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Today has been an adventure, dear internets. And I've realized that it makes me happy to feel like I'm on an adventure. I got up this morning, hopped into my interview clothes, and headed off to the bus stop. I felt like a ridiculous yuppie, and it got me to wondering if this apartment full of blonde girls at the bottom of the park is a harbinger of Things to Come for the people in this neighborhood. This is the direction of "progress" (or more accurately, gentrification) from the loop, since we're out of space to the north that isn't Evanston. I hope I didn't worry anyone, because the fact is I rather like this neighborhood the way it is. Except the blocks to the west of us could stand to be a few shades lighter on the crime map (as in, not something like red).
The first interview was more of a barrage of tests, interspersed with friendly conversation with the recruiter, who, sadly, didn't have anything for me at the moment, but promised to keep looking. I also found out, from the battery of tests, that there are things that can be done with Word that I never imagined, and that apparently even though I haven't used Excel for 6 years, my skills in it are better than my skills in Word (what?). Also, I can type, officially, 86 words per minute. Which is a freaking lot. I've been saying 65 forever. And apparently that's a lie. (That's right, Chicago. I type freaking fast. Now give me a job. I know you need a fast typist somewhere.)
The second interview was in an office on the 35th floor of the Prudential Building. The Prudential Building, in addition to overlooking Milennium Park, also has a view of the lake, and most of the South Loop. I'm not sure I'd have paid any attention to my interview if the office had had windows. But, thankfully, the room I was interviewed in didn't have windows, and it went fair enough. There is another round of interviews after this, and I may perhaps get called back, depending on how they react to my answers to their application survey. It reminded me a bit of the UofC application, in that it had some rather weird questions, including a bit where I had to come up with sentences for words, and it was very difficult for me not to write very weird ones. I think the worst I did was for trite, which was something like "Her treatment of the situation was very trite; she paid it no more mind than she did her neighbor's cat." Which really doesn't illustrate any understanding of the word, and is in fact an almost entirely wrong use of it (except that I would defend it by saying that her attention to the neighbor's cat was scant due to the repetition of her seeing it, and therefore trite). But I couldn't come up with a good actual sentence to use, and I liked the sound of that sentence, so hopefully they won't stop too long to think about how it's actually wrong. In fact, my biggest error (aside from having to call back after the interview to give the secretary the phone numbers for my references, as the page had fallen out of my notebooke) was probably the random answer I gave to their "Anything else we should know?" question (which was phrased in such a way as to encourage somewhat odd answers). It went something like "I can't in good conscience leave this blank, so you should know: * The 8 key on your calculator is stubborn. * I keep wanting to sketch the view from here, but I'm a horrible artist. * What I lack in artistic talent I make up for in wit. * Though sometimes it fails me on applications." I can imagine the conversation regarding this response going something like "And here's![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
evilhippo's application. She misused the word trite and... appears to have been channeling Oscar Wilde at the end of her application. It's a shame he's about a hundred years past his prime." And then it'll be thrown in the bin. But at least I got to look out their windows. And I can hold out hope for the recruiter to find me a job.
Also, since I should make note of this, the second company did... get this... infomercials. The irony would be amazing (warning: link contains eye-bleeding color combinations, pop-up ads, and writing done by me approximately 9 years ago).
And, because I haven't done a meme in a while, and the results of this one, I believe, rather adeptly illuminate the precise nature of my current career problem, I present to you... The Internets Don't Know What I Should Do With Myself Either:
1. Go to http://www.careercruising.com/.
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark.
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
4. Post the top ten results
1. Office Machine Repairer
2. Technical Writer
3. Business Systems Analyst
4. Writer
5. Computer Trainer
6. Desktop Publisher
7. Video Game Developer
8. Historian
9. Furniture Finisher
10. ESL Teacher
11. Magician
12. Makeup Artist
13. Director of Photography
14. Small Engine Mechanic
15. Television and Radio Reporter
16. Locksmith
17. Motorcycle Mechanic
18. Political Aide
19. Critic
20. Anthropologist
21. Vending Machine Servicer
22. Bicycle Mechanic
23. Professor
24. Gunsmith
25. Heavy Equipment Mechanic
26. Mediator
27. Computer Programmer
28. Web Developer
29. Activist
30. Pet Groomer
31. Tailor / Dressmaker
32. Foreign Language Instructor
33. Translator
34. Plumber
35. Announcer
36. Musical Instrument Builder and Repairer
37. Auto Detailer
38. Multimedia Developer
39. Lobbyist
40. Special Effects Technician
Please, someone tell me they got results as mixed-up as mine. Because.... I'm not sure any of those overlap in groups larger than threes, and those groups don't seem to overlap each other at all. No wonder I'm so confused. Furniture finisher is in the top ten. What the heck? I have not seen anyone take this quiz and get such a mish-mash of results.
Obviously, I should drop everything and become a magician. (Which is tempting now, as I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, and though it took me a while to get into it, it's probably one of the best books I've read in quite a long time, and even though I'm not finished yet, I have a strong urge to recommend it to everyone I know, and probably will recommend it in great detail after I finish it.)
The first interview was more of a barrage of tests, interspersed with friendly conversation with the recruiter, who, sadly, didn't have anything for me at the moment, but promised to keep looking. I also found out, from the battery of tests, that there are things that can be done with Word that I never imagined, and that apparently even though I haven't used Excel for 6 years, my skills in it are better than my skills in Word (what?). Also, I can type, officially, 86 words per minute. Which is a freaking lot. I've been saying 65 forever. And apparently that's a lie. (That's right, Chicago. I type freaking fast. Now give me a job. I know you need a fast typist somewhere.)
The second interview was in an office on the 35th floor of the Prudential Building. The Prudential Building, in addition to overlooking Milennium Park, also has a view of the lake, and most of the South Loop. I'm not sure I'd have paid any attention to my interview if the office had had windows. But, thankfully, the room I was interviewed in didn't have windows, and it went fair enough. There is another round of interviews after this, and I may perhaps get called back, depending on how they react to my answers to their application survey. It reminded me a bit of the UofC application, in that it had some rather weird questions, including a bit where I had to come up with sentences for words, and it was very difficult for me not to write very weird ones. I think the worst I did was for trite, which was something like "Her treatment of the situation was very trite; she paid it no more mind than she did her neighbor's cat." Which really doesn't illustrate any understanding of the word, and is in fact an almost entirely wrong use of it (except that I would defend it by saying that her attention to the neighbor's cat was scant due to the repetition of her seeing it, and therefore trite). But I couldn't come up with a good actual sentence to use, and I liked the sound of that sentence, so hopefully they won't stop too long to think about how it's actually wrong. In fact, my biggest error (aside from having to call back after the interview to give the secretary the phone numbers for my references, as the page had fallen out of my notebooke) was probably the random answer I gave to their "Anything else we should know?" question (which was phrased in such a way as to encourage somewhat odd answers). It went something like "I can't in good conscience leave this blank, so you should know: * The 8 key on your calculator is stubborn. * I keep wanting to sketch the view from here, but I'm a horrible artist. * What I lack in artistic talent I make up for in wit. * Though sometimes it fails me on applications." I can imagine the conversation regarding this response going something like "And here's
evilhippo's application. She misused the word trite and... appears to have been channeling Oscar Wilde at the end of her application. It's a shame he's about a hundred years past his prime." And then it'll be thrown in the bin. But at least I got to look out their windows. And I can hold out hope for the recruiter to find me a job.Also, since I should make note of this, the second company did... get this... infomercials. The irony would be amazing (warning: link contains eye-bleeding color combinations, pop-up ads, and writing done by me approximately 9 years ago).
And, because I haven't done a meme in a while, and the results of this one, I believe, rather adeptly illuminate the precise nature of my current career problem, I present to you... The Internets Don't Know What I Should Do With Myself Either:
1. Go to http://www.careercruising.com/.
2. Put in Username: nycareers, Password: landmark.
3. Take their "Career Matchmaker" questions.
4. Post the top ten results
1. Office Machine Repairer
2. Technical Writer
3. Business Systems Analyst
4. Writer
5. Computer Trainer
6. Desktop Publisher
7. Video Game Developer
8. Historian
9. Furniture Finisher
10. ESL Teacher
11. Magician
12. Makeup Artist
13. Director of Photography
14. Small Engine Mechanic
15. Television and Radio Reporter
16. Locksmith
17. Motorcycle Mechanic
18. Political Aide
19. Critic
20. Anthropologist
21. Vending Machine Servicer
22. Bicycle Mechanic
23. Professor
24. Gunsmith
25. Heavy Equipment Mechanic
26. Mediator
27. Computer Programmer
28. Web Developer
29. Activist
30. Pet Groomer
31. Tailor / Dressmaker
32. Foreign Language Instructor
33. Translator
34. Plumber
35. Announcer
36. Musical Instrument Builder and Repairer
37. Auto Detailer
38. Multimedia Developer
39. Lobbyist
40. Special Effects Technician
Please, someone tell me they got results as mixed-up as mine. Because.... I'm not sure any of those overlap in groups larger than threes, and those groups don't seem to overlap each other at all. No wonder I'm so confused. Furniture finisher is in the top ten. What the heck? I have not seen anyone take this quiz and get such a mish-mash of results.
Obviously, I should drop everything and become a magician. (Which is tempting now, as I am reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, and though it took me a while to get into it, it's probably one of the best books I've read in quite a long time, and even though I'm not finished yet, I have a strong urge to recommend it to everyone I know, and probably will recommend it in great detail after I finish it.)
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From:
no subject
PS! It appears our Visual Arts Club is planning a Chicago trip for November 2-4. Because this is an excellent oppurtunity to see giant beans and threadless retailers, I will probably be in attendance money situation pending. :3
From:
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From:
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:DDDDD
Well, it's fine if we get to get a certain person to trigger it...When a firmer itinerary is set, I will let you know about things. Though I am supposed to ask you if there's anything in Chicago or good little places to eat at that we might be interested in, since I mentioned that you live there.
From:
no subject
Woohoo. There are indeed things in Chicago... (-; It really depends on where you guys end up staying. And what sort of food you're looking for. I know all sorts of weird places, and a few kind of normal places. And an unfortunate number of rather expensive places.
This is why I'd suck as a tour guide.From:
no subject
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From:
no subject
bicycle mechanic. lobbyist (is that one who lobbies, or one who works in a lobby?).
musical instrument builder and repairer?!
here's my list:
1. Director of Photography
2. Physicist
3. Environmental Engineer
4. Materials / Metallurgical Engineer
5. Biomedical Engineer
6. Hydrologist / Hydrogeologist
7. Mining Engineer
8. Optometrist
9. Petroleum Engineer
10. Oceanographer
11. Photographer
12. Mathematician
13. Director
14. Foreign Language Instructor
15. ESL Teacher
16. Animator
17. Desktop Publisher
18. Editor
19. Professor
20. Computer Trainer
21. Cartoonist / Comic Illustrator
22. Chemist
23. Computer Animator
24. Graphic Designer
25. Artist
26. Casting Director
27. Market Research Analyst28.Musician
29. Critic
30. Health Records Professional
31. Comedian
32. Composer
33. Translator
34. Telephone Operator
35. Print Journalist
36. Medical Lab Tech
37. Pharmacy Technician
38. Writer
39. Medical Illustrator
40. Corporate Trainer
definitely not as all-over-the-place!
From:
no subject
I think my favourite part is the bit that goes from anthropologist and vending machine repair to professor and gunsmith. I'm beginning to lose hope... I've seen at least four people take this quiz after me, and no one's come close to such silly results. The problem must be me. Goshdarnit.