Meet our new ____________

 
Ok, well as some of you know...well, actually, none of you know. But I didn't get the job at YouthInk magazine like I had thought. Which really sucks because it would have been close to my house (could have taken the false creek ferry to work!), Poonam works there and even though I would have been a receptionist, I would have had my hand in doing editorial stuff.
Ah but as fate would have it, I got a call this week from the nice lady who interviewed me. Her sister, who is doing the hiring, said "No," on the account that I am "Overqualified."
Huh?
So, I've heard of being Underqualified (which I think I am for a bloody receptionist job anyway, I'm mean really, have you ever seen me organized?) but I've never heard of being "Overqualified."
Whatever.

****

So, feeling angry and frusterated, I lash out by applying for a job that seems arbitrary and silly but fun and so not me. But anyway I do so and a half hour later (this is 1030 at night) I get a call from the recruiting agency who is doing the hiring. They need the position filled by Friday, would I be able to come into an interview tomorrow?
I say sure, surprised that I even got an interview since this job can be considered to be MANY people's dream jobs. Not mine however, that's probably why I was/am so laisez faire about it.
My interview was at 4 on Thursday and I am asked to bring two reference letters (thanks you Ross and Jen!) and my resume. At 3:30 I go to print my resume. I have no paper. So I print all of them on Photo Paper...mmmm shiny. Then I call Yellow Cabs since I dont know if I can walk it on time. I'm on hold with Yellow Cabs until 3:50, when I realize I'm in shite. I phone Black Top, get through right away and my cab arrives.
Once at the office, I'm one minute late. But the woman was interviewing other people so no one noticed.
When it's my turn, she does a double take.

"Are you Karina?"
"Yes"
"Are you here for the _______job?"
"Yes, I am here for the ______ job"
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Okaaaaaay then"
We walk into her office, she keeps turning around to look at me. She looks confused and scared. We sit down.
"Sooooo," she says, "You want to _______?"
"Yes, it sounds fascinating"
"I'm sorry. I just can't wrap my head around it. Why not do reception? You could be an 'Office Super Star'"
"I like challenges and doing new things"
"I'm going to show you to my collegues and they won't believe you are here for the _______ position"
"Uh.."
"They are going to want to steal you away for other jobs. Like reception"
(nervous laughter on my behalf)
"No really. Anyway, here is the details of ______. Read over it and see if you still want to do it, because I just don't think...ah, we'll see."
I read it over, knowing what its all about since I did a wee bit of research last night. When I'm done, I put the sheet down. She's busy entering my info into the computer and eyes me suspiciously.
"So, did you read all of it? Even the last part? And you still want to do it?"
I didn't even say anything.
"Okaaay, well I guess you know what you want to do. Even though I could give you five reception jobs right now? NO? Okaaaaaay. Well, I'm gonna type this letter out to the people who want the ______job filled. I'm gonna read it out loud as I type."
I nod, she starts typing and talking.
"Dear Andrea, I have a wonderful young lady here who apparently wants to _______. I personally don't think she should __________, she should instead be an 'Office Star', but she seems quite set on it. I'm sure when you meet her it will surprise you, and although she has no formal training in ________, she thinks her journalistic and problem-solving skills of articulate nature will be an asset to the job. Again, I tried to convince her not to ________, but there you go."
More nervous laughter from me. Did she just try and convince the "Big Name Company" to not hire me?
After that fiasco was over, she did in fact show me around to her other collegues, plus the owner of the recruiting agency (this is Karina and guess what she's here for? She wants to _________).
Tired of smiling and pretending to laugh, I am shown to the testing area.
"So," she turns to me, "This isn't for the ____ job, but for our knowledge in the future in case we want to place you in another job."
Like an Office Super Star?
"It says here on your resume you can type 60 words a minute, can do Excel and Word. I'm gonna leave you with this testing program which will show how much you know about it all."
Uh-oh.
She leaves and I am left with the computer. My first task is Excel. Sure, I can do that...I took Research Methods in school...we had TONS of classes where we learned Excel.
Then the test starts and I remember...I never went to class! While Chuck was teaching us Excel, I would either stay at home and sleep, or show up half way during class, or talk to people on msn or go for sushi, or Earls or White Spot or Montanas and have a few Ceasers with Leanne and Karisa!
By the time the tests were all over, I had scored the lowest score possible and I think I crashed the computer.

****

Imagine my surprise then when I got an email that night, telling me I had got the _________ job. It's only short-term, 4-6 weeks, but it sounds like a blast (was in fact told, "You don't want to reception? Oh well, you will have a blast at _____").

I start tomorrow morning at 9AM. SO. What exactly is the __________ job? Leave your guesses below and whoever guesses correctly gets...something nice.