Well, it wasn't really four hours. It was more like three and a half. And it turned out to be exactly like every other interview I've been on, only instead of putting me in a conference room with three or four people who asked me questions all at once, I went around to various offices and conference rooms where I got the questions from one person at a time.
But it looks like a nice office.
I swear, though, they must have a hat with all the stupid and inane interview questions ever asked, and they divided them up amongst themselves: "Okay, Ralph, you take What are your weaknesses? and Joe will take Where do you see yourself in five years? and Sue can have What's most important to you in a workplace? and I'll take How would you describe yourself?" Sheesh.
They asked good questions, too, at least, though if we'd all been together at the same time, I could have answered a lot of them only once and the interview would have been half as long.
Syscon called me yesterday morning with an offer, and I told them that I wanted until the 10th to think about it and to give other companies a chance to make their offers. I spent a little while yesterday writing the other companies I'm actually interested in to let them know that they need to make a decision about me soon. Oh, yeah, and Metro, because I'd promised them I'd tell them if I was about to make a decision.
I thought it was hard to write a cover letter to sell myself without being overbearing. Go on, take five minutes and try to compose a letter that says in essence "Someone else made an offer for me, so if you want me, you'd better hurry," that doesn't come across as completely and totally arrogant. Give it a try. If you come up with something, let me know.
The best I came up with was, "I have received an offer from another company, and I'd like to be able to consider an offer from (Company Name) when I'm making my decision." (With some other stuff around it, but that was the sentence with meat.) The only thing that keeps that from sounding arrogant is the implication that I'd rather work for the company being addressed. (Which was my dad's idea. Before he made that suggestion, I was completely without a hope.
Syscon's offer was for slightly more than I was making at 3GI, but not much. I'll admit to being a little disappointed. The problem is, I suppose, that they know I was laid off, so they don't have to try to entice me away with a huge salary. Oh, well. It's still more than I was making at 3GI, and it'll pay the bills, and I was told it would be fine for me to start at the beginning of January, so I'll have time for an actual vacation. I'd still rather work for Hampton University or INRI, though Syscon stands before both the NASA jobs and Metro in my hierarchy of interviews. Of course, I'll wait to see what, if any, offers are made before making my decision.
I have decided to stop claiming unemployment. No matter where I end up, there's something definite coming fairly soon, so I don't feel that I need the $200 a week that I was getting from unemployment to offset things like the mortgage payments. Let that money go to someone who needs it more - Matt and I have enough saved up to easily carry us through to mid-January. I was only claiming unemployment when I didn't know when I'd get my next paycheck.
The much more important question, of course, is what to do with my vacation.
There are four weeks left in December. Of course, I need to be home from the 22nd through the new year. My grandparents are going to be in town, and I want to spend time with them. And Matt and I are hosting the New Year's party this year, so I'll need to spend some time preparing for that.
I need to be home for this next week, too, because I'm making my employment decision at the end of it. But since I'll be scaling back my sending out of resumes to positions that I think sound good, as opposed to anything that might land me a paycheck, I'll have a lot more leisure time. Christmas shopping, holiday baking, and some work around the house are on the list. Maybe some additional decorating - we still haven't put up a tree yet. Also, sleeping in later without feeling guilty. And 3GI's office Christmas party is the evening of the 10th, so all my friends who ask me how things are going will get to find out what decision I made, and feel jealous that I've got the whole month of December to relax.
But that leaves about a week and a half in the middle of the month for which I have no overwhelming reason to stay home (except Matt's company, of course, but I don't get long vacations very often; I'd like to make the most of it). I'd like to visit my brother - see this hick town that he's imprisoned in, take him down to the nearest actual town (45 minutes, I understand) for a decent meal, give him someone to pour his problems out to. Still, John and I can usually only stand each others' company for about four days before we start arguing, so that leaves some time for other visits. What to do? I can think of three or four friends who might welcome a visit, but of course none of them live anywhere near each other. Hmm. Well, I've got next week to think about it, and I need to get my car fixed before I go on a road trip anyway. (It's making this weird klunking noise that sounds like it's coming from the rear wheel wells, but we can't see anything that might be causing it.)
I have decisions to make about today, too - Matt's going up to DC with some other folks from the office, and he doesn't expect to get home until 8 or 9 tonight, so I've got the whole day to do whatever I want, and for once, I don't have any interviews or phone calls scheduled. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do, but I've been mulling over the ideas in the back of my mind.
- Make another batch of fudge - possibly at my folks' house, where I can use Mom's candy thermometer.
- Work on my webpage.
- Watch some Christmas movies and cry like a baby at happy endings while no one is here to see.
- Do some Christmas shopping.
- Go shopping for Christmas ornaments and a tree.
- Go out to lunch.
- Go over to K.T.'s for the evening.
- Go back to bed.
- Lounge on the couch all day, reading and petting the cat.
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