I had closed my academic record on 20th December 2011, I had sent emails with my CV all over Spain, I was in Acriflor (Asociación de Criadores de la Cabra Florida) as an Honorary Student Trainee, I had performed a couple of interviews in which I had come second in the selection process, but on 27th May 2012, I still could not say that I had a job. A week before, I had been having lunch with my friend and fellow student and University Pastoral, Blanca, who had come on holiday to Spain after a year working in the UK. Don’t waste your time in Spain, send your CV to Eville & Jones. So I prepared the translation and that’s what I did, on 28th May 2012.

As I mentioned earlier, I was on an internship at Acriflor, and on 29th May morning, not even twenty four hours after sending my CV to England, the phone rang at that farm in the mountains of Cordoba. It couldn’t be. A long number appeared on my mobile phone and on the other end of the call I was summoned for a job interview. It has to be tomorrow, we can’t wait any longer as we are in the middle of the selection process. A girl in perfect Spanish was calling me for an interview via Skype on the following morning.

So on 30th May, I didn’t go to the office, but stayed at home getting prepared for the interview in English. I was super convinced that this was the one for me. So much so, that I was wearing a Spanish national football team shirt, because La Roja was playing in the evening. And why would I change it?

It seems to have struck a chord with one of the Managing Directors of Eville & Jones at the time. And yes, the T-shirt was one of the keys to the recruitment, as I would later find out. It can’t be that he is doing the interview in a Spanish T-shirt -they said on the other side of the screen, in that office in Leeds, where the Head Quarters of what would become my company for the following four years were located. Very good, Javier. Thank you very much for your interview. We’ll let you know the outcome in a couple of days.

So I went to Antequera with Acriflor to a Goat Breeds Conference for the following two days. I was very calm, and at the same time, I was looking forward to the 1st of June to know the resolution of the interview I had done the day before.

A day and a half went by and I returned home and immediately turned on the computer. And there was the email: Congratulations, Javier. We are pleased to communicate that you have been selected for the Training Course that will be celebrated in Leeds during 11-15 June to become Veterinary Meat Hygiene Inspector.

The joy that day could not have been greater. I immediately left my room to tell my parents, who were celebrating with joy that I finally had a job.

Today, 12 years after that event, I still remember it perfectly.