Here's another song for my blues album.

A few opportunities came up lately that made me think there may be a change in the weather for me. However, due to past experience, I knew not to get too excited because if things go wrong that can only lead to a big letdown, so I proceeded with cautious optimism.

The first opportunity was that they were looking for three new people for the Fraud Department at work. This would pay $40,000 to start, you only have to take about 1/4 the number of calls I take in my current call center position, and they often hire people who've spent time where I am now. Like everyone I work with says, I submitted my resume and waited to get the "Thank you for your interest" e-mail that usually appears within 24 hours of applying for anything (everyone I work with says they think they've been "blacklisted" this happens so quickly). For the first time in two years and eight months with the company, though, I got called for an interview!

I listened to Simon & Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song" on a loop on the way in ("Hello, lampost/what ya knowin'/I came to watch your flowers growing") to put me in the properly imperturbable, upbeat mood employers prize. And who should step off the elevator to greet me, but a girl I knew very well in high school! She was the manager who had invited me for the interview! This had to be a breeze! She said to keep things ethical another manager had to interview me, though, and joining that manager would be a "leadership intern," someone who was in training to be a manager themselves.

I was going into this interview with these credentials: In January I was made Employee of the Month. They've asked me two or three times to assist with coaching the new recruits. In August I got six "100% Quality"observations, which was amazing. And of the 12 people who were in my class I'm one of only two still at the company and on the phone.

During the interview they asked some of those, "Can you give us an example of..." questions, and I was prepared. I had noticed and logged a IT bug that was causing our customers to get service without accepting their contracts, saving up 25 examples and participating in the conference call with a dozen people that resulted*. I also discovered and brought to light that some employees were giving away free services to customers against company policy. And I had a good anecdote about finding a flaw in the setup of a customer's account and fixing it where many others failed.

Sounding good so far, huh? Well perhaps you can tell me what went wrong after you read Part 2...later.

* These examples may sound small, but in a call center where opportunities to distinguish yourself are few this is great stuff.

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