January 24, 2014

Job Interview and St. Louis Eventing Scene

I have a confession to make: on Monday I interviewed for an engineering job in St. Louis.  I ended up being a very narrow second choice based on the fact that the other candidate had more years of experience than I do.  They were very honest with me, liked me and are considering me for a future position once their environment is more established.  It's the curse of being 26 in enterprise IT.  I'll get there.

While it would have been a great career move and a huge pay bump, I was relieved not to have gotten it from a horse point of view.  Central Indiana is a really great place to live as an eventer, and I didn't realize that until I started looking into the Missouri eventing scene.

Noooooooooooooooope.
Boarding barns fell into three categories: 1: barbed wire fences, 2: "We accept all equestrians but if you're not riding in a treeless saddle you're a terrible person (aka "My way or the highway" BM's) and 3: Turnout is an optional extra for a fee.  For events, you're traveling to Chicago if you're anywhere in Area VI, which includes like North Dakota.  Really.

We're lucky here to have the Hoosier Horse Park, Kentucky Horse Park, Twin Towers and others so close to us.  And I really think those facilities are the reason that we have so many eventing barns with good care and great instruction around the city of Indianapolis (broadly and relatively speaking).

FF Eventing Team XC schooling at the Hoosier Horse Park, June 2013

Not that I take my current facility for granted, but the whole thing made me realize that with my husband still trying to find full time employment (but with a great part time job), we could have to move at any moment.  I'm likely never going to have this horse situation again and that I need to take advantage of it as long as I have it.  I was struggling to find a barn with just passable care in St. Louis let alone good instruction and with eventing friends, and I'm currently (working my butt off to stay) at an awesome facility with a great trainer and an eventing team. Time to really take advantage of that.

On that note, I got a GCal invite from my trainer for an hour and a half "Mounted Team Practice: Group 1" on Sunday at noon, along with a few other teammates.  I have no idea what that's about, or what we'll do, or why we're doing it, or whether it costs anything extra, but I'm excited to find out!

19 comments:

  1. Bummer about the job but awesome that they were honest with you!

    We are in MO this weekend visiting fam :) yes the barn scene around here is very different!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's awesome, you're so close to me! Yes, it was good, honestly.

      Delete
  2. Sorry about the job, but sounds like it was one of those 'works out fort he best' kind of things.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My dad is an engineer in the areospace industry. Sorry you didn't get the job, but it is good you took everything into consideration first.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very cool! That sounds like a fun job. It's tough to make a decision like that.

      Delete
  4. Being young really can work against you :(. Also, being young combined with looking even younger than your young age = the pits. I'm discovering that more and more as time goes by ><; Don't worry - this was probably for the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I'm sure you know what I mean. And being a young woman that is really short and in a men's field. I think so too!

      Delete
  5. Bummer about the job, but as someone who hires, being a close second is REALLY good and I always recommend my second choices on and they usually get hired in short order!

    There is a community of eventers that is suprisingly larger than you'd think around St Louis. I had an "almost move" to Kansas City a couple years ago. They have a beautiful horse park there called Heritage Park that hosts horse trials in Overland Park (suburb), but I found a lot more stuff up in the St Louis area.

    http://macta.info/

    Look up ksbadger on COTH, SUPER helpful and lives out there, I can't remember which of those two cities but is very involved with their Adult Riders and CTA. Adult Riders program is DE BOMB and they will hook you up. If you seriously think you are going to move there, I'd go ahead and join now, it's not expensive and you have instant network.

    I know when I thought I was moving, ksbadger was awesome and super helpful. I was HEARTBROKEN to be leaving Area II and NC and my Carolina Horse Park, but I discovered there are actually a fair number of opportunities out there!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this! Since there's still a chance my husband will get a job there, I am so glad you replied with this! In the event that we do end up over there, I'd have to get a truck and trailer in order to get to KC it sounds like, and I would definitely join that organization. I did end up finding a couple of good barns, which makes me feel good too. Thanks again!

      Delete
  6. Bummer about the job, but everything happens for a reason. Cliche I know, but there's a reason everyone says it lol. It is nice to be able to look at your barn and appreciate it though, it's always a nice reality check when I do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're right, and don't worry about the cliche! In this case, I got something out of it (knowing what I need to improve) and things are still good where I am. Win win.

      Delete
  7. Unless you move to california :) *elbows* heee heee :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since it's supposed to be even colder than the first polar vortex this week (low of -12 on Tuesday and high of 7) I am THIS CLOSE to hopping on a plane and coming to visit you! Don't tempt me!

      Delete
  8. It is always good to interview! Sorry you didn't get the job but you should be flattered to be runner up! Companies don't normally go out of their way to say stuff like that unless they mean it in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Yeah, I agree. I emailed the guys I interviewed with back and forth a few times, they were really sincere and encouraging about the career path I have chosen and my skills in it. Just need to be a little older. :)

      Delete
  9. Sorry to hear that the job didn't work out... fingers crossed that there's something even bigger and better right around the corner! In case you're interested, we have loads of enterprise IT in Austin (I actually work for an enterprise IT management company)... and it's only getting down to 28 tonight. *Hint Hint* The eventing's not bad here either!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Warmth is a sincerely motivating factor right now! It's also nice to meet other women in the field. I'd love to talk to you! Could you send me an email at jenifer . slabaugh @ gmail .com?

      Delete
  10. I've moved for work what's starting to feel like way too often. I hear you on the not wanting to leave a good horsey area thing! Good local horse scene is totally on my checklist and a huge selling feature for me :)
    Good luck with whatever happens - it sounds like eventer79 has some great connections, just in case!

    ReplyDelete