.JPG)
Before I share the result of this interview I must share the story of an interview I went on about 12 years ago.
At the time I was working for the State of Oregon and was looking to stay within the state retirement system but get closer to my home in Vancouver, WA. I wanted to shorten my existing 3 hour round trip commute. I EXCLUSIVELY scoured the State of Washington job listings. As luck would have it I found an opening about 20 minutes from home at the Larch Mountain Correctional Facility in their Network maintenance department. I applied and was scheduled for an interview in mid-April.
It was a beautiful spring day and I dressed in a lovely linen dress and modest heels (this becomes important later in the story.)
I began my drive up the mountain - as this correctional facillity was at the TOP of the mountain. The clouds gathered. I arrived at my destination just as the snow began. As I waited in the hiring office for my appointment the snow began to accumulate on the ground. The interviewer showed up 15 minutes late and introduced himself explaining that we were going to be conducting the interview in the brand new, still under construction, computer room and we headed across the snowy parking lot. He was dressed in a suit and tie, I in my short sleeve linen dress and heels. He walked fast, the parking lot was gravel. I stumbled and wobbled as we crossed. I twisted my ankle. We were almost at our destination when someone stopped him and started a conversation. So we stood there, in the snow while they chatted incessantly about who knows what. I began to shiver. My shoes and dress were getting soaked. My lovely hairdo began to droop and drip.
We finally arrived at the "new" computer room. It was a partially renovated mobile home. We got inside and all the doors were propped open because the smell of the newly painted walls was overwhelming. It was not really warmer in this building than out of it. The room was empty, except for a card table and four chairs. Our voices echoed. I was asked a few questions and then handed a written test. While I took the test, shivering and getting light headed from the paint fumes my captors, uh, I mean interviewers, stood in the open doorway smoking cigarettes - which mingled with the smell of the paint creating a fine stench. When I finished the test the real interview began. One of the first questions was "How did you hear about this job?" My answer: "the Washington State job website." His reply: "That's not possible - we didn't advertise there."
My patience was completely gone and my hackles were up. No one should be treated with the complete disregard that I had been subjected to. I didn't want the job that bad - if at all by that point. A heated discussion ensued where I finished with a "you are wrong because that's the only place I looked for a job so it had to be there." Then I believe I implied they were idiots and I left.
Needless to say I didn't get offered the job. Perhaps if I'd worn my lucky shoes things would have turned out differently. I'm still scarred by that interview.
Today I did not argue with anyone. It was a very good interview. I was not offered the job but it was made clear it's mine as soon as I take (and pass) the drug and background checks. Now that I have a job in my sights, I'm just not sure I want it. Part of me hates to give up the freedom of not working. Of course, that freedom will be seriously curtailed when my unemployment runs out. My schedule would include working the days around Christmas and Thanksgiving so senior staff can have days off. I would be working more Saturdays than not. Good news is I'd have every holiday and every Sunday off. It's good pay and in a year I would be eligible to move up the ladder and begin requesting specific days off or on.
Ahhh.. decisions decisions..
No comments:
Post a Comment