The First Phone Call from Yahoo!
I was moving down to Los Angeles when I got Ray’s call. “Hey Mike, want to work for Yahoo?”
I rolled up my window. “What? Did you say Yahoo?” The flat plains of Central California blurred past me as I sped down the I-5.
“Yea. We’re looking to hire some developers. Can you come in for an interview?”
“When? Now?”
“Yea, as soon as you can. We need to hire some developers very soon.”
I looked down at my odometer. “Okay. But, um, I’m on my way to LA.”
“LA?”
“Yea. I was going to move down there. Where is Yahoo located?”
“Sunnyvale, in Silicon Valley.” Ray paused. “You don’t want to live in the Bay Area anymore?”
“Oh, no no no.” I shook my head. “I love the Bay Area. It’s just that, with the dot-bomb and our company going out of business and all the lay-offs, I didn’t think there would be anyone hiring in Silicon Valley anymore.”
“Well, there is. Yahoo. Are you…”
“Wow. Yea. I’d totally be interested!”
“Good!” Ray sounded happier. “Looks like I called you just in time!”
“You did!” I watched my odometer as I slowed down to 70mph. (Don’t ask how fast I was going originally.) “If you called a few days later, I might have settled down in LA.”
“That would have been bad. Can you come in for an interview next Monday?”
I looked at my watch. “Next Monday? That’s just in two days.”
“Yea. Is that too soon?”
“Heck no, I’ll come back up for Yahoo!”
“Great!” I could almost hear Ray nodding. “I’ll have HR contact you to set up the interview.”
“Awesome! Thanks man!”
“Thank you! See you next Monday.”
And that’s how I started my 5+ career at Yahoo!—just in the nick of time. As quickly as I sped down the I-5. Fate’s funny that way.
