We're Moving!

Guest Blogger: Brad

I figured since I am the one moving our family that I would post the story.

So back in April of this year I took the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam at Idaho State University. I passed! So in May when I found out I passed I felt like I should update my resume on my Monster.com account. I had also recieved an email from Monster telling me that I hadn't used my account for 1 year. So I updated my resume that night and the next morning I recieved a phone call from a staffing agency out of Boston. He told me he was looking for someone with experience in Unigraphics NX (a common CAD program used in engineering). He said he found my resume online and sure enough I had what he was looking for. He said he was going to pass my name along to the company he was recruiting for and that I could expect to hear from them in 1-3 weeks. Well, the phone call never came. I heard from the staffing agency about 6 weeks later telling me that the company was moving their headquarters from Indiana to Chicago. They were tight on their budget so it turned out that it wouldn't be until October or November that they would be hiring again. I was a little bummed since I really wanted to start my engineering career. I was enjoying my time at Jamba Juice, but my personality was not fitting the business mold needed to do a really good job. If you've met me before you know that I am not the social bug. I am an engineer. I would love to design equipment and do complicated math rather than socialize at a party or whatever the situation may be.

Anyway, back to my story. The staffing agency told me they had two other jobs that would fit my qualifications and that they would like to try and get me some more interviews. The first came quickly. It was a job in Connecticut with a semiconductor company (ASML). On a scale of 1-10, 1 being the easiest interview and 10 being the hardest, this was a ten. I was sweating bullets as they grilled me and my education. When it ended I felt like crying becuase of the feeling of failure. I wondered, maybe I didn't get the best education, maybe I am not cut out for engineering? Thoughts of doubt wouldn't leave my mind. It was a rough night's sleep. The next morning I got another call from the staffing agency telling me that ASML thought I did a remarkably good job on the interview and that they were seriously considering me for the position (my jaw hit the ground). I was beyond shocked. I didn't get a job offer though. They found another candidate in New Jersey that could go there for a face to face interview and it was easier for them to hire locally. I was really bummed again, but I had another job interview coming up that I had to prepare for.

Kress Corporation located in Peoria, Illinois was looking for a mechanical engineer that could start soon and catch on quickly. I knew I could do the job and after hearing that I did well on the previous interview, my confidence waxed strong (I try :) ). This interview ranked a 4 on toughness and after the other interview I was well prepared. I got the job offer and accepted.

So, after this long story, you now know that Shanna, Landon, and I are moving to Peoria, Illinois. It is going to be a great move for our little family. Shanna and I couldn't be happier about this opportunity. We are both going to miss Twin Falls, Jamba Juice, and being close to our families, but we know that this is where we are supposed to be moving.

When I graduated in April, 2010, the economy was still recovering and jobs were difficult to come across. I have been so grateful for the opportunity I've had to work at Jamba Juice with my brother-in-law. I have learned some great skills while at Jamba. One of the best skills I gained was solving concerns among my employees. It is so important to have a strong team and be able to work well together. These management skills I have gained will benefit me for the rest of my life. I have also learned a lot about myself. I know better now who I am and I've gained some self confidence. I have never regretted my decision to join the Jamba Team and will take these skills and many more with me as we move forward in my engineering career.

I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin which is about 4 hours north of Peoria. I am excited to be going back to the Midwest. We have already found a place to live and have made multiple contacts with our new ward (it's actually a really cool story that we will have to tell later).