Monday, January 3, 2011

A Layoff is just a Layover...

Spent most of my day traveling to and from a second interview.  Overall, it went okay.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate it a 7, I think.  I definitely had a better connection with the second interviewer, who was more relaxed and informal than the first, but overall there were only a few times I felt that I stumbled in responding to questions.

Now comes the hard part: waiting for the response.  I should find out in a week or so if they are going to extend a job offer.  There are so many emotions that come with this stage of the process, but I've already begun planning for the next step regardless of their decision, and that makes me feel more in control which eliminates some of my anxiety.

To date the job search has taught me a lot.  I've learned to recognize and appreciate my good qualities, my career goals and the steps I need to take to achieve them, and the importance of confidence.  As I prepared my most professional look, I started to doubt little things (the makeup, the fit of my jacket, the style of my pants, even the worn appearance of my purse and shoes!) before I told myself that to fully look the part, I had to act the part, too.

Successful phone interviews (okay, THE successful phone interview) are like a B-12 shot for my self-esteem.  Interestingly, interviews are similar to tests  - there is a direct correlation between the quality of an interview and the amount of preparation time.  I do think I could have spent a bit more time preparing for the second interview, however, I do think it was adequate and know I'd bring a lot to the company if they choose to hire me.  If that is not the path I'll be traveling on, though, then I look forward to making a different connection elsewhere.

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