Tag: interview

Taking It Personal

This last week is what I would call… shitty. It started out with the promise of a new job and other great life changing things and ended with a whole bunch of rejection.

On Thursday I had my much anticipated interview with SmartPak Equine.  I woke up early, got ready for my interview which lasted about 30 minutes on the phone. I thought I did well! I was confident in my answers, I felt completely qualified for the position with limited training. I was ready for a new adventure. Not even 24 hours later at 8:08 EST I received a rejection email stating that SmartPak was looking at other candidates because even though my experience and educated was “impressive” they didn’t feel it matched the position. I politely emailed back and asked what I could work on for the future, if anything in particular prevented me from going further in the interview process. The response was:

We evaluate candidates on their equine hands-on experience and knowledge, customer service and sales background, office experience and professionalism and overall personal demeanor.

After spending countless hours researching the company policies from recycling to charity to employee benefits and being rejected because apparently someone took offense to my existence is a leaving me very disappointed. Especially, since they couldn’t even give me the courtesy of telling me what exactly I did wrong. I have the qualifications and more than enough experience to hit the ground running. SmartPak just missed out on the best employee they will never have.

Friday I got sick. Throat hurting, nasal congestion, I have no voice sick. Sunday, I was dumped. TRIFECTA!

So what am I doing about it? Selling family heirlooms and furniture to make sure my horses get fed and new shoes this month. And paying pesky things like my student loan and credit car ($150 over limit I might add).

Excuse the tone of this entry, but I’m 10 lbs of angry and disappointed in a 5lb sack.

Jobs I’ve Applied to in the last 2 weeks: (P.S. Way too lazy to link to the jobs)

 

 

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Change is good

I’m a Taurus, a steadfast loyal creature of habit. I go to bed around the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. I’m a “nester.” I believe in making spaces my own and nothing throws me off more than sterile rooms and waking up at the wrong time or other variations from the routine.

Which is why just as I seem to get comfortable in a routine life throws me a curve ball. This past week I got a few really awesome curve balls right to the head.

First, was a surprisingly good opportunity. In October, I decided there wasn’t any reason at all why I couldn’t find my dream job. So I went directly to the source and applied for positions at SmartPak, Ariat, and other equine related companies. No matter what position I applied to at SmartPak my resume seemed to be bounced back within moments of submission, telling me I wasn’t using the right format, keywords, or other criteria and the system was rejecting it. So I called HR <<< Me being proactive. Damnit I deserve good things! I spoke with someone in HR who looked over my resume, suggested some changes and passed it on. Next thing I know, I was asked if I was able to do a phone interview. Um, yes. OF COURSE I’m able to do a phone interview. It’s scheduled for March 22. (Prayers, good/positive thoughts, Interpretive dances and other forms of luck accepted at this time). SmartPak is of course, based in Massachusetts and I’m a California girl. I’d be moving 3000+ miles away from the only home I’ve ever known, away from my horses, friends, and glorious sunshine, to an expensive area near Cape Cod and Boston where I don’t know anyone, it gets really cold in the winter, and it snows. Of course I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life (except to win the lotto and start a horse rescue… that’s still #1). Off I went researching the area, tax rates, living situations etc. I believe in being informed. I also believe in seeing myself where I want to be.  So, I now see myself in Plymouth, MA in a studio apartment with my dog dressed in everything I own because it’s effin’ cold and snowing. Life make that happen please.  Positive thinking like this often leads to disappointment as my visions often go up in smoke, but it only takes once for it to work. I’m still hopeful.

The second curve ball was less awesome. My trainer of 10+ years and I had a disagreement about what should happen with my horses. She wanted to use them for her clients and if her clients didn’t want them I should find people to lease them who wanted to be her clients. Basically, she wanted to use my awesome well trained horses for her gain which meant, I was still paying most of their expenses and unable to ride them at all. Say what? I don’t think so. I told her I felt bullied (which I did, I think those types of power moves are bullying at its finest), and she asked me to GTFO of her barn. At which point Gibbs’ former owner tried to reclaim him (Um what?). Saturday was stressful to say the least. However, I know have CC leased (from my house now), and I can see both horses out my window when I wake up in the morning.

Moral of the story: Change is good and everything happens for a reason. It’s uncomfortable, it’s scary, you never know if you’ll come out on top or hanging onto the edge of a cliff with your fingernails, but in the end what’s meant to be is.

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Monday Blues

In an effort to keep myself on a schedule, I spend my weeks doing “work” and my weekends doing housework. And even though I’m mostly unemployed I still have nightmares about going to work on a Monday. I’d much rather sip coffee and watch Doctor Who than write a blog post, catch up on all three of my twitter feeds, and be out the door by 9AM to run multiple errands and shovel horse poo. Life is filled with things we don’t want to do, but I’d still prefer if the week started on Tuesday.

Job Search Update

Last week’s entries —– Nothing, no word, no rejection, just sending my information out into cyberspace. It’s a lovely feeling.

 

Applied today

Sales Representative Fruit Distributing Corp of California

Sales Representative x2 Harris Moran

Marketing Assistant Virtus Nutrition

 

Still waiting to hear back from the local Senior Content Writer position for Environmental Services. Apparently, the office has had the plague. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

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Pre Holiday Job Update

This will probably the final job search update before the new year. As it is, I’m incredibly behind in Christmas decorating and I’m planning on traveling between Christmas and New Years… or staying in bed for the whole week, I’m not sure which.  Either way I will not be looking for jobs and most companies get the whole week off/are not going to be hiring and/or scheduling interviews because of the holidays. Sound logic I has it. Or excuses… I has them too.

I haven’t applied anywhere lately. I’ve been too busy battling the Christmas lights of death (seriously, they keep going out), trying to find time to decorate the naked tree that’s been in the house for nearly 10 days,  trying to get donations to feed Gibbs (donate if you can please), and working two temp/side jobs so that I’m not destitute when the new year begins.  All in all, it’s the holidays, survival of the fittest and considering I just found my first gray hair (cue a complete 25 year old tantrum) I’m not sure if I’m winning or not. Holidays 1 Natalie 0.

 

Job Search:

The only job I’ve heard from is this one Senior Content Writer. I had a “skills” test a few weeks ago, which I’m assuming I passed, since I received a formal interview request. The interview was last Thursday and I think it went well. Since I knew where the office was (had some difficulty finding it the first time) I was a little early and had a nice chat with the receptionist. I was then called into my interview which I expected to be 1 or 2 people. WRONG. I walked into an office with a panel of interviewers. Nothing says HAHAHA like a surprise panel interview. Thankfully, they all had copies of my resume already, because I only brought two extras.  I wasn’t incredibly nervous because I felt qualified for the position. Insert panel interview, insert butterflies. When I get nervous I ramble. What could have been a 15 minute interview turned into 45 because when I’m nervous I talk like I write. I blurt out 5 minutes of crap before I realize what my main point is, then I answer the question. Of course on the drive home I thought of much better, more concise answers to some of the questions. This is why I write instead of public speak. I need time to let things percolate. Side Note: I should hear back before or shortly after Christmas. Pray, think happy thoughts, do a job dance, whatever your faith permits you to do. I need this job like the desert needs rain and Forks, WA needs less sparkly vampires.

 

On a much more serious note: Gibbs has already eaten all the food I bought him last week and needs more. He’s also scheduled to get his feet trimmed tomorrow. I need at least $35 by tomorrow to pay the farrier.




Donate $35 to help Gibbs get his feet trimmed tomorrow.

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Holiday Recovery

This past week I ate too much, drank too much, and shopped too much.

Today, at 9:30 I had a phone interview with Jenny from Land O’ Lakes for a Customer Service position in Portland Oregon. Needless to say, I was nervous, excited, terrified… the list goes on. Jenny called at precisely 9:30 AM and the conversation lasted about 20 minutes. She asked me about the previous positions on my resume and I think I rambled too much and didn’t draw enough parallels to how those experiences would help me in this position. Oh well. If I get called for an in-person interview I couldn’t have been that bad, if I don’t I will work on my skills for next time. Keep your fingers crossed that I hear back at the end of this week or the beginning of next week.  If I don’t hear back I have her phone number MUAHAHAHA. I’m not ashamed to be that girl that calls all the time. “Have you made a decision?” “What does the status look like?” “Meet me and I’ll stop being annoying and calling you 15 times a day.” O.k. not 15 times a day. Maybe 15 times a week. I mean, I do have a life.

In other news, I think I caught my first cold of the season going Black Friday shopping. All those people, all those germs. Yep.

Today’s Applications:

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Phone Interview!

On Monday at 9:30 am I have a phone interview for the Customer Service Position I applied for with Land O’Lakes last week.

It’s my first phone interview! I’m a little nervous and excited! Yay!

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