Degree, and my college offered job placement. I remember being offered 2 job opportunities, one I don’t remember, and the other at Doots bank, that’s how the administrator pronounced it.

The jobs were being offered to their star students, of which I was one. I think there were only 2 other people being considered, la creme de la creme.

Unfortunately for them, the student community there at the time treated college the same as grade school, just wanting to get by. Although, just getting by lands you the job in an air conditioner business.

I remember being approached with something like that, “Hey Angel, if the doots thing doesn’t pan out, we have this air conditioning job you can try, we are sure you’ll get it”. You should see how I looked at them, I responded “I didn’t bust my butt here, paying for an education, to get a job I could have gotten on my own, without a degree”.

I don’t remember how or why I chose this one at Doots over the other one, but it was the beginning of a 15 year long ride that I’m still on.

The interview process was pretty funny, the gentleman interviewing me was complaining because I was making him look bad by dressing up. He told me too relax and just talk like a normal person chilling. He asked me a few questions, then a few minutes later he said “You have the job, but you have to talk to one more person, he’s a little mean so try and stay calm and don’t let him intimidate you”.

The next guy I interviewed with, big bear of a guy looked at me, he said “does he like you, does the last guy that interviewed you like you”?  I replied “Yes sir, he does”. He then said,  “Okay, then you are good, get the fock out of my office and remove that damn tie”.

As I walked back to the first interviewers office, shocked, I was introduced to a few people, one of them says “Look here you f’in spic, I’m a crazy motherf’r, you stay the fock out of my way and there be no problems. Welcome to Doots ahole”.

Again, I was in shock, later my future manager comes over and says “I see you met ******. He’s harmless, don’t worry about him. Come in next week to start on the migrations team”.

Shortly thereafter another guy walks pass us, nods at me, then farts in our direction and walks away.

I’d go on to see smoking in the office, desks being flipped over and so much more I cannot disclose.

The place has changed alot since then, but that is the true story of how I started at Doots Bank.