Total Perspective Vortex
What really happened to Trillian? Theories abound, but you can see what she's really been up to on this blog. If you're looking for white mice, depressed robots, or the occasional Pan Galactic Gargleblaster you might be better served here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/.
Don't just sit there angry and ranting, do something constructive.
In the words of Patti Smith (all hail Sister Patti): People have the power.
Contact your elected officials.
Don't be passive = get involved = make a difference.
Words are cool.
The English language is complex, stupid, illogical, confounding, brilliant, beautiful, and fascinating.
Every now and then a word presents itself that typifies all the maddeningly gorgeousness of language. They're the words that give you pause for thought. "Who came up with that word? That's an interesting string of letters." Their beauty doesn't lie in their definition (although that can play a role). It's also not in their onomatopoeia, though that, too, can play a role. Their beauty is in the way their letters combine - the visual poetry of words - and/or the way they sound when spoken. We talk a lot about music we like to hear and art we like to see, so let's all hail the unsung heroes of communication, poetry and life: Words.
Here are some I like. (Not because of their definition.)
Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Smart Girls
(A Trillian de-composition, to the tune of Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys)
Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
Don’t let them do puzzles and read lots of books
Make ‘em be strippers and dancers and such
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
They’ll never find men and they’re always alone
Even though men claim they want brains
Smart girls ain’t easy to love and they’re above playing games
And they’d rather read a book than subvert themselves
Kafka, Beethoven and foreign movies
And each night alone with her cat
And they won’t understand her and she won’t die young
She’ll probably just wither away
Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
Don’t let them do puzzles and read lots of books
Make ‘em be strippers and dancers and such
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
They’ll never find men and they’re always alone
Even though men claim they want brains
A smart girl loves creaky old libraries and lively debates
Exploring the world and art and witty reparteé
Men who don’t know her won’t like her and those who do
Sometimes won’t know how to take her
She’s rarely wrong but in desperation will play dumb
Because men hate that she’s always right
Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
Don’t let them do puzzles and read lots of books
Make ‘em be strippers and dancers and such
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be smart girls
They’ll never find men and they’re always alone
Even though men claim they want brains
Life(?) of Trillian
Single/Zero
Friday, July 16, 2010
So I had another interview. Woo hoo. Winnowed the candidates down to 10 from over 1,000 applicants, I was lucky enough to get a golden ticket for a phone interview and made it to the semi-finals, the in-person interview, where the interviewer's opening comment was, "You're lucky to be here, we're only bringing in five people. My associates tells me you had a nice chat a few days ago. Let's see what makes you such a shining star among the hundreds of others who want this job."
Niiiiiiiice.
I've heard similar at almost all my interviews. I think most people in the world know there are 14+ million unemployed people in America and that most of us are experienced, educated and eager to work. And most people in the world are aware that there are only a few jobs available. So most people can logically sort out that there are hundreds or thousands of applicants for most jobs, particularly in large cities. So is it really necessary to begin an interview reiterating all those known facts?
Yes. It's an honor to be nominated. I am grateful, extremely grateful, for every interview I've had. I am humbled and full of gratitude to the hiring managers who deem me worthy. I don't have a smug or negative demeanor. I'm friendly, polite, interested, engaged, and appreciative. So please, interviewers, there's no need to assert your authority and power by telling me what I already know: I'm lucky to make it to the semi-finals, the in-person interview, and there are plenty of other willing contenders chomping at the bit for an opportunity for this job.
Instead, can we please talk about the job, the actual responsibilities and goals for the position and my qualifications? Please? Pretty please?
The interviewer in question was my would-be manager. Maybe it was just a bad day. Maybe there's a lot of stress due to the vacancy in the department. Maybe they're just a really insecure and negative person. Which could explain the oppressive pall in the office.
But they don't know who they're dealing with, here. No matter how negative, how overworked, how insecure, how deceptive, how unqualified, how stupid, insipid, lazy or callous the manager of that department is, I spent time under one of the worst managers in America so I'm not scared. I've seen and heard it all. Negative and insecure manager? Bah. That's a good day in my old office.
So, no, hiring manager, no, your opening gambit attempt to throw me off didn't work. I'll see your feeble attempt to rattle my nerves and put me in my place and raise you a warm smile and friendly response.
And when it's over I'll send you a nice thank you letter espousing my gratitude for your time and reiterating my qualifications and interest in the job.
I'm pretty sure I won't get the job, though. The interview continued along with the interviewer's disdain and contempt seething through every question and discussion point. Either this is a really crappy place to work and the manager is just reflecting the company culture or I was not in the running for the job and effectively wasting their time. Or maybe they just didn't like me. I need a job, desperately, and I think I would like that job, I think I'm a good candidate for it...but...clearly there's an attitude issue in the office. Very negative vibes. Emanating from the department manager who would be my boss.
Still, I'd jump at the opportunity. Not just because I'm desperate for a job, but because the job, the actual role I'd play, greatly appeals to me. I'm qualified, I have good insight into their client-base, I have the technical expertise and professional savvy to do a good job at the job.
Attitude schmattitude. I spent a lot of years in a soul-sucking, brain-dumbing, ethics-questioning office under the management of a sycophantic nincompoop who lied about her education and credentials to get the job, offended clients and anyone who didn't agree with her, and then covered up her inadequacies by blaming underlings for not giving her the proper information or by taking credit for other peoples' work. ("We're a team, there's no I in T-E-A-M" was her motto until she was called into question and then boy oh boy was there an I in the T-E-A-M.) I worked for years in a company where the office culture was social politicking and posturing above all else, the job, the actual work product, was way down on the list of priorities for anyone looking to succeed in the company.
Nothing surprises, shocks or scares me. Nothing.
So bring it on, negative manager interviewer, bring it on, throw me your worst and I'll rise to the challenge.
But please, can we please focus on the job, the reason people are hired and given paychecks?
On my way home from the interview a friend called. I barely said hello and she was griping about the traffic, moaning about the car dealership, complain about her husband, bitching about her kid's little league coach.
On the heels of the interview with the negative manager I was not in the mood to hear more negative snarkiness.
Employed people! Married people with homes and families! Please! I'm begging you! Be grateful for what you have and enjoy it!
You hate your job so much you ooze loathsome dread from every pore? Quit and give me a chance! Your husband forgot to pick up the dry cleaning again and that makes you so angry you "want to kill him?" Divorce him and give me a chance!
I know there were plenty of days when I was employed that I complained about my work, my manager, my coworkers...I know. I'm not perfect. And in the moment, on those days, I suppose we all need to vent. And no, honestly, no, now that I've been unemployed for almost a year I do not "miss" the irritants in the office. It was a soul-sapping, brain-dumbing, cesspool of immature, unprofessional behavior. I do not miss it and I would never, ever go back there.
But. I liked my work. I liked my clients. I liked what I did, the work I produced to earn a paycheck. I do miss that. And even when I was having a bad day I was grateful for it. Yes I vented now and then, I suppose it's human nature and hey, that's what friends are for and all that. But. I was grateful for a job. I never took it for granted. There was no lesson in gratitude and humility to be learned.
And I find it sad and kind of offensive that other people don't see or have gratitude for what they do have. My friend ranted and rallied for 20 minutes straight, voice rising in anger, I could feel her elevated blood pressure through the phone, she was truly feeling a lot of hostility. Because her husband forgot to pick up the dry cleaning and her kid's little league coach is an asshole because he didn't start her son because the kid missed two week's of practice and games due to their family trip to Tuscany. How about a little self awareness? How about checking in with the reality the rest of the world, including your pal Trillian, is handling? How about a more gratitude and less hostility?
I got the feeling the interviewer was a similar type as my friend. Perfection driven and angry that "no one" lives up to her expectations. That's a shame. Because from where I was sitting, in the the interviewee seat, the manager of a thriving marketing department in a Fortune 100 company looks like a really nice place to be. Stressful, I'm sure, but that's a given. If you've reached a senior management level you should be well aware of job stress and have developed coping techniques.
