So as most of you already might know, I landed a job. Or I should say a job landed on me. It all seems so nearly perfect. or is it?
I found the listing for this job in question back in January, back when EDD was shutting off my unemployment for the 2nd time (and not telling me). At that time the description was nearly perfect, dealing with media assets for a educational foundation. The description was such that I'd be taking care of a DAM and cataloging educational video assets. I had till the end of the month (2 weeks) to apply and took my time rewriting my resume and coming up brand new cover letter, specifically for this job. I had my eldest sister proof read the shit out of it. A week or so later I submitted and waited.
February came along and nothing. Actually I was waiting to hear about 3 jobs I thought I was perfectly qualified for, and was hearing nothing back on any of them. Ugh, and EDD was still not giving me unemployment.
I've only had minor luck in finding full time positions in the bay area that I'm really qualified for. I've mainly been finding jobs that I'm either over qualified for, or not quite qualified for. Which means, anyone reading my resume would either pass on me knowing that I'd land a job with them, then take off after 6 months to a year when a more appropriate job came along. Or I was facing positions where my resume would be looked at and in comparison to other applicants, their was better suited folks to interview. In reality I was finding myself over writing my cover letters and resume in order to make sure the HR person had way too much info about me. Anyway . . .
March rolled along and I was finally starting to get some hits on my resume. Nothing good I hate to say though, a case in point: I had 2 interviews with a local stock footage house and deathly afraid they would hire me. Why was afraid? well I had done the job in question years before and was over qualified or it. After interviewing me, the owner was sure I knew more about film handling and preservation then he did. Other then sales, I could probably do his job better then him. Problem number 2 was that it paid $15 an hour and was part time. Ya, part time. He needed a 6 month commitment to it too. I'd be working 2-3 days a week and making what I was making from unemployment, that is, if I was receiving unemployment. Which means if he offered me the job I would have had to take it. Economically living in the bay area making so little money means I would be slowly sinking. Actually I was slowly sinking due to EDD screwing me, but this actually scared me more then EDD's screw ups with me.
Anyway, coming back from that interview I sat down and did another major revision to my resume and base cover letters. Mainly I stream lined them and simplified. Anyway, I was lucky and didn't land the job in question. Also EDD finally starts to pay me again all the unemployment they haven't been paying for the prior 2.5 months.
So 3 weeks ago I received an email from place at the top here telling me they really liked my resume and wanted to interview me. I made sure to email back by the end of the day that I was interested and when I'd be available. First up a telephone interview. I should say, I hate telephone interviews. Talking with a stranger over the phone isn't a strong skill for me. I can't judge the other person very well. Actually for anyone who has gotten me on the phone you will know that I'm very straight to the point and want to end the conversation as quickly as I can. Ya I suck at these, and have had several in the last 6 months and had the same problems on all of them. I tend to blow it. So when I emailed back I hinted that I was also available for in person. I had gotten the in person interviews with the stock footage place in part because I hinted that could do in person in SF. Anyway, they didn't bite, so it was phone interview for me.
I took next few days to research the shit out of the place and read everything I could find on telephone interviews. So I was ready for it when it came, with about 5 pages of notes. Oh I should point out that I also had to take the interview in my car, since my cell phone sucks donkey dick reception wise here in my apartment. Anyway, the phone interview was odd. The guy I was talking too mainly gave me info about the position and didn't really ask me anything. I was expecting a chance for dialog and mostly just listened to monolog. See, how the hell can you like having conversations on a phone when they go this way? Anyway, in the back of my mind I'm mildly freaking, I'm not getting a chance to sell myself here and only getting in small amounts of info for him. Again, he's not asking me anything, just letting me know more about the place and position at hand. He did give me more info about their DAM system, which they currently did not have in place and no one really knew much about it. Anyway at the end of it he tells me that wants see about having me in to interview. Great!
So a week later I'm all dolled up and in for an interview. The interview mainly went well, but all four of the folks I was interviewing with hand spread out and being able to address them all was tuff, since someone might ask a question and I'd answer it, but constantly found myself needing to look and address everyone, which at best was 2 of them due to them having spread out around a large conference table. I was honest, but wasn't happy about 2 of the questions then gave me near the end. So I went out of the interview with a mixed opinion. I was set to be out of town the next week so I wouldn't hear anything till then. But I also know that long interviews were always good for me, the more they are really interested in me, the more they will ask after all. I think coming out of it, I was the guy to beat and gave myself a 75% chance of landing the job. So the next day I'm off to Oregon, taking my time along the way and of course over thinking the interview and really wondering if I'm going to land this. The job in question wasn't quite as perfect it read. I'd be dealing more IT work then I have in the past and less with production. The place is kind of stuffy too as it's education based too.
Anyway, the week goes by and I return to bay area and nothing. Actually I'm here 3 days and nothing. OK, so I guess I've gone from 75% win here my little mind to 0%. What the hell did I do wrong and how do I make sure I don't do it again>? But late on Friday I get an email from the place and with a sorry note and asking if I could come back in for a 3rd interview. Fuck, I hate 3rd interviews nearly as much as I do telephone interviews. Selling one self once, easy as a whole. Reselling myself, well that harder as you don't want to over repeat yourself so to say and of course I've been dawting the shit out of myself too. So anyway, another long interview this time around. I made sure to sit in a place where I could see everyone during this interview as well. I sell myself to everyone. Everyone seems happy. Only down thing is at the end they ask if I have any questions. I don't as I had asked them at the end of the 2nd interview and during the 3rd interview. They'll let me know on Friday (it's Thursday at this point). They also ask when I might be able to start. Good signs, but I'm mildly freaking about not having any new questions to ask. A lot of what I've read from HR folks is that not having questions can be a killer in an interview as it shows how uninterested you are in the place in question. Anyway, I remind them what questions I had were I had asked during the interview.
Friday rolls around and I'm mild bundle of nerves. I make sure to be ready with the phone. Come 4pm, nothing, even via email. My nerves need a break, so I assume that reception can't be any worse then in my apartment and go for a long hike behind UC Berkeley. I need the exercise. Anyway I found worse reception behind UCB then in my apartment, because suddenly I find that someone has left me message 15 minutes prior on my phone. 10 minutes later I finally hear all of my phone message. I got it. But I have to text them back and can't call back for another 30 minutes.
Anyway I'm set to start this new job next week. I need to get a bunch of work done on my car and the rally. I've also been buying stuff left and right since i now know I'll have a full time job again. Oh my unemployment is set to end in about 3 weeks. I should still be getting an extension, but with my recent history with EDD, who knows if If they would have fucked with it. So it's really a god send to have landed this job. Now, of course my mind is swimming about how I can fuck this up!
Oy Vay.
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