The Job Hunt

I had two job interviews today, and nearly ended the day in disaster. How, you ask? Let me explain.

The first job was at London South Bank University, and entailed filling an administrative post for the Centre for Knowledge Transfer, a government-funded project that pairs academics with businesses to...well, maybe I wasn't listening that hard. I'm pretty sure it's for bringing new academic methods and discovery to businesses to help them run better, but hey, I could be wrong.

Anyway, the people there seemed very nice and the interview went reasonably well, but I wasn't too impressed. The area is a bit run-down, and the job's duties seem fairly boring - receptionist-style tasks, market research, scheduling meetings, etc. I DID get to meet up with Peter the architect, though, who is friends with my mom's student's father. Yeah. Anyway, we had some nice mid-morning tea and croissants (and I think I'm getting the hang of the "right" way to take tea...it's a lot tastier with milk) and a good talk about American and British politics, and "royal families" on either side of the Atlantic.

I set off to the second job interview of the day, at University College of London's Pharmacology school, for a job assisting the head of curriculum there and helping him to edit a pharmacology journal. Despite the pharmacology aspect, it really seemed like a great job, with a lot of different things for me to be busy with, a large group of grad students working nearby, and some great bosses. That, and I already knew I liked the neighborhood - it's about 5 minutes from Goodenough College.

So, Job #1 at LSBU promised they'd get back to me by Tuesday. This boded (bade?) well for Job#2 at UCL, which was supposed to get back to me by 6pm, and which I decided I liked much better. Problem is, Job#1 called me back a whole 24 hours early and offered me the job at 3pm today. Panicked, I told them I would like a little time to think about it. They told me the latest I could get back to them was 5pm.

So now I'm watching the clock (while also trying to run errands - in the pouring rain, no less), waiting nervously for Job #2 to call me back, because of course I want that one much more. I begin to weigh the odds of me getting Job#2 (25%, as one out of four applicants) and wonder if I should gamble and just turn down Job #1, for the chance of getting Job #2.

Frantic, I start pacing my room. I can't decide whether to turn down Job #1, because if I'm NOT offered Job #2, I'll end the day with no job and no future prospects. However, calling Job #2 to tell them I had another job didn't seem too smart, either. Did I wait for Job #2 to call before 5pm, or do I give in and call them? So rather than start from the beginning all over again, I relent and call Job #2 at 4:45 and explain my situation to them - that I have another offer, but would much rather have their job - did they know their decision yet? I was told that the woman responsible for the decision had just stepped out of the office, but would get back to me as soon as possible. I pace a little more, wondering just how long past 5pm Job #1 will wait for me. At 4:52, I get a call from the woman at UCL (Job #2), telling me I didn't get said job. Disappointed, but somewhat relieved, I call Job #1 at 4:55 and accept, at which point the woman there said SHE was getting nervous, since she were convinced I was going to turn them down for some other offer because I was making them wait for so long. Of course, that was the truth, but I just told her I had to make the decision, but then got stuck in traffic on the bus and couldn't call till then (which was also the truth...sort of). She congratulates me and tells me when to show up, and I hang up the phone, and promptly collapse on the floor. I work well under pressure, but THAT much pressure is ridiculous.

So, that's how I started the day with two great interviews, and almost ended the day with no job at all. Except I do have a job, and it pays quite well. There are some things to be thankful for.

= :)