More Job Search News
Feb. 19th, 2010 04:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
przedYesterday was a bit crazy. Had a interview/negotiating seminar with the outplacement agency in the morning, and then the interview for the job I really kinda wanted in the afternoon.
It was not necessarily the smoothest of interviews.
They were running late, so they put me in the building lounge (a nice little spot, actually) got me some lovely still water, and kept me waiting. For 45 minutes. (Waiting seems to be a theme with this organization. *g*)
By the end of this time, what with the adrenaline working overtime I'm thinking I really should find a washroom before the actual interview. So I go looking, and just as I find it, yep, you guessed it, HR Dude One (he of the wacky phone interview) comes looking for me. I give him an interesting first impression, what with my hand on the bathroom door and all, go about me business, then wait for him to escort me to the interview room.
The room is tiny, with barely enough room for me and the three people doing the interview. There is no room for me to stand or walk. I like standing or walking while I'm teaching. Nonetheless, I give my teaching demo, sitting down, referring to printed out PowerPoint slides, and stumbling once. I was not at my shining best.
Then we get into the meat of the interview, which seemed to go really well. I'm a good fit for the job, and have a lot of experience I think they can use. Then it's over, and I'm slightly less than smooth about pressing them for their timelines on what's happening next. I also fail to get anyone's email to send thank you letters. (The leader of the interview seminar stressed the importance of thank you letters.) So last night I spend all evening after the little girl goes to bed drafting up the thank you letters whilst watching the men's figure skating. (Poor Patrick Chan.)
Oh, and did I mention I had a migraine all day? Still do, as a matter of fact.
Anyway, what with the agonizing over the letters, and fighting the feeling of having a spike in my right eye, and wishing I'd done a bunch of things differently in the interview, I figured I'd blown my chances at the job.
This morning, I email copies of the thank you letters to my job coach for a critique, walk over to a doctor's appointment--just a check up type thing--and then get back figuring I'll print up the revised thank you letters and hand deliver them. But then I get a phone call from HR Dude Two, asking if I'll take a phone call from HR Dude One in twenty minutes. Okaaaayyyy.
I'm thinking this means I've blown it. I wait for the twenty minutes, and HR Dude One calls back in exactly twenty minutes.
And he asks for my references.
And he says that if everything checks out, it looks like they'll be moving forward with me.
I spend the next two hours confirming that all my references are cool with me giving out their names, and telling them what to expect, then send their names to HR Dude One.
I'm being cautiously optimistic.
What's nice is that this is a job I'd really like, it's not just one I'll take for the paycheque. It's doing what I did before, in a smaller organization that values learning and doesn't entirely depend on profit motive. And from the people I met, it's got a slightly funky vibe, which is all good.
Now I just have to bide my time and wait to hear back from them. And negotiate my terms, of course.
Not to mention, get over this bloody migraine.
It was not necessarily the smoothest of interviews.
They were running late, so they put me in the building lounge (a nice little spot, actually) got me some lovely still water, and kept me waiting. For 45 minutes. (Waiting seems to be a theme with this organization. *g*)
By the end of this time, what with the adrenaline working overtime I'm thinking I really should find a washroom before the actual interview. So I go looking, and just as I find it, yep, you guessed it, HR Dude One (he of the wacky phone interview) comes looking for me. I give him an interesting first impression, what with my hand on the bathroom door and all, go about me business, then wait for him to escort me to the interview room.
The room is tiny, with barely enough room for me and the three people doing the interview. There is no room for me to stand or walk. I like standing or walking while I'm teaching. Nonetheless, I give my teaching demo, sitting down, referring to printed out PowerPoint slides, and stumbling once. I was not at my shining best.
Then we get into the meat of the interview, which seemed to go really well. I'm a good fit for the job, and have a lot of experience I think they can use. Then it's over, and I'm slightly less than smooth about pressing them for their timelines on what's happening next. I also fail to get anyone's email to send thank you letters. (The leader of the interview seminar stressed the importance of thank you letters.) So last night I spend all evening after the little girl goes to bed drafting up the thank you letters whilst watching the men's figure skating. (Poor Patrick Chan.)
Oh, and did I mention I had a migraine all day? Still do, as a matter of fact.
Anyway, what with the agonizing over the letters, and fighting the feeling of having a spike in my right eye, and wishing I'd done a bunch of things differently in the interview, I figured I'd blown my chances at the job.
This morning, I email copies of the thank you letters to my job coach for a critique, walk over to a doctor's appointment--just a check up type thing--and then get back figuring I'll print up the revised thank you letters and hand deliver them. But then I get a phone call from HR Dude Two, asking if I'll take a phone call from HR Dude One in twenty minutes. Okaaaayyyy.
I'm thinking this means I've blown it. I wait for the twenty minutes, and HR Dude One calls back in exactly twenty minutes.
And he asks for my references.
And he says that if everything checks out, it looks like they'll be moving forward with me.
I spend the next two hours confirming that all my references are cool with me giving out their names, and telling them what to expect, then send their names to HR Dude One.
I'm being cautiously optimistic.
What's nice is that this is a job I'd really like, it's not just one I'll take for the paycheque. It's doing what I did before, in a smaller organization that values learning and doesn't entirely depend on profit motive. And from the people I met, it's got a slightly funky vibe, which is all good.
Now I just have to bide my time and wait to hear back from them. And negotiate my terms, of course.
Not to mention, get over this bloody migraine.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 09:57 pm (UTC)Huzzah for impressing the heck outta the HR Dweebs, even while ill!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 10:16 pm (UTC)Also wanted to let you know I read you 'secrets' last night after a reccie by S2K and loved it. You have such a way with words. You come up with the most incredible story lines and write them so I feel like a fly on the wall. cheers xx
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 10:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 12:07 am (UTC)The leader of the interview seminar stressed the importance of thank you letters.
That's interesting - I don't think we do that so much here, and as an interviewer I doubt it would sway me one way or another regarding a candidate. We tend to rely more on work history, references and interview presentation than some of the more ritual-like observances *g*
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 12:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 12:27 am (UTC)~Kris
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 12:28 am (UTC)I sorry that you've got a migraine and I can see where that would have been really stressful buy YEAH to it looking like a very real opportunity and it being something you'd really like. ♥
(no subject)
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Date: 2010-02-20 01:15 am (UTC)*Cheers*
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 02:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 04:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 11:19 am (UTC)And kudos for doing so well whilst ill!
*Hugs*
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 11:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-02-20 02:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2010-02-20 02:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2010-02-20 06:09 pm (UTC)And I hope your migraine is over by now.
(no subject)
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Date: 2010-02-20 06:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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