I got a call to interview for a full-time position from a recruiter who saw my resume on a job site. Simple as that (well, not counting the months I spent revising my resume, creating my personal website, completing my LinkedIn profile, and applying for every job that came my way).
I thought the initial interviews went well enough when it came to the questions about my qualifications (those square pegs of past positions that could be easily whittled to fit the round pegs of the job description). Still, the issues of "fit" came down to intangibles such as the unspoken expectations of reading between the lines of the questions that the interviewers asked:
"Could you tell me something about yourself?" could be interpreted as "Are you the kind of person I already have in mind for the position?"
"What do you really want to do?" could be interpreted as "Are you after my job?"
"How would you handle this situation?" could be interpreted as "Tell me how to handle this situation because nothing I did seemed to work."
You see, I had been there before, out of work last year and trying to second guess the interviewers so that I could convince them (and perhaps myself as well) that I was the perfect candidate for the position. But something was different this time. I have spent the past nine months honing my skills as a writer on my current assignment, so I can speak from experience, confidence, and assurance.
This series of events reminds me of a quote from my favorite author, Robert Heinlein, "Sure the game is rigged, but you can't win if you don't play." Somehow, I'm responsible for the footwork, but I don't have control over the outcome.
Just for today, Doom and Gloom (those self-centered fears of not getting what I want or losing what I have) have been replaced with a deep desire to live usefully and walk humbly under the grace of God.
