Just before Thanksgiving I finally received a job offer!
It is an internal transfer with NSN, working from home in DC as Project Manager for Solutions Deployment, It basically means I will manage upgrade projects and introduction of new functionality. I was lucky, I decided one morning to follow up with a guy who I have been in touch with before, just to let him know I was still around. He told he had someone resign in the morning so we had a quick chat and it all sounded good. Then I spoke to the Customer team representative and we got on very well, so they sad I had a good chance. Job got advertised on the Internal website, I applied, beat the competition and now I have the offer :-)
However, being the U.S. the offer is conditional. I have to pass a background Police check from three countries (Sweden, UK and Australia) and I have to pass a drug test. Police checks were kicked off last week but due to Thanksgiving I could only do the drug check today. For that they sent me off to the scary part of town, well I think being Washington DC there are scarier parts, but walking along the streets with my e-reader did not seem like a safe thing to do. Lots of houses with bars over the windows, boarded up windows, druggies on the streets and generally bad feeling. Found the place I was told to go, scruffy with worn-out carpet tiles and strange smell. After while got called into an office, some rookie who only spoke whatever language they speak in Ethiopia, was directed by a colleague to fill in my forms. Then asked to empty my pockets and pee in a cup, exactly to some imaginary line. Now I am in the hand's of them - should know in a few days, but unless the owner of the "Daiquiri Shack" in Bahamas did not put anything weird in my drinks I should be good.
When story relayed to new boss he suggested that perhaps they sent me to that area to see if I got tempted to buy some drugs...
I am pretty sure I am no criminal as well, as did all 3 police certificates last year and passed. Since then I haven't even got a parking ticket! But it will take time, so from tomorrow I start working here as a Visitor from the Swedish organisation. Straight in there with customer meetings in Chicago and Christmas party this week. I always wanted to visit Chicago, as I have changed planes there many times, but never got out, but December wouldn't have been my choice. The rest of the team sits in Irving, TX, near Dallas. So assume I get to go there soon too.
