Interviews out the Whazoos

So I've had quite the amalgam of interviews lately. It's been rather overwhelming. But I'll give you a recap.

1. Tribal Art Gallery: They wanted me to sit alone in the back room and photograph every last piece of this 70-year-old's tribal art collection. Could be interesting? I asked if I would ever have interaction with collectors. The interviewer outrightly said, "No". I would have had to dig through 50 years of hand-written invoices to get the collection organized. They informed me that all the pieces had been "Demystified" by tribal priests. But I HIGHLY doubt that. There is no way every piece could be "clean." At the Museum of Natural History they have a room set aside simply for the burning of sage brush by Native Americans to protect against the potent spiritual power of having so many artifacts stored in one space.
When they asked if this job would interest me I tried to pretend like it would. But it was really hard. I felt like the job might have been a bit depressing.

2. Art Advisory: I interviewed for a position as office manager of an art advisory. In the interview she asked me such illegal/questionable questions as:

--Where do your parents live? (I had to tell her my dad was deceased which was rather awkward)
--What does your mother do for a living? What did your father do?
--How old are you?
--Since you went to BYU, are you Mormon?
--How much do they pay you at your current temp job?
I did not get a call-back on this job, which means this could be grounds for discrimination. Hmmmm....

3. An upper eastside gallery: I came in and 2 other people were there to interview at the same time and 2 more came in after me. It was a cattle call. And I had 10 minutes to talk myself up. I will say that it was a comfort to see that I looked the most put-together out of anyone there. I was beginning to worry that the lack of hiring had something to do with my appearance.

I didn't get the first 2 jobs and haven't heard on the last. I have to honestly admit that while it does hurt a little, I wasn't too excited about working at either place.

What I Should Have Said: Subway Encounter II

Since I moved to Queens my subway ride into work is a bit longer. And today I tragically forgot to bring a book. So I just closed my eyes and rested. I'm beginning to realize that I don't like the Subway very much. Today, 2 stops before I get off the train I dozed off a bit. Right before getting out of my seat to get off the train I opened my eyes and there was a bloated looking white man wearing a baseball cap leaning over me mouthing something without making any noise. Looking right at me. And I just gave him this, "What are you doing?" glance. And he backed away kind of guilty-like. How long was he doing this? And why didn't anyone tell me? There were 2 men right by me just looking at me to see my reaction. I tried to act like it didn't bother me. I HATE having any attention called to me on public transportation. Yet is happens alot. Man. What a weird way to start the day.

What I should have said, "What the 'h' do you think you are doing, Creep?"

Halloween Back-up

Back it up to Halloween. Like I said in a previous post, I'm a bit behind in alot of things. I wanted to post a "borrowed" picture from www.briggie.blogspot.com of my Halloween Costume. I went as Laura from Project Runway. I had the hardest time finding something to make me look pregnant. I went to about 10 stores on the way to my Halloween Party. I eventually had to crash a party at a random halloween party at a church and ask them to give me a balloon. I then had to untie and deflate it multiple times it so it would fit under my dress. It was a nerve-wracking experience. But I'm grateful to the ladies who gave me the balloon. I purposefully tried to look a little slouchy, but also commanding like Laura does. I TRIED.

What They Shouldn't Have Said . . .

Some of my friends sure are clever. In the last 2 weeks the following comments been made towards me (all by guys I may add):

1. So why haven't you found a job yet?
Because I haven't been able to find the right fit and because my field is competitive. I've had a lot of interviews, but there is always someone more qualified for the job.

2. At least I can hold a job. (This in reference to the fact that I left my insurance job of 2 years to pursue my DREAM job--something I often wonder if I should have done.)
I could have kept that job. I CHOSE to leave.

3. Oh yeah. I forgot you are unemployed. (This in reference to my choice to move to Queens because it is more affordable)
I am not unemployed. I am working. I just don't have a permanent job.

I admit that I can be overly sensitive. But I think people can also be overly INsensitive toward their lesser employed friends.

LESSON: Say things that will boost the confidence of your job-searching friends. Not chip away at their already fragile egos. Especially if you are making said comments in front of other people.

Catching Up

I took a brief hiatus from the blog due to an intensive search to find a cheaper apartment with a private room. Within my price range I found the following 2 rooms in midtown:

1. A room with a mother and daughter who are both activists trying to bring down the bush regime. They have lived in the apartment for 20 years. It was filled with plants and other items that looked like they hadn't been dusted in that time. The daughter told me their last roommate yelled at her for coming home too early while she and her boyfriend were doing Kama Sutra.

2. A room in an apartment with an older gentleman with dreadlocks from The Cayman Islands (he AND the dreadlocks are from Cayman--not just the dreadlocks). The room had no light. The place was dark. And he was a collector. Collector of dusty figurines and trophies. The room smelled of incense. Suspicious.

This experience caused me to broaden my horizons into Queens. I eventually found the perfect apartment at the last minute in Astoria off the NYU Housing List. My room is big, private and has lots of light. That's all I need really. My new roomie is Leejone. Hi Leejone!

So. I moved in 2 days ago. Hence, the brief pause from blogging. I also started a new temp assignment and went to 3 interviews last week. It was a CRAZY week. Hopefully I'll be back in the saddle soon enough.