OK, so I didn’t get the job. To be honest I am not sure I wanted it anyway. That sounds like sour grapes but I am being honest. I’m too excited by all the other things I am up to and it would have been a big commitment. I have jumped out of the frying pan and would have been right back there in the flames. Any rejection hurts. It has left me with a strange feeling.
The thing is though, I was never really in for the job in the first place. A recruitment agency asked if I was interested. I am always interested even though I explained that it was not necessarily what I was looking for. I met up with the agency and was clear about what I was looking for and the skills and experience I brought to the table. I made the long list but did not get to the short list and I thought that was that.
A few months later, however, a couple of days after I had left to go on my own I got a call again and was asked if I would like to go for a chat with the organization. I was still interested and a chat would be a good way to see if I liked them and they liked me, as a prelude to a more formal process. I agreed and a short while later a date was set.
I did a bit of preparation, I smartened myself up and made my way into town. I didn’t go overboard as it was just a chat afterall. How wrong could I be? After the first few minutes it turned out that the chat was a full on interview with questions peppered at me left right and centre. I should have known better, I should have been better prepared.
I gave a good account of myself and in the end I am satisfied that it is not for me and I am not really for them but I have learnt a valuable lesson.
When it comes to looking for work, there is no such thing as a chat.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 