An interview, blah blah

This photo is actually relevant to the interview I had.

Yesterday I had my first interview in nearly a month. (Though, in all fairness, I had a sorta-interview with a friend of a friend's place last week. It was an impossible job, that had several misfitting aspects of it. We agreed I wasn't a good fit).

Yesterday's interview was for an... community organization in my hometown. (I don't really want to move back to my hometown, but the thought has come up for reasons I may get into some point later). I'd applied their on a whim and -Holy Cow!- they contacted me pretty soon after for an interview.

I was over-qualified and the pay was on the low-end (but good for the field). But phone interviews -like most interviews- are... weird? Lackluster? Disheartening? Leave much to be desired?

I know I was nervous at first and answered question awkwardly, but I tried engaging her, the interviewer. I'd like to think I was successful in that regard (engaging). I doubt very much I'll go to round two.

SHE ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS that threw me off.  First, "Tell me about yourself". Um, a bit too general. Where do you want me to start? With my birth? Cause that's fascinating. (Aside from the miracle of life, there are other interesting aspects of my birth -mostly, the location- that makes an interesting story, people drop their jaws, and it's almost relative to the position.)

But I didn't start with my birth. I also didn't start with my 18th birthday, or specifically three months later when I flew across the ocean to spend the better part of two years tramping around Asia.

Maybe I should have. Instead I just tried giving a narrative of my "career".

WHICH SEGUED TO AN AWKWARD, LEADING QUESTION, one I fear: "You've done a lot of different things. Why is that? Have you tried changing careers?"

I thought it wasn't far. My professional narrative is clear that Career Path 1 resulted in side projects of Career Path 2, which lead perfectly to my graduate degree. (Shit, woman, if you want to piss an interviewee off, you know how to do it!) I tried underscoring that point. I don't know if I succeeded.

I never know if I've ever succeeded with the minor details of interviewing (like, the part that doesn't land the job).

Which reminds me: I've wanted something for this whole job hunt experience: someone to call up interviewers (after my interviewer, after I've been rejected) and do some QC on my interview. That's really what I want a career counselor to do: forget the theoretical, what about people's actual opinions of my actual interviews?

I'd love to do tit-for-tat with someone in this regard. I'd love this blog to get read enough that I could pose that offer to my readers and the line "if you want to do this, leave a message in the comments" didn't come across as awkward.