Hired!

       Well someone from Human Resources at NPS called me the next day because CED3 wanted to hire me! I was a little shocked and extremely excited. This was right before Christmas time and due to the break I would not be able to start for 3 weeks. I was unwilling to really hope or believe in the job until I actually started, and those three weeks difficult as I was on vacation from school and eager to move ahead with my life.
       Well I did start and I am so happy about the job! All my training and work have paid off because I now work in a technically advanced department that uses web technology to develop learning material! All the "Distributed Learning" courses for the Navy are created at CED3, from online classes to special learning tools and software. It is a field that's exciting to me because new methods of instruction are currently evolving rapidly! This is somewhere that I one day may be able to create new interactive media. This is somewhere that I can develop my web development skills, videography skills and professional communication skills. Graphic design, instructional design, interactive media and computer programming are all used in our work, and we are small enough and flexible enough that my position will surely call on me to utilize and develop these skills! It is a well funded government agency and the other employees are on career paths. It is out in front of current technology and on the cutting edge of interactive web design. It is a great place to have an internship as the skills I will learn will catapult me into higher levels of technology and employability!
       The position is an internship, 24 hours a week, that dovetails perfectly with my classes. It is a GS4 position, the General Selection program is the civillian arm of government employees, and it is a valuable program to be in as there is a system where you rise in rank with performance reviews, much like the military.
       As a civilian I'm working for the Department of Defense in a Naval facility! This is a serious step up, everyone is very formal and polite, extremely polite, it will take some getting used to as all the jobs I've had in the past have been a little rough and tumble. I feel like I've stepped up into the big leagues. As part of my application process I swore an oath to uphold the constitution. I wear pressed slacks and button down shirts, as does everyone else. I pass armed guards to get in, and use a security ID badge. I salute the flag at 8 am (if I'm caught outside in colors), I speak in hushed tones in complete sentences, and have a sense that what I'm working on is important.
       In short I love the job, it is a wonderful opportunity. I respect what I do and value the people I work with. I'm glad that I didn't take any of the earlier internships and jobs I'd applied for as this one is the best I could hope for.