It's been five months since I moved to Mexico, and I feel like my life here hasn't even started yet. I've been trying to enjoy my free time between college and "real life," but I'm honestly just ready for God's plan for me here to unfold. With the economic crisis, just finishing college, and moving to another country, it's hard to know where to start looking for a job. I don't want to just take anything and end up with a job that I really hate, but I also don't want to aim for something too specific and end up with nothing. I went to a few interviews here and there, but nothing seemed to be right. Once José Luis and I knew for sure we are going to be able to visit Tennessee for Halloween, I figured continuing looking for a job at this point would be almost pointless, since I can't take a job then immediately ask for time off for the trip. One Monday, for some reason, I felt like I needed to check the job listings online one more time. I saw a listing for a job as a bilingual agent at a contact center called COINTSA, which said that if you are an American citizen, this job would be perfect for you. The pay looked great, so I sent my resume. I got a call that morning to come in on Wednesday for an interview.
I was nervous, but more excited when I walked into the office that day. I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to go, but I had learned more than ever to know that if it didn't work out, there was something better out there for me. Instead of your normal interview setting, they put all the candidates for the job in a room with desks. There were three other candidates besides me, and I was the only native English speaker. The lady giving the interview said they had just become the contact center for a company in the States and that was the reason they needed a bilingual agent. First, they made us take an 87-question personality test to measure our level of personal contact, what we would do in certain situations, etc. Then we had to write an essay in English on why we are interested in working for the company and why we are the best choice for the position. Then we all talked one-on-one with the interview lady for about five minutes each. She said this was the first interview round, but there would be another one to check our English level. Obviously, since I'm from the States, she didn't think the second round would be necessary for me. I asked if I was chosen, if my visit to the States would interfere with the training period. She said she didn't think it would be a problem. After a few other questions about my resume, she said she would let me know in a couple of days how the first interview round went.
The next day, I got a call from the office saying that I had been chosen for the position and that I can start training when I get back from the trip. Although being an agent at a call center wasn't my dream job, I think it's a great place to start and I'm so thankful to God for providing for me and always having this plan for me in mind. I'll only be working Monday through Friday, I get vacation time, and with monthly bonuses, the salary is higher than I expected. Even the training period is paid. Working in an office means a lot more friends, too.
I guess the moral of the story, as always, is that God really never leaves nor forsakes you. Although waiting for His plan may seem to take forever, it's worth it. Even if it is a little weird that I'm an American handling customer service for other Americans from Mexico.
