Brethren and Sistren,
I just noticed that I never updated following my interview last week. Several of you were sufficiently interested and privileged (I use the term loosely) to ask in person, but for the rest, here goes:
Getting to the interview was somewhat stressful. I gave myself 50 minutes to drive from my apartment in Ames to their offices in Des Moines, which I figured would get me there plenty early. I ended up using 48 of those minutes. The first four miles of my journey took over 15 minutes, because the high winds and some deity wishing to agitate me with bad omens conspired to throw a semi across the Interstate just south of my on-ramp, causing me to sit at a complete stop for quite some time, wringing my hands nervously and singing along to Counting Crows at the top of my lungs. The two aren’t really related aside from the chronology of the thing.
Once I got there, things got much better. I met the HR rep I’d been phoning with, and she was nice, as was the future-potential-boss guy. I sat talking with both of them in a little conference room for about an hour. I talked a lot, they talked a lot, we all laughed a little bit… things went well. So far as I can tell, anyway.
The best part(s) of the entire interview was that the f-p-b guy kept “warning” me about things he thought would bug me about the job. And the more he warned me about the job, the more perfectly suited for me it sounded. In the end, f-p-b guy’s primary concern seemed to be that I would get bored, since I seem to be interested in a little bit of everything. I tried to allay his fears by telling him that I was planning on keeping freelance work in the picture to keep myself entertained, and that I might even try for a lecture spot here and there at the college. Quinn’s suggested response was better, though: It’s supposed to be boring - that’s why they call it work. ;)
All in all, this company sounds like a nearly ideal environment for a person such as me. I mean, the CEO was described to me as a long-haired hippie who tends to wear t-shirts and moccasins to the office. Who knew: I didn’t have to cut my hair off to get a job after all!
Also on the job front: I decided not to apply for my replacement position here at the Graduate College (my assistantship position is becoming a full-time position). I’d been weighing the pros and cons for weeks, and in the end I decided that I needed an opportunity to see how I fit in the nonacademic world. I’ve been working for ISU in various capacities for nearly seven years now. It’s time I see how I fare in the world of business. I may come back to ISU to take a class here and there, or even to teach occasionally, but I don’t want the university to define my existence for the next few years.
Well, as I was writing this update, above-not-mentioned company called to schedule a second interview! :) I’ll be heading Moinesward next Tuesday afternoon. I’ll probably dress a little more casual this go around, now that I’ve seen their attire in person. Last time, I dressed up a little intentionally, so that I would stand out. This time, I don’t want to stand out-I hope to blend in, like I’d been there forever. :)
