It’s amazing what you can find on Craigslist. Want some chickens? Check out the Farm & Garden section. Need snow shoveled this winter? Check General Labor. Looking for a handyman? Someone to write your memoirs? A caterer? They’re all on Craigslist. Apparently you can also find people with names like Aphrodite or Stone who want to show you a good time, but I’ve never checked out that section.
A section I have used with good results is the Job listings. I’ve hired people through ads there, and also found freelance and full-time positions myself. In fact, my last three jobs were found through Craigslist! So that is how I came to be sitting in front of three people last week interviewing for a communications consultant position.
Now, over the course of my career I’ve done a lot of interviewing. I’ve been the interviewer and the interviewee. Between career advancement and moving to different states for my husband’s job, I’ve been the interviewee numerous times. But I still get nervous, and the panel interviews are the worst as far as I’m concerned. You know that while you’re answering one person’s question and looking at them, the others are scrutinizing your every move and detail.
It’s not that I don’t have perfect confidence in my ability to do the job, I do. I get nervous about other things. For instance, I talk with my hands so I have to be careful I don’t knock over the glass of water they’ve so thoughtfully provided me. Yes, I’ve done that. Actually, more than once. I’m basically a klutz. One time the full glass went across the table into my interviewer’s lap. (Amazingly I still got that job!) Or the time I was just getting over a cold and had a coughing fit that wouldn’t stop. I could see the interviewers surreptitiously move their chairs a little farther away from me. (Got that one too!) There was the time I pulled out my portfolio and it was covered with dog hair, as it turned out, was my hem of my skirt. Luckily they were pet owners. Perhaps the worst interview was the one where I was suddenly overwhelmed by what I later described to friends as a premenopausal glow, but which they thoughtfully informed me was “flop sweat.” I couldn’t help myself; I stopped in the middle of answering a question and tore off my jacket while they all stared at me. (Didn’t get that one.)
For the one last week I was perfectly groomed and had double-checked all presentation materials the night before -- not a dog hair in sight. I moved the glass of water carefully to the side. I was healthy. I was prepared. I provided thoughtful answers to their questions. I made them laugh. In fact, nothing went wrong.
At least I don’t think so. But the HR person told me she would try to get back to me yesterday, and I still haven’t heard from her.
So please send me some positive vibes! In the meantime I’m going to go back on Craigslist to see if any interesting new jobs have been posted …
