Into every life...

... a little rain must fall.  But that's ok, because it makes the good stuff seem better.

I had a job interview today!  Yay!  The first one in a month or so.  It made me feel good, worthwhile, maybe even a contributing member of society again!  Well, it wasn't an interview, per se, but it was a meeting with a recruiter who had a specific position in mind for me.  I found the opportunity on Craig's List, so huge thank you's to all the people who kept nagging me to look on CL.  Anyway, the position is with Microsoft, I'm not sure that it's a perfect fit, but it sounds promising, regardless.  I must keep in mind, however, not to jump at the first job that comes my way if it doesn't feel right.  I did that for the last 2 jobs I had, and well, we know how the last one turned out.  But at least I know going in who Microsoft is, general expectations, and that likely, they are licensed to do business in the State of Washington.  By the end of our conversation, my recruiter said he would put me up for a phone screen, and we'd see where it went from there.  I'm excited, and scared, and don't want to get my hopes up, so they can't be dashed.  But... I will anyway, of course!

In this economy, is it getting easier to tell people you don't have a job?  It still feels like an embarrassment, like there is a stigma to it.  It's not right, but it's there.  Yet, so many of us are going through it!  If you meet someone new, the conversation always winds its way to "And what do YOU do?"  And invariably, you tell people what you used to do.  Then qualify it, with something like, "Or I used to, anyway.  When I had a job."  With the situation like it is, is it getting trendy to have bad credit?  When people have spotless credit, I feel like other people look at them and think "Must be nice."  I know I do, anyway.  I don't have the option to have good credit at this point.  A friend of mine was recently in a terrible situation.  She had to foreclose her house, sell her car, and move in with family after losing a lucrative position with a business law firm.  She immediately started interviewing, of course, and came upon an offer at a financial institution.  I'm not saying names, but the company's name might rhyme with kumkwat.  So she dutifully did all the post hire paperwork, things like background check and credit check.  Yes, they ran a credit check.  On someone without a job.  Oddly enough, it came back with a bad score, at which point, they rescinded their offer. When I heard this story, my blood boiled!  The very type of company that very nearly brought this country to its knees is now refusing jobs to the very people they have screwed over!  How on earth are we supposed to get out of these vicious credit cycles if companies are allowed to run credit checks?!  How is financial profiling any different than racial profiling?  Or gender biasing?  Something is seriously broken in this country.

Anyway, that's about it for my thoughts today.  A job interview, sun shining through the window, and new promise for my future.  I guess life isn't all that bad after all...


Eye Tee Girl