All the Disturbing Details

 All the Disturbing Details

The silly, frustrating and emotionally draining parts of the great in-between.

This was the supplemental application page on an employment application for Ludeman's Fireplace and Patio as a farm store customer service associate. Number seven is about the strangest question I have ever encountered on a job form.

It asks: "What makes you angry?" I honestly wanted to write something jokey, or else say 'employers who want your social security number before you are even interviewed or hired!' as they did on page one. But I just thought about some things that create emotional ire and wrote that down. This place upset me because after filling out their very personal and detailed form, I didn't hear any response from them. It's a smaller, family owned business and I guess I expected a less corporate style when it came to applicant etiquette. I finally went back in and said I had guessed I wasn't hired, but as there was so much personal information on my application, could they please either assure me that it had been shredded, or else return it to me? They looked for it but couldn't even find it (there wasn't a file somewhere for applications pending or rejected? Seriously disorganized. Amirite?) so I left a note for the person to whom I had originally turned it in asking she call or email. I didn't hear anything, but later received a photocopy of my application in the mail. I am sure they thought I was barmy for caring, or wanting it back, but not even granting me an interview after all that rigmarole was off too.

That whole incident happened while I was working at Walmart Neighborhood Market. I was weary of the monotony of cashiering as well as the teenage supervisors' commonality of condescension. I don't even think they knew they were doing it; it was more like an ingrained superiority in their generation and worldly ignorance, as well as being in minor positions of power at such young ages. Before I was hired there, I had interviews for Fred Meyer store, an independent company's house cleaning business, a Winco store deli worker and a party organizer company's face painter. Toward the end of my brief Spring/Summer tenure there I interviewed for a local cafe and the U.S. post office. Not too much later I got the email about EMS subdesk which didn't involve an interview, but did require fingerprinting and background checks, as well as one lengthy training session. I also had to acquire a new SS card, as I couldn't locate mine, but it was free, so that was not a big problem. I needed to get my fingerprints re-done because the first set were not clear enough because of the photo chemicals at Rite Aid causing skin deterioration. The sheriff's fingerprint tech said this was not unusual as there were many different reasons and professions that caused prints to be unclear. It was a pretty cool experience actually, as I was there by willing participation and not by force or lack of choice.

I have had job prospects that required three interviews, jobs that had cursory meetings and then right to signing the paperwork, and ones that involved nothing more than showing up with an i.d. Hiring practices are all so different and almost impossible to predict in advance. Sometimes being overly prepared pays off, and sometimes you would do better to go in with a 'I just don't give a fuq' attitude.

Technically I am now employed, I think (because I only worked a dozen or so shifts through them), by the EMS subdesk, BUT—after biking an hour each way to Walmart, it was very difficult to transition to driving long ways, and their system of picking up shifts depended on checking their website daily, which I was not very consistent about. I thought somehow it might lead to actual assistant teaching, or substitute teaching, but that requires a state certificate which, despite online research, still befuddles me concerning its mysterious acquisition. If only I had done that my second time through college ... but I didn't know what I know now. So I worked in a few different school cafeteria kitchens, on some playgrounds, in a couple of elementary classrooms, and one high school special needs class where I witnessed another sub be an asshole and criticize the way a kid was eating his pizza. I desperately wanted to say something and found myself so dumbfounded I was totally tongue-tied. I can still relive the moments like an out of body experience, and I wish I had a do-over.
Still, it was very cool how they asked me to work for them instead of the other way around, and if I can still get some gigs through their online network, it would be great. I will investigate that soon!

The housecleaning job had promise, but it did require auto insurance and driving. I would have had to buy a light weight vacuum with attachments. I was so intent on actually accepting the position were it offered, that I went directly to Goodwill after the interview to peruse used vacuum machines. The business owner was a great person, but one of the reasons she needed help, besides trying to expand her business, was a debilitating back injury. I had future flashes (or is it flash backs) of starting the job, which is basically pretty vigorous physical labour, and sustaining a similar injury. So when soon offered the Walmart job, I chose that, despite it paying less per hour. I also had some poor memories of a short stint as a house cleaner with Merry Maids in California when I was eighteen. It was rather depressing going into homes of very privileged wealthy families and cleaning toilets. In all the bathrooms. Why do people need more than one bathroom? I know, it's not need, but luxury, but still.

Walmart was, overall, much better than I had expected. I actually gave notice and an explanation, and left on good terms, which has not been my M.O. for most of my life. There was also an odd coincidence of the subdesk main office being a mere two minute bike ride from the Walmart store. And my former boss Danny from Tuesday Morning store in the Rite Aid basement is all of a sudden the store manager at the Tuesday Morning location nearby to that. Just coincidence, but interesting.

So I had re-applied online for the post office (the year before I had applied and tested for it, but missed the interview because of missed-call-phone-tag-negligence) and I actually took a day off work to attend the mass effect group combo interview and information session downtown. Well, I was super excited when I found out about the job at the local post office because it is within walking distance, but this time around it was for far off hand delivery carriers. Still, I wanted to try. Ever since I was a tot and preferred the mail delivery truck to the other 'Little People' toys to when I was a bit older and discovered the joys of sending and receiving mail, I have been a big fan of the post office. When I was a disturbed teenager the post office was about the only place an underage person could go to hang out without spending any money. It sounds weird now, but at the time it was comforting. Maybe if churches didn't lock their doors at night I would have found solace sitting and reading in a pew instead of on the counter in the local postal. I was confused about the signing in process, and even though I was quite early I ended up near the bottom of the list, which they ended up using for calling people out of one room into another, set up with lots of chairs and about fifteen interviewers. I did not do that great, but I am happy I gave it some effort. I no longer feel that the postal service would be a good place for me. It had the strong allure of very decent paychecks, but I will stick to my letter writing and stamp collecting. I could see myself doing it as a temporary experience, but in the long run I could not be confident that I would do a consistently perfect job, which is obviously very important. Lost or missing mail is no laughing matter, eh?

So later, I had this interview for a cafe job. Like I do with almost every job I apply for, I envision myself working there and what it would be like, and how I would do well and move up in the company and learn a lot. Concerning the cafe, I thought it might give me the intel to someday have my own cafe. This is just a mix of daydream fantasy and convincing myself it's not only okay, but important to settle for what you don't really want and treat it as an opportunity to become someone different. By the time I got to the location, it turned out I was early still, but as time went on, the owner was becoming later and later and I got the very strong feeling that I should run and not look back. Sometimes if you really want to walk away it's just nerves, and sometimes it's exactly what you should do; but you have to be okay with the results. For some reason there were two people interviewing me, one very young girl and one older woman. They older woman called me old and said it would be a change from the young students they normally hire. Well, fuck you very much. I smiled and said something about experience, but really I felt like shit. I didn't have a working phone so was relying on Steve for messages at the time, and when they called I assumed it was a job offer, not even bothering to call back I used that as my given reason for quitting Walmart. I did later call back and left a message but never found out "Wha Hoppen"? I probably would not have loved it.

Face painting job. Embarrassed much? Yes. Yes I am, thank you. The irony is that later I ended up face painting as a volunteer at a school festival and loved it as much as I had thought I would. I only wished I had more experience so I could have been better and faster.
Chronologically, I don't even remember exactly where this one fit in, except that it was definitely before Walmart. It was bad before it even began. I didn't think I should even have to interview, but just hired on trial or something and see how it worked out on both sides. The whole concept of interviewing causes me high anxiety. I think they should just call it 'having a meeting'. I was just on time and they make me fill out an application. This bothers me because the preliminaries were done by email, and they easily could have had me do this in advance. So I am feeling terribly awkward and annoyed since I felt thoughtless lack of planning on their part, as well as frustration that I didn't have all the numbers and references the form asked for with me. Then I had to wait for what seemed like a long time before a young and overly pretty hiring manager invited me up a narrow staircase to talk.
I'm afraid I was so irritated by this time that I insulted her by implying that she was obtuse for asking me a question I had already answered on the paper she was staring at. I thought I was a washout by the end, but for ... reasons (?) she sent me directly from there for a pre-employment drug test. Due to a broken toilet paper dispenser I thought was a reasonable shelf space, I spilled the pee cup; on myself. I screamed and explained to (the male) tester what happened and why I flushed the toilet when I wasn't supposed to. I got no sympathy and felt depressed. They didn't have me redo the test. Yes Virginia, Karma IS a bitch.

I applied for an assistant school librarian job, which I really, really wanted; they sent an email saying the position had been filled, but thank you for your interest!
 I applied online at New Seasons grocery store (I have heard that they pay exceptionally well compared with similar positions elsewhere, and also let their employees take home lots of free food rather than throw it away.). They left a message inviting me for an interview, but it was so much later after my Walmart experience I didn't think I wanted to be in the grocery business anymore, despite the many positives.

 When I started being a SMART volunteer in the Fall I was nervous about whether I would be very good at reading with kids, but I really wanted to try it, and I am happy to say I will be returning this year to continue. No pay, obviously, but still must be counted as a Success!

Although I had told Young Rembrandts I would be returning this year, after a couple emails from the office manager I was reminded of all the negatives about the situation, and after some inner battles back and forth I chose to apologise and decline to continue with them. More sordid details later. In the meantime, I have an interview a meeting tomorrow with an independent art school office!