The Employment Shuffle

Things have finally been looking up on the job front. I'm still unemployed, but I reworked my resume just in time for the University to set up a new, very convenient application system. I've had two interviews in the past couple of weeks, and have another on Monday. I applied for two more jobs today. I must have about 15 applications in, and common wisdom indicates that three interviews is a pretty good return rate. I apply for 2-5 or so every week. All I really want out of life any more is a day job with health insurance.

I'm looking for secretarial or clerical work, because my IT skills are too rusty to sell, and my last IT job darned near killed me anyways. I type 70 words a minute, and Microsoft Office is my bitch. Ditto Outlook, WordPerfect Office, etc. I wrote the Counseling Center's client tracking system in Access and I'm pretty sure I haven't forgotten that yet. I'm a dynamite editor, write good manuals and am willing to do pretty much any work that's not illegal (or telemarketing). I'm personable, I have good references and I make a fantastic cup of coffee. What's not to love?

I really want the first job I interviewed for, but won't know till next week at the earliest. It would include web work, editing, document creation and would put me in a position to help make life a little better for college kids under a lot of stress. I hope I get it.

I've already heard that they chose someone else for the second job, but I'm okay with that. I had a sense that it was a good interview, but I wasn't as good a fit as one of their other candidates. It only takes one job to settle me, after all. I did have the best interview question ever, though. With a perfectly straight face he asked me: "What would you do if I gave you a camel?"

"I'd have to take it to the zoo. We have a nice zoo here, and I live in a condo. Too cramped for a camel, and the cats would complain."

He said the idea behind the question was to see how people did at thinking on their feet. He said most people just locked up. I thought it was pretty funny.

Monday I interview at the Vet Clinic, again for a secretarial job.

As long as the interviews keep up and I get a job reasonably soon, my spirits are good.