The Pool

It has been a week since I wanted to write about "the pool".

What pool? Swimming pool? You may ask 🤔🤔🤔

Well, I can start from there 🥽🥽🥽

We have been blessed with a hot long summer this year, an Indian summer.

My home hit close to 30 degrees each day when I arrived from work last week.

I have Air Conditioning at home (finally installed after living in the same place since 2007) but I don't like leaving it on when I am not there. I work in an office five days a week even though only three are required. I like the office environment where I can talk with people and walk in the nice neighborhood during lunchtime.

Last week, when home felt like an oven, the moment I unlocked the door was the moment I wanted to run away 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Where? What could be a better place to go than a swimming pool?

Luckily, there is an indoor swimming pool five minutes away from my 🏠 so I went swimming three times last week 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️

That is NOT the pool I wanted to write about though. It is another kind of pool. The pool you get in on the job market, in particular, the government of Canada job market.

I have been working for the government since April 2021 and I was often asked this question when I inquired about job opportunities, especially through networking:

Are you in a pool?

I usually wanted to ask back: how do you get in a pool? after saying "Not yet".

Getting into a pool usually is a lengthy process and it involves testing, interviews, and reference checks.

I applied for a job with Health Canada this March and did written exams, intense interviews, and reference checks (separate meetings with three of my references).

Last Friday, I received this email just before I logged off for the weekend:

I am pleased to inform you that the assessment board has found you qualified for this position and has placed you in a pool of candidates for a possible appointment at a future date. 

It took me a while to process the news:

What? Did I get into a pool? for real? and it is an AS-02?

Wahoo🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

I thanked the people who provided the solid reference and I am proud of myself!

I am happy that I can finally say YES to the two questions often asked orally or in writing during the job process:

• Do you have the language? (are you bilingual)

• Are you in a pool?

The answer to both is: Yes and Yes 😀😀😀

Wahoo🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉