Lately I've Been Feeling Like Lloyd Dobler

I love this scene from Say Anything.

I definitely know what I DON'T want to do. I agree with Lloyd that I don't want to sell anything though. :)

What's hard is that right now I really have no idea what to do. Yes, I just wrote that. My consulting gig is at a crossroads. Do I work more for next to nothing? Do I want to do more for an entity that I am not sure that I want to be in the long term?

I've added something new to my life, which is taking a continuing ed class in the hopes that it will push me further into what I'd like to do.

Networking sadly still is not very fun, but I have started to ramp up again.

Part of me is trying to not get totally done. What was once slight sadness is turning into me being a tad incredulous. If I can't get a job (not like I am a super star or anything), then I can only imagine what others will less skills, experience or education are dealing with right now. I wonder sometimes if it's me or the economy or something completely different.

Anyway, I am still trudging along. I guess my version of Lloyd's kickboxing is blogging. :)

Timeline of a Hiring Process - A True Story

My friends, this is is the truth and nothing but the truth. This happened to me about a week ago, and I'm still a little shocked. Not in a bad way, more like "I'm going to laugh because you all are so ridiculous" way.

Here's the story:

Monday, 6:30pm - A call from THE JOB. Can you come in for an interview TOMORROW or at the butt crack of dawn on Wednesday?

TSN: Um, hello! I applied for your job NINE weeks ago. [I said this in my head of course.] "Sure I'll come in on Wednesday at 8am."

Wednesday, 8:30am- [Middle of the Interview] Insert any ridiculously hard substantive question that you can think of for which I have absolutely NO ANSWER. Thinking I have bombed the interview, which I have to admit I almost never do (I think pretty well on my feet), I treat myself to a Starbucks. I'm also a little anoyed because I felt like I was getting a lot of substantive questions when I kept getting assured that I didn't need to have background knowledge in this particular subject area. Um...they lied.

Thursday, 6:35pm - Email from THE JOB. Please send your references. Whoa! Really? Either I'm a great bullshit artist (Thank you, expensive law degree!), or you all are a little crazy. In a few days, I will learn that it is the latter.

Friday, all day - Email THE JOB that I will send a list of references ASAP. Scramble to get references together. I didn't think I'd need them at this point, which was a bad move on my part. Have your references ready or at least have THOUGHT about them before you need them. I learned this lesson, and I am not afraid to admit it!

Monday, 9am - Send references.

Monday 11:55am - I get an email from THE JOB that essentially said this:

"Thirty-Something Nothing,

Thanks for your references. We've actually offered the job to someone else, and they have accepted. Would you like us to pass on your resume to another group here which does work that you are not interested in? Thanks again."

Serious paraphrase here, but you get the picture.

Okay, so:

1) I think I didn't really want the job anyway; and

2) WHAT THE HECK?!! I don't even know where to begin.

(source)

If you were willing and able to make a decision WITHOUT speaking to my references, then why bother to ask me for them? I never expressed that I DID NOT want the job. If you were in such a rush to fill the position, and I wasn't providing information in a timely manner, TELL ME!

By my timeline, the person to whom they offered the job, either accepted on the spot or got the offer on Friday and accepted Monday morning. I would not have accepted on the spot so......

Anyway, when I got that e-mail all I could do was laugh. I mean what else was I supposed to do? In my own sick twisted little Thirty-Something Nothing way, I'm kinda GLAD I did not have to mull over whether or not to accept this job. It's a little bit far away from many of the things I'm thinking about doing next in terms of topic area (not job function though), so I am not sure I would have wanted to go in that direction. Plus, if they handled the hiring process like this, imagine what the actual job would be like. While it would be nice to say that I have a job right now, I may just have dodged a bullet. :) PHEW!!

Has anyone had any crazy situations come up during thea hiring process for a job? Did it leave you slapping or scratching your head? I'd love to hear about them!