...That's right folks. My reign as Unemployed Bum on the State Take is over!

Here's the story (some of you have already read a version of this):

I've been interviewing and interviewing at several companies, mostly ground floor startups since I left that last place. Two very promising situations turned into duds - one didn't see the fit (probably because I questioned the fact that 3 different guys gave me 3 different answers when I asked about the future vision of the company), and the other wants me badly but didn't want to pay my asking price. And I wasn't about to take the significant cut that they wanted. Even with the signing bonus it wasn't worth it.

Another company contacted me through LinkedIn. This guy is the CEO of the company and is the friend of a friend of an old boyfriend. I connected with him to chat, and he called and explained the company and then offered to take me out to lunch to discuss either becoming a simple Logistics Analyst with them, or sitting on the advisory board.

After getting off the phone and doing my due diligence I told DH that I'd rather have the unpaid adviser position because at least I'd be doing something significant while I hunt for that great position that suits me. I figure that this guy can't pay me what I'm worth in the first place. He knows I'm going out of town (to CATS), asks when I'll be back and says he'll set up a time for when I get back.

So I get back from my travels last Monday night and I'm totally burnt. My luggage was late (missed the transfer from LAX to SJC, along with 20 other bags), I'd been up for hours, and I was tired. Monday night there was no invite for lunch in my box, and I figured he forgot about me. So I went to bed, and was obscenely groggy when I got up Tuesday. And there was an invite for lunch in my box that morning.

So I hit the EDD (because I had a scheduled appointment there that I couldn't change and didn't want them to stop paying me to be an unemployed bum) at 9am, and have to make an 11:30 lunch date with this guy. It was my lucky day: I cruised through a stop sign and didn't notice the cop who let me off with a warning because I was on the way to the EDD. The EDD didn't want to take my passport as proof of eligibility to work in the US because it has my maiden name even though I had my driver's license with me too and trust me I still look the same.

They called me just as I was heading for the restaurant to say they'd accept my passport and I didn't have to come back to the EDD. So I walked into the restaurant and started talking with the guy that requested my presence, figuring it's going to turn into absolutely nothing.

Roughly 55 minutes later he gave me a verbal offer, contingent on talking with my references. A very generous offer. The big surprise was when the written offer shower up in my inbox (which I accepted via email, and will fax him the signed letter tomorrow) which is a more generous offer than the verbal that I got. I guess my references all spoke very well of me. So all it took was one meeting with the CEO in person (and he wanted to meet *me*) to secure this position. My brain is already working on what I will need to do in my first week to make sure that I know where I'm going and who I need to talk to and hit the ground running.

So, you may be asking what I will be doing and for whom? Well, as usual I'm not going to mention the name of the company. Partly that's for privacy and partly that's because the name is still in flux. You see, I will be employee #12. Or #13. I've lost count. I'm getting a significant raise over what I was making at the last place, and I will be the "go-to" person for all logistics and analysis. I guess that's my new title is Senior Manager, Analysis and Logistics.

Yes, Senior. No one's reporting to me, but it's been hinted that that situation will change within 6 months to a year. And the title will change too. But until then it's many hats in small start up. Really small start up. The smallest I've ever been at. But I'm up for the challenge, and I think I can make this work.

Something to note - I left my last job on Aug 3, and signed the offer for this one on Oct 3. Two months, end to end. DH thought I'd have a job within a month, and I knew that I wouldn't because that was too aggressive a target, especially with a one week vacation right after leaving the nuthouse. Two months was reasonable, three was more likely. And I nailed one in two months, with a start date just before the third month is up. And a funny - one of my references is meeting with my new boss today to discuss joining the advisory board of the company. That reference was the COO that retired before all hell broke loose and I became unhappy a year or so ago. So yes, the job that I was originally going for is being discussed with my old boss. DH thinks it would be great if the old boss ended up working for me, but I think that that would be too strange. Still, it would be interesting and I already know we make an interesting team and could make the operations work well. But if everything falls down and the business fails, well, at least I've got that experience too....

...so now I just sit and wait to start (on Oct 29).