The Average White Guy

Posted to the Hoy Factor category although this doesn’t really count. The Hoy Factor is actually what debalances the equation when I’ve made no mistake, which isn’t the case here. Read on… 

Well, now I’ve gone and done it… I cost myself a great opportunity by being stupid. I probably shouldn’t breech the subject here; I’m never sure who among my current company read this confounded blog… but what the hell. I had interviewed for a job a few weeks ago which I was excited about. Although it took longer than expected to get an answer back from them, I did in fact get an answer from them. I was verbally extended an offer of employment.

The offer was more than fair. The company was more than good - it was terrific. The job function? Well, obviously better than I’m doing now, but I digress on that topic. I received the written offer letter on Friday last week. I reviewed it and signed it. Attached to the acceptance form for the offer was a release form for a background check. While I have no qualms with a background check, I realized the company performing the check would be checking my education. Here is where the problem lies…

I completed virtually every requirement for my Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Computer Science at my university (Slippery Rock). I was short a junior-level 3-semester hour course, Calculus II, and a science lab. In my final semester at school, I couldn’t schedule all three of these courses during the spring, and only the lab course was offered in the summer. As a result, I essentially had to drop out of school because I couldn’t afford to stick around for another semester in the fall. While there are many reasons for this, none are excuses and if you ask me what keeps me up nights, among the short list of things is not completing my degree.

Although the diploma was not a requirement for the job, my college transcripts are locked because I still owe money to the school (don’t worry; I’m working on that as we speak, but until paid in full, those records are sealed). Because my transcripts are locked, the background check failed. Because the background check failed, my prospective employer rescinded the offer of employment. I kindly thanked them for the opportunity and apologized for wasting their time and resources. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t bummed out; I am. I still think (like they did) that I was the best candidate for the job, but I understand this is a self-inflicted lump, and it’s one I have to learn from and move on.

Being financially irresponsible 7 years ago is still costing me today. It’s not just this job offer which was retracted; it’s a multitude of things. I’m constantly playing catch up with finance. I make more than enough money to live quite comfortably otherwise, but since I screwed myself over by being bad with money when I was younger, I’ve never quite caught up.

I’m not looking for pity. I’m not excusing myself, rationalizing my position, or assigning blame for what happened today. I’m just talking about it, here… on my site, where I can talk about whatever I damn well please

While I’m not in the blogging game to teach morals, I should mention that there are a few morals to this story…

1. Don’t be foolish with your credit/finance/bills/loans as the record of your financial transgressions can (and will) outlive you, which implies they will remain with you all your life.
2. Look both ways before you cross the street… Especially with today’s new electric-hybrid engines… those damned things are so quiet, you can barely hear them creeping up on you.