Thursday's interview

I mentioned early last week that I had a job interview. How it all came about, and where it went from "ok, you have an interview" was all a little strange.

The agency I contacted naturally wanted me to come in and register with them, and we would have tried to arrange some mutually convenient time. As it happened the consultant I was corresponding with said she didn't have time, and instead broke all the rules by briefing me on the job and putting me forward for the interview before I was registered -- and before we had even met.

The interview was Thursday, and since we had only arranged things to begin with on Tuesday, there hadn't been much time to get details worked out. I called Emma -- the consultant -- on Thursday and after we discussed me, what I am doing, how I have got here, what the job and the company were like, we had some of the strangest conversation I have ever had. She wanted to know what I looked like, because we are meant to have met -- and on the offchance they asked her. Would you just like me to email you a picture instead, I asked. She laughed and said sure, but I wasn't sure. So I'm sat at my desk, trying to keep my voice down, and saying
"Well...uhhh...this is weird. But...umm...I'm 5'8 with short brown hair, and grey/blue eyes..."
and she'd be saying "What? I can't hear you, it's a bad line, can you speak up?"
"I'm wearing a black suit and a blue shirt..."
It was very weird.

Then in case I should be asked, she described herself in an email for me. In her own words; 5'8 with wavy blonde hair, green eyes, slim (but more Kate Winslet than Kate Moss), and she had been told she looked like Drew Barrymore; although she didn't see it herself.
I guess that's how you get a job as a recruitment consultant; being able to sell yourself.

I turned up promptly and smartly dressed at the interview -- impressive since I was trying to tie my tie while on the tube to Leicester Square. I was kept waiting the usual few minutes and took the opportunity to look through a large portfolio left out, including press coverage of all the agency's work. After a little while I was met by a woman called Ellie. I enthusiastically shook her hand, expecting her to lead me to a room where I would then meet the interviewer. But no.

It seems God has a sense of humour; if I thought I was unprepared having only had one evening to prepare, it turned out they were expecting me on Friday -- and the woman I was meant to see was in a meeting. I also thought originally the interview had been arranged for Friday as well, until I had checked the confirmation when it arrived and seen it was Thursday. I decided it best not to mention this, in case I looked unprofessional turning up on the wrong day.

The interview went reasonably well. I was told to play up my creative side, because it was something they put a lot of importance on, and I impressed them when they asked why I wanted to work there and I was able to talk about being project based and it's a bold move that is paying off. Ellie looked very pleased and perhaps a little proud of her company and said yes, it was working very well. I'd also been told to be enthusiastic, and "bouncing off the walls" -- enthusiasm I can do, within reason, but short of having too much cherry coke I was never going to bounce off the walls. Incidentally, I once wrote a poem which included the lines "gonna have some fun, gonna get so high, gonna [have to] scrape me off the ceiling" which was about having too much cherry coke.

I just reread the poem and found it also included the line "got my mask to hide my feelings". It's surprising sometimes to look back at something like that and realise how unhappy you were. Or when I emailed the girl I mention in my karma post, and she made reference to being glad I was still alive -- I was so intense when she had known me and seemed likely to self destruct.

Anyway, after the interview I called Emma the consultant and she assured me the company had been told I was coming on Thursday. I expected to hear something on Friday, some kind of initial reaction even it was just that they wanted to see me again when they were expecting me, but I didn't hear a word. Either way, I am going to be staying at my company now until at least until the end of May -- and the longer I stay working there, the more employable I will.

I wish I had done this years ago, but back then I didn't realise I would want to work in PR. It's funny how these things go, if anything it's reassuring me that life might not ever work out the way you expect or plan it, but that's not necessarily bad.