Sunday, May 10, 2009

Goes Another Round

If you're a Foo Fighters fan, then hum the melody along with the song title for me.  If not, that's your loss.

Happy Hour Friday was at The Gingerman.  I like the bar, even if some of the Happy Hour Gang holds a grudge against it for its location in Uptown - horrors!  Whatever shall we do, surrounded by professionals who - gasp! - like people!  Quick, get me to a misanthropic dive bar!  Stat!  And put James Brown's "Sex Machine" on the juke box, or we'll all go into shock!

Anyways, the Gingerman serves a mean pint of Guinness, or Ace Pear, or Wyder's Peach, or whatever your poison is, and an even meaner turkey sandwich with a side of heaven.  Supposedly the roast beef sandwich is pretty good, too, but I'm a creature of habit, so I stick with the turkey.

If you can "deal" with the attractive young denizens at The Gingerman and you like a bar that serves GOOD beer with a cheerful atmosphere, knock yourself out.

The real news, however, is that I received a job reference.  One of the fellows from HH was laid off from his job around the same time that I was downsized, albeit at a different firm.  He asked me if I had found a job, yet, and I said that I hadn't, but that I was considering starting my own business.  He then suggested I apply at his place of employment.  He works for an AWESOME small architecture firm in Downtown Dallas, which means - if I got the job - I would have an excuse to move back down to Dallas!

So now, I have to work up the nerve to cold-call the firm's principal (that's architecture speak for "owner" or "partner").  Hopefully, he'll say, "Well of course, if so-and-so suggested you come in for an interview, I'd love to meet you," or something equally encouraging, and then it could all be a matter of mere formalities before I'm employed, once again.

The thing is, I'm scared to death.  Just like I was last time I applied for a job.

I've never cold-called someone about a job, before.  Part of me says, "Oh, just email him," but that seems chicken-livered.  The other jobs for which I've applied were all as a result of my emailing a resume through some automated system, or having a former employer call up a guy and say "Hey, you're hiring this girl because she's the best damn designer you'll ever find" (no, I'm not exaggerating on that one, but aforementioned former boss had ulterior motives in trying to flatter me, so...).

How do I do it?  I don't know.  My mom was supposed to give me her friend's phone number, because her friend pretty much helps people do this for a living.  Unfortunately, we didn't get home from our Mother's Day dinner until around 9:30, and I wasn't about to call the woman at 10:00 at night to start asking her questions about how to interview, and all of that.

Part of me says, "Ok, call her friend Monday after she gets home from work, and then call the firm on Tuesday."  And that same part thinks that's a great idea.  Another part thinks that plan is just a chicken-livered way of just putting things off.  And another part of me is just running in circles screaming "Oh crap!  Oh crap!  Oh crappity-crap-crap-crap!" with a busted-up shopping bag from Banana Republic over its head.  I'm listening to this last part a wee bit too much, but that's also the part that told me to go get the last of the coconut gelato out of my parents' fridge, so I kind of like that part at the same time.

So by Wednesday morning, you'll know what plan of attack I adopted, and hopefully I'll have good results from that plan and the inevitable merciless slaughter.  Hopefully, the battle's outcome will be for the better.

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