I’ve got an interview hangover.
I killed it yesterday in Archer City at the Haigood & Campbell interview. I did awesome. I really liked liked the Campbell’s, I got a kick out of Archer City and I cherished the drive!
We’ll start with that:
I ate breakfast, took the dogs for a 1 mile walk, showered and I left home at about 10:15 yesterday morning. It’s a 2 hour drive to Archer City and I wanted to be early (just in case). There is absolutely NOTHING west of Fort Worth and I drove West, through nothing, for 2 straight hours.
At first, I was dreading it, but eventually, I came to appreciate the fact my cell phone was not getting any reception and that I had to turn the radio off. It forced me to just be by myself. I think that’s a good thing to do every once in while. Here’s the proof that I was all alone.
So, it was me and my 2007 Camry. I drove through some very small cities and wondered what it would be like to have grown up there. How different from the way I grew up?
Eventually, I pulled into “town.” Town consisted of a square with the courthouse in the middle. The courthouse was a beautiful old building and the square was quite charming. I stopped into an antique store/dry cleaners and looked around. It didn’t take long for the old lady behind the counter to point out that I must have been from Wichita Falls because she had never seen me before. I politely corrected her and said that I had come into “town” from Fort Worth. I feel like if I would have said “Arlington” that would have thrown her for a loop.
I mentioned that I was applying for a job with Haigood and Campbell (conveniently located on the other side of “town”/the square). She quickly offered up a boatload of information. Ward Campbell took over the company after his father, he also owns the grocery store and the bookstore/library. He met his wife, Carol, at work (she was the receptionist) and they are a lovely couple. Very upstanding citizens of Archer. I thanked her for her time and asked for a lunch recommendation. My choices were Dairy Queen or Wildcat Cafe. I chose Wildcat Cafe and headed that way.
As I drove around the square to the cafe, I saw a man wearing a jumpsuit with large black and white stripes on it. He had long, greasy blonde hair and was smoking a cigarette. He was standing outside the city jail all by himself. He was obviously a prisoner and his captors (Archer PD) obviously weren’t concerned with his flight. After all, where was he going to go. I got a kick out of that.
I parked in front of the cafe and walked in. I have never had this experience in my life. The busy, buzzing cafe immediately went silent and everyone turned and stared at me. An older waitress broke the silence when she yelled across the room, “You must be the girl interviewing for the Haigood and Campbell job…just take a seat.”
I felt like a complete alien. I ordered a turkey sandwich, had terrible service (everyone in there got served before me) and went on my way. I will say that my whole meal was on $3.25. I left a $10 because I was so happy about that.
I went over to H&C and sat with Ward and his wife, Carolyn, for an hour and 15 minutes. They seemed really nice. We had good rapport and I felt very eloquent and sure of myself when I left. They should make a decision by the end of next week and I’d be shocked if I didn’t get the position. It was one of those times where you “just know.”
I hopped in my car and began my 2 hour drive home. I stopped to take some pictures of cattle on the way home and they didn’t like me at all. One of them kept mooing right at me and I got the feeling that he/she was warning the other cows, but here they are:
I went to bed at 8 last night. I was tired after my long day of driving and I wasn’t feeling too hot. All this weather change has done a number on my sinuses. Naturally, I woke up at 2AM with a headache. I soaked in a bath and read the Bible until I got so tired I couldn’t stand it. I got back into bed and went back to sleep around 4.
I wasn’t feeling the best when I woke up this morning (just because of the funky sleeping), but I got ready and was out the door by 8. I went by Starbucks and headed toward Dallas. I got to the interview early (around 9:20). I met with the co-founder of the company and it just wasn’t electric. Not like yesterday. I was more nervous and definitely fumbled some of my words. He seemed very aloof and uninterested. I got the feeling that he wasn’t paying attention to me at all and it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I hate it when I can’t get a good read on people, but in retrospect, maybe that is his interview strategy. I can see how that might help weed people out. In any case, outside of my nerves, I really feel like I was myself and I told him that I feel really strongly about the company because they offer a great product for their clients and are able to benefit high school athletics, at the same time. I said that combination really is my dream job. I don’t think I could have given him a better idea of my personality and what I have to offer and I have to be proud of that. This is the hard part…it’s out of my hands now.
Now, I’m left feeling really blah and that’s the interview hangover. Now, I wait and hopefully I hear good news from one of them. In the meantime, I’ll keep praying and keep searching.
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| Matthew 7:7 – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. |