How Ann Voskamp Got Me A New Job

Last week, after a grand total of 20 resume submissions and 9 interviews (including one behavioral question involving a truckload of penguins and a request that I write someone a blog entry tying in Alexis de Toqueville with Tom's Shoes' expansion into sunglasses), I accepted a wonderful new job.  I'm submitting my resignation at my current job in two days.

On my job hunt, I had the opportunity to pick up new pointers from bloggers like Penelope Trunk and Privilege, and revisit some of my favorite classics of women in business: Mireille Guiliano's Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire and Letitia Baldrige's A Lady, First.  Mostly I started out haltingly and got smoother and stronger with each interview.  But what nailed the dream job for me was Ann Voskamp and her book, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.

At that last interview, my future boss asked me to show something I had on my person that defined who I am.  My mind raced over my body and through the contents of my purse.  Picture of kids?  Too mommy.  Fancy watch?  Too material.  I placed my hands over the red Moleskine notebook that I use for counting my blessings.

"This," I said.  I told him about my gratitude list.

"You actually number the entries?" he asked.

"Yes!"  I said.  "It's so powerful to see how many things we have to be thankful for.  I'm over three hundred since the beginning of the year."

"I do something like that with my kids," he said.  "We call them 'gratefuls.'"

Two weeks later, the recruiter called me with his offer.  "I was supposed to have a follow-up interview with somebody else there," I said.

"I know," she said.  "He hasn't done this before.  He said you don't have to meet anyone else.  He just wants to hire you."