Interviews

Had 2 interviews this week - no, A is the one who's getting laid off, I just decided to apply for a promotion. With all the uncertainty of his job position and where we might land if he gets an offer out of state (or country), I really should probably not have applied, but I was thinking that getting upgraded at my job might help, even a little, should he decide to stay on the closing crew and work through the bitter end.

So, two interviews for me this week, too. I had almost decided to call and cancel them both and say that I really am not interested, but was advised that that would look flaky and that I should go ahead with them. The benefits, I was told, would include: 1. practice interviewing and 2. making contacts. Seems that way, but I almost think a bad interview can make you look more flaky than just canceling it altogether.

I did learn a lot, from my first interview, especially, but I also found the exercise somewhat ill-timed, coming right on the heels of my vacation as they did. I don't know about the contact part of things, but I guess you never can anticipate when or how someone's good opinion of you will come into play. A perfect example of this occurred serendipitously when my coworker spoke with one of the managers I was applying to work with and gave me a glowing recommendation. I would never have thought she would or that that the opportunity for her to do so would arise. So, maybe meeting those folks will be practically useful one day in a way I can't anticipate.

Another way that this process may prove useful is that now my current managers know that I have aspiration and would like to move up in the company. My application may not be very strong considering that I am currently in a "clerk" position and there are a couple of other layers between clerk and the positions for which I applied. If nothing else, I feel like clarifying that point also creates the case where I can ask for more training and more responsibility.

The depressing thing about these interviews is that I don't think I will be offered either of the positions. My manager had explained the scenario surrounding one of the positions, so I knew that one was unlikely, but I did not expect that fact to be spelled out to me during my interview or to be spelled out to my coworker. (And I guess it's too much to ask that my application for that position be kept confidential, too?! I guess confidentiality is not a universal concept.)

On the other hand, maybe I should just be happy with my current job - my schedule just got shifted around to one that fits my life a whole lot better, I know my work, it's easy work and I get plenty of time to surf the web, catch up on my blogging and check my Facebook...yeah, I love office hours.