♪♫Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end♫♪

The lyrics are Closing Time performed by Semisonic. Really aside from the line used for the title the song doesn't apply at all. But, it's the first song lyric that came to mind when I started writing this post.

Part 1: The Offer - I interviewed for a new job last Thursday. My interview was at 10:30am and went until about 11:30. They had two others interviewing immediately after me. We ended up having some really great conversation and the interview was actually fun which is awesome. The over-all energy and attitude was really supportive and encouraging. My "tour" of the building was cut very short... as in: here's a part of the building, and the other part is over there, and we have another interview so you'll hear from us sometime next week. They didn't even ask me to play the guitar or piano or anything... I guess they assume I can do that if I've been employed as a music therapist in an equivalent position for two years. After my interview I had to go to work and while I was doing a program I missed a phone call. The phone call came in at 2:15 and was the HR director at the facility I'd interviewed at. The message was super vague, "I just wanted to discuss the interview this morning. I'm only in the office until 3, and then I'm off until Tuesday."  Well, naturally I got the message at 3:30, and completely missed the opportunity to call her back. I finally talked to the HR person yesterday about 3:00 in the afternoon. She said she'd been calling to formally offer me the position.  That means I set a new record for myself by going from an interview to a job offer in just 3 hours. They didn't even contact my references. Apparently I made a really good impression and had exactly the qualifications they wanted and the experience to back it up. The details are still a little up in the air. They haven't finalized the dates for June orientation yet, so I would either start orientation June 11th/12th or the 18th/19th. Since either way that's coming up pretty quickly, I figured the most professional thing to do was to was to tell my direct supervisor/activity director that I would be leaving and I'd give her the official letter of resignation as soon as I knew the details.

Part 2: Resignation - So, I approached my supervisor at the end of the normal work day after most of the other RT staff had left or were in the process of leaving. I explained I had been offered a new position and was going to accept it, and that I wasn't sure whether my final day would be the 8th or the 14th, and it depended on my orientation schedule. I thanked her for the opportunity of working there for the past two years. I also said that I'd prefer to tell the other RT/MT staff myself, once I knew when my final day would be later this week. She basically didn't react at all... then said something along the lines of "Well, you'll be missed, but you have to do what is best for you." Then a bunch of things happened that seemed really unprofessional and I wasn't able to personally talk to anyway about it before it was announced to everyone by someone else. It made for a really awkward week, and some really mean-spirited comments from different staff members that were very hurtful.
If anything this has shown me it was time to move on. I'm making the right decision. At least if nothing else, I am moving onto a facility where I am at least respected and wanted as a member of the team. I'm nervous about making the transition and having to learn a whole new group of residents' names and backgrounds. I'm sad to be leaving some of my coworkers and many of my residents behind. But, overall I am still happy and I am hopeful this facility will be a better fit for me.

June 1st is my two year anniversary at my current position. When I started the job it was exactly what I wanted. Full-Time, Music Therapy focussed, dementia unit... but throughout the two years it has morphed into something completely different. It has become largely behavior focussed and feels more like geri-psych than dementia. There is no communication on the floor between different departments and different staff members, and there is a general lack of compassion, and as hard as I've tried... I can't care enough for everyone. So, this beginning comes to an end, and in mid June I commence on a new beginning. God willing it will prove to be a good decision.