The Job that kept me

It was at this time i had several offers and i needed to make a choice.

Another food company, a major cosmetic company or a local health department.

God must have been smiling on me that day, for i chose the local health department and it chose me back.

So what could i mean by this statement, "It chose me back"?  In Stamford, for civil service jobs, a test is given.  The test might be very generalized or it might have very specific questions.  It is claimed to be impartial, but if those in the decision making process have some one in mind, the test maybe slanted for their particular knowledge.   At this moment, an impartial observer, knowing the outcome of this particular job, might believe that i had someone on the inside.  I did not and i had ranked number 5 on the test, which is the lowest score to even have a shot at the job.  A month passed and i really did not think i had a chance at this job and interviewed at the two other companies. 

Back to the particulars, in Stamford, concerning civil service jobs, the persons ranked 1, 2 or 3 are considered, well first.  It was those 3, who had "connections" with those who made the decision of who would fill the position and it is always assumed that it is one of the three who will get the job.  What happened next, is to me miraculous, for the first three ended up NOT wanting the job, for various reasons.   That left the two unknown persons, me and another who had worked with me in a previous company, for the Lab director and the Health director to choose from.  The interviews were held, multiple of them, questions were asked and there were many things i simply did not know, for much pertained to microbiology of which i had only the tiniest of experience.  The lab director, my future boss, told me later that it was my little bit of knowledge of water microbiology that set me apart from the other gentleman and i was given the offer after two weeks.

Meanwhile, i had some decisions to make, i had two other offers, both in large corporations and the starting salary was close enough to be considered the same.

Both labs were sophisticated, the promise of interesting work and advancement was definitely in the forefront and i would be titled as a chemist.

I was advised to take the civil service job, even though i was only going to be titled as a laboratory technician and monetary advancement was limited to union negotiations.

I chose wisely and took the city job.

It was a good thing i did. 

Within a month, one of the other companies moved to a location significantly further away.

Twenty Years later, the other company closed down and all the employees laid off.

I was to continue in my new position for over 33 years.