Tag job interview

Blue skies and smarty pants

Angel Ackerman Leave a comment

Today I had the pleasure of hanging out with one of the Parisian Phoenix authors in the morning and to go on a job interview this afternoon.

Both of these activities reminded me of the different types of intelligence and social interactions people have.

I have been working hard with my freelance clients and working on building the presence of Parisian Phoenix that I had forgotten that sometimes it just feels good to interact with new humans and to help people already in one’s circle with situations I have faced or thought about before.

I was not necessarily energetic or feeling like I was putting my best food forward before the job interview today, despite having a stellar morning with someone I respect and enjoy. Even now, I feel a little exhausted and out of sorts.

Maybe because I am learning to take care of myself in a new type of professional landscape.

The interview went very well, and even if I am not their final hire, I gave them some ideas that they can use. And the interview reminded me that I have more knowledge and experience than I sometimes think. Sometimes we are ready for the next adventure and have all the necessary skills without having scaled that exact mountain.

And sometimes it just feels good to have conversations with new people.

And when you are me, it always feels good to take photos of trucks and industrial scenes and blue sky.

A Day for the Dogs

Angel Ackerman Leave a comment

Earlier this week, I had an interview with the owner of a doggie daycare/boarding facility about a potential job. I’m striking out with some of my professional interviews, and perhaps they can sense that I really don’t want to return to full-time work. Ideally. I’d like to recruit more editorial clients and focus on Parisian Phoenix Publishing. A part-time job would give me the chance to do that, and provide some stability.

The dog thing happened by accident. I saw it on Indeed and figured “Why the Hell Not?” I’m not the dog-whisperer like The Teenager, but dogs usually like me. And between mothering and petsitting and fostering I have cared for kittens, cats, dogs, rats, parakeets, parrots (this includes Nala and a Senegal), rabbits, various lizards, hermit crabs, snakes, chickens and horses.

And I’ve medicated many of those creatures.

During the original interview, the cleanliness of the place impressed me. It didn’t smell like dog, and it didn’t smell like bleach or harsh chemicals. The facility wasn’t noisy. And there were many varieties of kennels and rooms and play areas for the dogs.

The owner invited me back for a second “working” interview today, so I got to learn more about the ins-and-outs and I got to help with private play for several of the dogs. I caught one larger dog (about the same size and build as our own F. Bean Barker) that got away from the caretaker because he didn’t want to stay in his room. I noticed some expired vaccines on dogs who applied to come in for an evaluation. I made friends with a miniature poodle with red hair that usually didn’t like anybody. I hosed off artificial turf.

In other news, I also followed up on a lead I learned about last night about an office position, part-time, in downtown Bethlehem.

I am trying to capitalize on skills other than food service, as I’d like my resume to follow my eclectic and diverse involvements so keeping it professional or doing more in animal care/welfare seems right for this phase.

We shall see.

Job interviews should make you feel valued

Angel Ackerman 1 Comment

No one likes job interviews– but is that so?

Really?

I hate the nerves of getting dressed, trying not to spill coffee on myself, picking shoes that I won’t trip over, worrying about traffic or getting lost or sticking my foot in my mouth.

But on the good ones…

I leave feeling empowered, confident and excited. Regardless of whether the employer decides to hire you or not, a good job interview has the person in the chair thinking about their own skills, their history, their past. And if it’s a good company, and a good interview, a person can leave understanding more about their own value and with a clearer idea of self-worth.

Even if the company feels wrong– if you leave an interview with a better concept of what you want that is valuable. Of you see red flags and think “oh no, not working there,” that’s a sign you’re getting more sure-footed in your decision-making.

But sometimes you leave thinking you just had a good conversation with some new people, and you heard statements come out of your mouth that surprised you with their succinctness and relevance.

Those are the days you have to think, “Wow. Maybe I belong here.”

Those are the days it’s also easy to get discouraged when they say no, but it’s important to remember that culture and fit plays a very important role in choosing new employees and that there’s always a lot of people looking for jobs. So it might not be something you did.

Keep going, my friends, keep going.

And in case you are interested, I very much felt like I belonged when I went to the interview today. No doubt in my mind that I could do the job, do well at it, and grow as the opportunities came. We’ll see what happens. I wore a Calvin Klein sheath, sleeveless, very pink, princess seams, high neck, and black cowboy boots. Bold choice perhaps.