Unmitigated

Strange Things are Happening!

I feel as though I have been living the last week inside a tornado. Not the calm, center part, either.

Yesterday, I learned that I was selected to be the new Associate Curator for Education at the Major History Attraction where I work. I am excited beyond my capability to describe.

Today, I will come right back down to the surface of the planet, as I am scheduled for a root canal around noon. A root canal is an unpleasant procedure that you are willing to undergo because the pain you have been experiencing for the last week is beyond the pale.

This weekend, 20-year-old-Daughter and her fiance will be moving into their new home, directly across the street from us (yes, I have heard all about Everybody Loves Raymond and Marie Barone). We have been sanding, painting, cleaning, and reupholstering over there for almost a month now, and it's looking great.

Next week, I start my new job, and am currently busy rearranging appointments and store shifts to accommodate that. My new supervisor sent out a really wonderful internal memo about me joining the team. It made me very proud to read all those really wonderful things about me! My best friend has been telling me these things for years.

And this is completely out of chronological order, but last week, the company that I do film extra work for offered all their clients between 30 and 50 a chance to get a new headshot for only $15. It was too good to pass up. If you are in a reader, click through and take a look at the new profile picture. I have never had a photo taken that I really liked until now.

Group Interview

So, I got a job.

I don't NEED to have a job. I could economize a little more. Trim a couple more expenses. But then a position came up at a local history attraction. A big-time famous historical attraction. Like Disneyworld, but with fewer rides. And more history. Still, a big tourist deal.

The place has four areas of operation. A village, a museum, a research library, and a factory. I will be working primarily in the village, but this post is supposed to be about the interview.

I never participated in a group interview before. It was a little like an audition for a reality show. There were seven of us, all female. There was one other woman who might have been in her thirties, but the rest were certainly in their early twenties or younger.

I came from the perspective of someone who doesn't NEED the job. I just wanted it. There was more than one occasion when I thought, "I shouldn't be here. These women might have children to feed."

After awhile, I told myself, "Self, if they need a job that bad, they should be trying harder." Honestly, three of the women barely spoke. When asked to pick a toy from the basket to "sell" to the interviewers, one of them said about the toy they picked, "Well...it's kind of pretty."

That was her whole spiel. Sad.

Maybe because I had other people to compare myself to, maybe because the pressure was off because I didn't NEED the job? But, I rocked that interview.

Really, I wanted to start coaching the other girls on what to say. Smile! Sit up and look interested when others are speaking! Take off your coat, especially when the interviewers invite you to "take off your coats and be comfortable!"

The only problem I ran into was in the second part, the individual part. One of the meds I take daily makes my mouth kind of dry. So does being anxious. It's why you rarely see me without a bottle of water. Basically, my lips began to stick to my gums. Every time the interviewer looked away from me, I looked like a chimp, trying to get some moisture to the inside of my lips. Very classy, that's how I roll.

Anyway, at the end of the individual interview with the manager of the store, I was tentatively offered a job. Now all I have to do, is await the outcome of the pee-in-a-cup test and the background check. Hell, I used to be a teacher. I have been background checked and fingerprinted from here to mainland China. Never had to pass a drug test before, though.

Maybe they think teachers need the drugs to survive the job. They would be right.

My Published Work

I am totally getting off on the whole freelance thing. I get to do research, and write all in the comfort of my own home. There are days when I've forgotten to brush my teeth until two in the afternoon. I know this is making me sound really hot, but try to control yourselves.

When I really want to feel like a grown-up, I go to my workdesk page at the DemandStudios website, and click the tab that says "My Published Work."

I have gotten to the point where it takes me a little more than an hour to complete the research, writing, and documentation for a particular piece. I'd like to be able three $15.00 pieces in two hours. That would make an hourly rate of $22.50, which would be not too far off what I was making before. Except I don't need to go anywhere, dress nicely, or do parent-teacher conferences.

 

 

Thanks, Vodka Mom

Amidst all my whining about hunting for a job, Vodka Mom cut through all the crap and sent me a link to MediaBistro.com, a job board for writers. And what do you know?

So, I did a little studying, and a little searching, found an article I thought I could write, et voila!

 

 Thanks to Debbie, I am now freelance writing for Demand Studios. There are a half-dozen more currently in the pipeline from dream to draft.

I have a new post up this morning on Unfocused as well. Come and see the house whose furniture I'm going to need your help to steal.

Why Doesn't Someone Hire Me as an Investigator?

A few days ago, I recommended Craigslist as a great place to look for jobs. I still think it can be, but it is strewn with so many scams, it's like walking through a mine field.

The first one I caught was this one. You apply for an innoccuous-looking job, but instead of clicking on the typical link at the top of a Craigslist ad (so that the ensuing correspondence cannot be traced to Craigslist), they ask you to reply to an e-mail in the body of the ad. Usually to a GMail account. When you do so, they quickly respond with an email saying something like this:

Dearest Applicant,

We request that you please submit your resume for our entry level Administrative Associate position using the electronic application below. Thank you in advance for your time.

To apply, please click here:

http://goodcompanyjobs.com/joboffer/register.cfm?jobpositionid=149726
Thank you,
Mrs. Samantha Miles
JR Associates

Or this:

Thank you for your interest in the Human Resources Assistant position we have posted through Craigslist. To expedite the hiring process; please click the link below to complete our online application. After completing the online application qualified candidates will be contacted.

http://quickstrikejobs.com?159999
Thank you
Sheila Rosten

Or this:

Thank you for your interest in the Administrative Assistant position we have posted through Craigslist.com.

Please complete the online application at the link below or copy and paste into your browser. All qualified applicants will be contacted.

To apply click here: h

ttp://directjobsource.com?112830
Thank you for your interest
Exie Palafox

(BTW, what the hell kind of name is Exie Palafox?)

Of course, you really need a job, so you follow the link, which will take you a short form where you fill out your contact information. All to speed the process along. If you think the second site looks a little familiar to the one you replied to yesterday, you might investigate a little further, and find these...

 

 

Here are a few more, all traced through Google using the phone number they list as a contact on every damn site.

Hmmm...that was a few. Out of how many?

 

Come back tomorrow for part two, when I introduce my friends Michael, Ethan, Ethan, and David.