Have you oversold yourself to a potential employer? I just did and got the job anyways!

Well I did it, I oversold myself in an interview and got the job of my dreams. Now what? How am I going to muddle my way through this mess.

I was told by my current employer after Thanksgiving that I would be laid off "temporarily" after 01/04/2019. This sent me into panic mode. I immediately fine tuned my resume. I scoured the internet job boards, I emailed child support to find out what would happen there and started looking into what unemployment pays. My daughters Allstar cheer team had just won a bid to Disney and I have some very expensive things coming up. Let's be honest, no one likes to change their lifestyle, even if it is temporary.

I started getting calls almost the minute I hit send. One of those calls came from a head hunter. He said they had several jobs that fit the description of what my capabilities are. Who really knows what their capabilities are right? I mean I've often thought, I can be an attorney or I want to be a writer lol. I went in for the interview not expecting much but thought it'd be worth a shot. This guy was a shady used car salesman in an expensive suit. There was a big open room with about ten desks all pushed together. It looked like these people were telemarketing potential candidates for interviews. I wasn't impressed, to say the least.

Joe, the interviewer, asked me all kinds of obvious questions. Where are you applying, name address and the like, so that he could get some free leads from me on who is hiring I'm sure. Knowing this, I made up a bunch of shit and gave him some names of people I made up. Then he sends me across the hall to an empty office, just a desk and chair. To sit and wait, for who knows what. Joe comes in and says ok I have these two companies I will contact tomorrow and get interviews set up, hands me two sheets of paper. This moron even gave me the names of the companies and proceeded to say they will have no problem paying you such and such amount of money. He explained that head hunters get paid a commission based on the salary of the employee that gets hired. Obviously its in his best interest to get me the highest salary possible.

The next day I immediately find the contact information for the companies Joe told me about. I send out my resume to the owners of those companies. One emailed me back immediately, the other I still haven't heard from. CS a minority owned business emailed me directly and asked when I could come in for an interview. I said tomorrow would work for me. I want to be employed before I get laid off, I know that for sure. I go in for my interview, the business is in a super shitty part of town and the office isn't lavish at all. My hopes were dwindling that this was a legit business. Looked just like some kind of factory or shop to me.

Mr. L calls me back and I'm wringing my hands and feeling stupid for wasting my time. This job isn't going to pay me nearly enough to make it worth the hour drive to and from work everyday. He proceeds to tell me about all his accomplishments and growth. Trying to entice me into having excitement for the potential of working here.

I know that family owned or privately owned businesses normally are out for one thing, high profit for the owner, low pay or cheap labor from its employees. This somehow seemed different. Mr. L told me how there is no glass ceiling for me there, that if I wanted something I could earn it through hard work. I always wanted to be a project manager, always. I have scheduling experience but I am no pro. I have been on some very high profile, very public projects, as a watered down secretary. My resume however, is phenomenal. I have no college degree but I have twenty years experience, pushing papers around for construction projects. Working half assed at about every thing I do. I'm not someone who enjoys hard work or sets goals. Being completely honest, I can't focus on anything long enough to really get good at it. However, I can sell the shit out of myself, I say all the right things and look like a million bucks in an interview.

Mr. L ended our interview by saying "we obviously would like to extend you an offer for the job, so if you could please email us your salary and benefit requirements to put something together." I excitedly said ok I would be happy to put something together, inside I was thinking what the hell does this mean, I can name my own price? I never had anyone offer me a job and then ask me to name my price. This is all new to me.

I headed back to my current job and sat down at my laptop to type up my proposal. I know it doesn't look good to submit a one line, hey Mr. L great meeting you how about $150,000? So I googled how to submit a job offer proposal letter. I discovered that you should start your letter thanking for the interview, then give an example of the value you will bring to the company, finally start laying out your terms.

I have never left or been fired or laid off from a job without getting at least a 30% increase in pay. I always over shoot knowing there will be a counter offer. Some of my requests like the company car or an auto allowance, medical 100% paid, 401K, ESOP, and obviously a base salary of 38% more than what I make now. I reviewed my letter several times and gave it a day to simmer in before sending it off. I didn't want Mr. L to think I was chomping at the bit to get an offer letter. One full day went by before I got a counter offer letter. Allowing the car allowance, paying the medical, fuel card and a base salary amount 1.5% lower than I had requested. It resulted in a difference of about $895 a year. Really??!! They wanted me THAT much that they will pay this amount of money.

I didn't care either way if I got this job, because I'm still working. I knew if I couldn't land as high paying as I was requesting from CS I would get at the very the least the same as I'm making now at my current job. So I guess my negotiation skills are fine tuned, I guess that what they saw in my interview is what they're looking for. The only problem I foresee, I don't have a fucking clue how to do the job I just got hired for making an inflated salary. Now what?

I start my new position on 01/07/19 and have about two weeks off until then. My plan is to read as many books about how to perform this job. Will that help? Man I sure as shit hope so lol. Or I will be getting a couple good paychecks and then standing in the unemployment line. I'm bright, I'm a jack of all trades, I have been exposed to alot of what this position requires. I just have never done it. I feel like a liar, like I have this big secret that is going to be exposed in the matter of a few months. My first responsibility on the job, is a $50 million medical facility. Ummm, if I fuck up, it won't go unnoticed and I won't be able to bullshit my way out of the consequences.

Moral of the story kids, if you are over selling yourself on your resume or in job interviews, be prepared to get the job. Is it ok to do this? Probably not very ethical, but you are capable of learning on the job. Just put in the time and effort to get to where your employer thinks you already are. I'm shitting my pants here, but am I going to give it a go, you're damn right I am.