The Pink Shoe Diaries

so, in the past 24 hours i have had two more job interviews. i don't know if i am just finding the "interesting" HR people or if most HR people are just "interesting" but either way, c'est bizarre.

1st interview was at a Boston hospital for the position of surgical admin. coordinator. i arrived on time, despite getting lost as usual (i don't know if you know this, but Longwood Medical Center is chock full of hospitals!), and immediately met with C. the HR person for admins. She immediatelu fell upon my handbag, rubbing the leather and exclaiming "girl, this is MY kind of bag" and informed me that she is the "Black Imelda Marcos" and that she and i were going to get along just fine. so, we discussed the important part of my resume: that being my stint as a sales associate in the ladies' shoe section of Lord & Taylor. i tried to bring up my extensive admin experience at the real estate company and at the mortgage company, but she was much more psyched about employee discounts on Coach. (20%). so, after we chatted for about 20 minutes, she informs me that it's time to meet the Head of Personnel for the surgical floor...who just so happened to be a fabulous gay man. so my second interview begins smoothly. although it soon becomes clear that this is an off breed of fabulous gay man, the humorless fabulous gay man. for instance: everyone knows when you go for a job interview you try to find common ground with the interviewer. so, he was telling me about this astronomy class he took in college that he hated, and he says "i was so dissapointed when i walked into class and found out that it wasn't just about moons and stars..it was like a math class!" and so i told him that I had taken an astronomy class my freshman year at UMASS and had dropped it for that exact reason (smiling, thinking "this is it ! this is our common ground!" when he says "well, i believe on following through with things once you begin them..i actually stayed and got an A". riiiight. thanks, ass.

then, the next day i had an interview at an architectural/design firm in Braintree. first of all, i was contacted to apply for this job by the company's corporate recuiter who had found my resume on monster.com. he had prepped me extensively for this interview...including sending me a three page email prep sheet complete with a section entitled "dress for success" (like i need to know). but, like a good student, i followed the prep sheet. i studied the company's website and made myself familiar with their work. i "dressed for success" (perfectly tailored black suit, with pinstripe button down shirt underneath, simple silver jewelery and maroon shoes to match my maroon scarf). i arrived 5 minutes early, and since my interviewer,L, was 10 minutes late i had some time to acquaint myself with the office literture. Once L, arrived, I saw that my efforts to "dress for success" were wasted because the woman had on
1) a sweater with a jersey material cat on the front
2) WIDE ribbed courderoys
3) keds
so, we adjourn to the conference room where she sets down to business. her idea of going over my resume with me was to pick it up, say "oh, you already know excel", and put it down again. she then went into great deal about her loser nephew who has a college degree and works and dominos (i'm not being a bitch using the word "loser"..she actually said it). then she told me a little about the company itself, mainly that it was started 20 years ago by a father and son but since the son died 3 years ago the company then went corporate. at this point, she starts crying. so i am like "umm...sorry" and she is silent for about 30 seconds, before she composes herself and informs me that, if hired, i will get to choose a polo neck or turtleneck champoin sweatshirt with the company logo on it. exciting stuff, right?
so the interview ends without her asking me anything about the company (which i studied so studiously on the website), or myself and my experience/qualifications.

so, now you are up to speed with my job situation. i have an interview for a part time holiday help job which i had hoped to get IN ADDITION to a full time job but hey, you gotta start somewhere. So, dayspa in harvard square: here i come!