Not so bad...
The interview wasn't so horrible.
I was not going into it with good feelings but it was not half a big disaster as I thought. On my end anyway.
My interview outfit wasn't as flattering as I immagined when I put it toggether in my brain. I defaulted to my suit. Then I realized I had no stockings, so I went to the drug store (after much debate in my brain) and bought some. I put them on in the bathroom while standing on the package inserts so I wouldn't get my feet on the gross floor. I felt pretty resourceful.
I marched right up there and found the 'phone' I was supposed to use to let myself into the building was covered in bird shit. Even though I have my own key to the building, I didn't have a clue where to go once inside or who to alert of my presence. So I called on the gross phone. No one answered. I called the "urgency contact" person with no answer. I waited. I got into the building and waited. I met someone I knew and chatted. I waited more. I called on the gross phone two more times with no answer. I was starting to get really pissed.
Shortly, someone came out and looked at me, said "I'm the one looking to fill a position" and I thought it would be just fine after that. Not really, he lead me to a break room with half the pannel of judges... I mean... interviewers and told me to wait. I waited. They chatted. Someone came in to say they couldn't start the interview unless someone from HR was present. The person (my urgent contact) was missing in action, so they somehow got someone else to appear after 30 minutes.
When that person arrived, they asked me to "step out for a minute" while they "got on the same page". I mean... shit... that's never happened before! What IS that?!
I was already exhausted from 30 minutes of "appear to be polite and pleasant even though I'm bored, scared or angry" smiling and the interview hadn't even started. When it did, they FINALLY gave me a job description. Which they discussed with me because I hadn't had my own copy (urgh). And an interview began.
I could tell some people were trying to be as nice as possible. Someone else was trying to trip me up because I suck at on the spot science and she seems to like messing with people. And someone else entirely was giving me the evilest of eyes. The HR lady was passing notes while I was speaking... I mean... WHAT. THE. FUCK? I tried to ignore it and did the same things I usually do: Stutter, stumble and speak very monotone. I can't help it, it's my "I'm on the spot with no good answer" voice. Thinking about it only makes it worse. too.
Longer story short, I had some good enough answers and I didn't say "I don't know" as much as I did in previous interviews. So, I'd say my performance was good enough. If they like me or not, I don't have a clue.
I'm not sure I will enjoy this job. 50% of the job is office crap that I hate doing and takes a lot of time. Enforcing safety rules, keeping up to date on all the rules, ordering, speaking to reps, doing all the paper work. The rest will be normal lab junk that seems interesting. Unfortunately, it requires a LOT of driving from Sacramento to Davis during the day. Despite being in a building with an entire floor devoted to animal housing, this lab has it's entire mouse colony in another damn COUNTY. So, driving. A lot. At all hours. Daily. On variable schedules. Maybe at night and weekends. I hate driving on a schedule! It's bad for the environment!
If it were all "lab junk", I'd be jumping up and down for it. Sadly, I'm really not interested in being the manager and solely responsible for learning safety rules. Labs who have managers are usually big and unorganized, messy and full of boxes of shit people wont throw out. I don't like labs like that. Plus, I don't think those kinds of skills translate well when/if you have to find another lab.
The position likely pays better than any I've had at UCD thus far, and I bet I'd be get paid for gas. The project sounds interesting, too. And it probably presents a lot of chance to be the big fish of rules and learn a few more surgical skills. I'm just not thrilled about the driving and the management parts.
I dunno. If offered, I'd take it.... but I would wonder what else was out there.
I was not going into it with good feelings but it was not half a big disaster as I thought. On my end anyway.
My interview outfit wasn't as flattering as I immagined when I put it toggether in my brain. I defaulted to my suit. Then I realized I had no stockings, so I went to the drug store (after much debate in my brain) and bought some. I put them on in the bathroom while standing on the package inserts so I wouldn't get my feet on the gross floor. I felt pretty resourceful.
I marched right up there and found the 'phone' I was supposed to use to let myself into the building was covered in bird shit. Even though I have my own key to the building, I didn't have a clue where to go once inside or who to alert of my presence. So I called on the gross phone. No one answered. I called the "urgency contact" person with no answer. I waited. I got into the building and waited. I met someone I knew and chatted. I waited more. I called on the gross phone two more times with no answer. I was starting to get really pissed.
Shortly, someone came out and looked at me, said "I'm the one looking to fill a position" and I thought it would be just fine after that. Not really, he lead me to a break room with half the pannel of judges... I mean... interviewers and told me to wait. I waited. They chatted. Someone came in to say they couldn't start the interview unless someone from HR was present. The person (my urgent contact) was missing in action, so they somehow got someone else to appear after 30 minutes.
When that person arrived, they asked me to "step out for a minute" while they "got on the same page". I mean... shit... that's never happened before! What IS that?!
I was already exhausted from 30 minutes of "appear to be polite and pleasant even though I'm bored, scared or angry" smiling and the interview hadn't even started. When it did, they FINALLY gave me a job description. Which they discussed with me because I hadn't had my own copy (urgh). And an interview began.
I could tell some people were trying to be as nice as possible. Someone else was trying to trip me up because I suck at on the spot science and she seems to like messing with people. And someone else entirely was giving me the evilest of eyes. The HR lady was passing notes while I was speaking... I mean... WHAT. THE. FUCK? I tried to ignore it and did the same things I usually do: Stutter, stumble and speak very monotone. I can't help it, it's my "I'm on the spot with no good answer" voice. Thinking about it only makes it worse. too.
Longer story short, I had some good enough answers and I didn't say "I don't know" as much as I did in previous interviews. So, I'd say my performance was good enough. If they like me or not, I don't have a clue.
I'm not sure I will enjoy this job. 50% of the job is office crap that I hate doing and takes a lot of time. Enforcing safety rules, keeping up to date on all the rules, ordering, speaking to reps, doing all the paper work. The rest will be normal lab junk that seems interesting. Unfortunately, it requires a LOT of driving from Sacramento to Davis during the day. Despite being in a building with an entire floor devoted to animal housing, this lab has it's entire mouse colony in another damn COUNTY. So, driving. A lot. At all hours. Daily. On variable schedules. Maybe at night and weekends. I hate driving on a schedule! It's bad for the environment!
If it were all "lab junk", I'd be jumping up and down for it. Sadly, I'm really not interested in being the manager and solely responsible for learning safety rules. Labs who have managers are usually big and unorganized, messy and full of boxes of shit people wont throw out. I don't like labs like that. Plus, I don't think those kinds of skills translate well when/if you have to find another lab.
The position likely pays better than any I've had at UCD thus far, and I bet I'd be get paid for gas. The project sounds interesting, too. And it probably presents a lot of chance to be the big fish of rules and learn a few more surgical skills. I'm just not thrilled about the driving and the management parts.
I dunno. If offered, I'd take it.... but I would wonder what else was out there.