CHP

Ok so some of you (that actually read my few and far between posts) may remember when I posted nearly 2 years ago about interviewing for a job with the Ca Highway Patrol. See Here So after that interview and not getting hired I was kind of bummed, but I was told due to my initial test scores I would be kept on the list for up to 2 years. (I had scored a 94 or 95%) Once or twice since that time I had received a notice stating that if I was interested in staying on the list I needed to fill out the form and return it. So whenever I got the form I returned it.

     Now flash forward to the present day... actually lets jump back a few months. Early in Oct I received an envelope from the CHP. My mom said "did you get a ticket or something?" I said "No, I don't know what it is for" I opened the envelope. It was familiar to me like those letters. But this one said something along the lines of now hiring and if you're interested in the position still submit this form, a current application (found at such & stuff website) and a drug screen form (also found at such n such website). Submit all this postmarked no later than Oct 12, 2011. (it was like the 5th or 6th that I received the letter) Well as you can probably guess by now... I filled it all out! Mine was postmarked on Oct 11, 2011. It was in the mail. I just had to wait and see what happened after that. Almost two weeks later I got a call! I got called on Tues and had an interview on Weds! WOAH!! In the meantime things started going downhill at work. They were splitting our department and nobody knew what was going to happen and who would be staying vs going! The timing couldn't be better! I went to the interview and they told me that they had 8 openings and were interviewing 13 or 14 people! I thought to myself "If I don't make it with those odds, I must be really low on the totem pole!" When I left the interview they said that because they were hoping to expedite the hiring they gave me a background packet and told me they would let me know if I needed to turn it in. On Thurs I was told to turn in my packet ASAP, and Fri it was dropped off in their office. So on Halloween Mon my background investigation started.

They said that they were wanting to get the backgrounds done and the medical examinations done so they could hopefully have people starting on Nov 28th! I was hoping mine would go quickly! ... Well then because they are hiring some new cadets as well, the dispatch backgrounds got delayed! UGH! During that time, all my coworker friends got transferred out and I was the only one who was going to be left! I was left all alone in my dept that was changing daily and quickly with a bunch of people who I didn't know and who had their own agenda's! UGH... so then beginning of Dec my background got passed and I was scheduled for my medical exam. They were hoping to get that done quickly because there was another training class starting on Jan 9th. ... didn't happen, the week before Jan 9th I got a call that there was a problem with my paperwork and that they also needed a new type test. I took care of both that same day. But it still didn't get processed/cleared in time. Now we were hoping for Jan 30th class....

 A week before I was going to need to be in the office for that class I spoke with Anne and she told me that because of my rank and experience I would for sure be one of the first 4 hired, but they still didn't have anybody cleared and so it was looking like March 14th start date with the Mar 19th training class. a few days passed and then I was told they got a couple other girls cleared but not mine yet..... so they got to start. The next day they got my clearance but had already signed up those other girls for the class. (which I know at least one was in rank 4! She had been told that she would need to wait for others in the ranks 1-3 to fail out of medicals before she could be hired, but now because her clearance came in time and they had gotten at least one dropped, she got in before me... with my rank 1 UGH-again!) Anne told me that she would let me know if they got a spot opened in the class because someone dropped I was in. But nobody dropped for me to go last minute! UGH

SO now it stands, I am starting on Mar 14th. I will be in training starting Mar 19th. (2 years and 1 day after that first interview!) I am so excited! Initially I was frustrated about having to wait so long but there are some blessings as well. I just had to look for them a little. I am actually really excited to be going to Sacramento for training instead of Riverside. I get to fly there )I could take my car if i wanted to, but why put the extra miles if I don't have to) I will be staying at the CHP training academy in a "dorm-style" setting. So I am not too keen on that, I was looking forward to having a hotel room to myself and being able to feel comfortable. Now I don't know if I will have a roommate and what she will be like. It really is kinda frustrating especially when it comes to privacy and such. Having never gone off to college or anything I am not used to that! I guess the lucky thing is it in only 3 weeks.... but 3 weeks can be a long time if with the wrong person!
SO yeah.. I have lost my train of thought.. but I am stoked! I am going from a County of Ventura job, to a job with the STATE OF CALIFORNIA! How crazy is that?!?!?