INTIMIDATING TIMES . . .

Today I had an interview . . . I know people who have been out of work for months without a single interview, so I am grateful that I got called to come in for one. The job is still only part time, but that works for me . . . It would be steady hours and the pay is considerably better than what I have been getting, and it is year round, so I would really like to get it. It isn't tutoring, which is what I love best . . . but it IS working with people, which is the part I love best about tutoring, so this job would work for me, I think . . .

I thought I was all calm and collected about this interview. In fact, a few days ago I was marveling at just how NOT stressed I was about it . . . LOL . . . I should have known it wouldn't last. Late Sunday night it suddenly hit me and I panicked. Then all that night I woke up every twenty minutes or so in a cold sweat in the midst of a dream about some disaster that struck on my way to or during the interview itself . . . I lost track of time and showed up an hour late (SOOOOOOOooooOOOO not me) . . . I got mugged in the elevator on the way to the interview (there is no elevator in the one story building where the interview would be held) . . . I got sick to my stomach and threw up all over the people interviewing me . . . I looked down mid-interview and discovered I had forgotten to put pants on . . . the interviewers all turned into giant snakes and were hissing and snarling at me (do snakes even snarl?!?) . . . etc, etc, etc.

Yeah . . . I have a VERY active imagination, so the dreams were awful. I would wake up, with my heart pounding, thinking "oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO . . . how could I have let this happen?!?!?" before (eventually) I would realize it was JUST a dream and think "WHEW" . . .

I knew it would be a panel interview, which are always more stressful and intimidating. Luckily for a few years I worked at the college in a capacity where I had to undergo a panel interview every single semester. I HATED it . . . but I thought it probably made THIS panel interview slightly less terrifying because I at least had some recent experience with them (and surviving).

So . . . today I went over to where my interview was, and waited in the car until about a half an hour before my scheduled time, then went in and told the receptionist I was there. At THAT point I realized I probably should have printed out a hard copy of my resume and brought it (uh oh . . . too late to do anything about it, but at least I DID remember to wear pants!)

Anyhow, I just prayed really hard -- not that I would get the job, because I am certainly not the only one trying to get a job, and I may not need it the most -- but simply that I would be able to be calm and confident, and do my best in the interview . . . and that those interviewing me would be able to get an accurate assessment of my abilities and talents and suitability for the job from my demeanor and answers. That is all. I just wanted it to be a good experience and to feel comfortable with how it went.

And I was. I really was. I mean, of course it is stressful to go to a job interview, especially one that involves multiple people asking you questions, and EVERYBODY taking notes on your answers. But none of the questions caught me off guard . . . and none flustered me. I felt like I was calm and collected, and that I was able to articulate my responses fairly well . . .

Of course, all the way home, I thought of MILLIONS of things I could have or should have said . . . things I should have elaborated on . . . things I forgot to say . . . etc . . . but I DID survive it, and it WAS a pretty good experience . . . so I am feeling really grateful . . .

Of course, I REALLY wish I could have been privy to the discussion they had after I left the room . . . but I should hear in a day or two or three if I made the list of those called back to a second interview. I guess then I will have a better idea of how things went , huh?

If nothing else comes of this (or even if I do get the second interview and still do not get the job) this whole process is good experience . . . The more interviews I do, the less intimidating they will be (theoretically) and the better I will get at thinking on my feet and responding to questions that are leveled at me . . . So I really AM grateful that I got called in for the interview . . .

LOL . . . soooooooooooooooooooooo . . . the big job hunt has officially begun . . .

So far, so good! ;o)