Nearing graduation in just a few short weeks, I had been wracking my brain with what I was even going to do next with my life. Should I go right back to school and work on my Masters, should I apply for OPT (12 month work experience for international students) or should I try and do both? I was unsure but had applied for OPT and was waiting on information about graduate school and deciding if I wanted to go back in the spring or the fall of 2011.
One day I received an email from the Hotel College's mailing list about Four Seasons hiring for their Management Training Program at their resort in Hawaii. Getting into any management training program for new graduates is hugely competitive and several major industry names offer them once or twice a year. This sounded incredible, and while I didn't think for a minute it would actually happen, I decided there would be no harm in sending my cover letter and resume to the Human Resources Director. After about three days I didn't hear back so I didn't think anything of it.
A couple of days later, I got an email asking me to pick a time slot for an interview. I was so excited! Surely they wouldn't interview all the applicants, so I must have made some sort of decent impression from my resume. I made up a list of interview questions and planned my responses, and had a mini (or major) freakout the evening before my interview.
The day of the interview, I felt a little better about the whole situation. At the end of the day, I could only try my best and if it didn't work out, there must be something else planned out for me. However, when I got to the interview and met the recruiters, I was given such a gigantic confidence boost after I realized how well the interview was going. My answers flowed, I was honest and friendly, and really kept my composure. I was so proud of myself for not going all silly and shy!
I emailed the recruiters the next day to thank them for the interview, and we exchanged a few more emails over the next few days. One week after my interview, one of the recruiters emailed me and asked if he could call and "chat." My heart sank and I was expecting a rejection call, but I gave him a time to call me and waited nervously to hear the letdown. I had been trying so hard not to get my hopes up, but imagining a job at Four Seasons AND it being located in Hawaii was just beyond a dream to me.
The next morning came and I was incredibly nervous. I didn't know how I would handle the rejection, especially since a good few members of my family knew and I would feel ashamed (not that they would ever be disappointed, but I like to make people proud). We chatted for a minute or two, and then the magical words came - "We would like to offer you a position with us at the Four Seasons." I could not believe my ears. I laughed and tried incredibly hard not to squeal down the phone into the poor man's ear. He laughed as he could probably tell how giddy I was and said he would be emailing me the official job offer later that day.
I got off the phone and started crying. I don't think I've ever cried from happiness before as I think that's cheesy and is for girls. But here I was, sobbing and running around the house like a headless chicken (I even started scaring the dogs). I called my parents, neither of them were home, and sort of squawked the news down the phone in between gulping breaths and laughter.
It's been a couple of weeks now since I got the job offer and I am still on cloud 9. My life is like a dream now and I couldn't be happier. This is the most incredible opportunity I could ever hope for and I am so thankful for it all. I am moving to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii early January and will begin my career with the Four Seasons then!
