The First Appendix to Yesterday's Anniversary

I only knew being hired was a necessity.

I began my first job search in February 1992. I was foolish for thinking it, but at the time, I thought finding a job would be a quick and simple process. It was not quick; it was not simple. Instead, while I have a large vat of source material to write about, I'll only mention one high and one low from that job search.

• On the positive side, Brian Rock, my college roommate's pseudo-name on this blog, went with me to an interview in the Twin Cities. It was an interview for a summer intern position. The way it was presented, summer interns were typically hired after the summer. The idea was that I would be hired, full-time, after the summer. Things started off kind of shaky. When Brian Rock and I arrived in the Twin Cities, as I was getting my suit on, I discovered I didn't have my tie. I was in a tizzy but Brian Rock was not. Calmly, he decided that we would find a Target and buy a tie. I remember how his calm demeanor put me at ease - he had a way of analyzing the situation and finding the proper course of action that would resolve the issue. After the (long and grueling) interview, as I drove us out of town, the spontaneous decision was made to go to the zoo. We walked through the zoo and then got a room at a nearby hotel for the night. We watched movies in the room as we drank quarts of Bud Light we had bought at a gas station. Looking back at it, I am very glad that Brian Rock went with me.
• On the negative side, receiving a response to my resume beyond a stereotypical letter. The stereotypical rejection letter - no matter which company it came from - often would include the following points: my qualifications were impressive and I was not a match for the position. The responses I received that were not stereotypical were few and far between, but they left an impression upon me. My favorite was the angry-toned letter that pointed out the advertised position required 3 - 5 years of experience and that I, as a college student with zero real world experience - did not have that. That position was in Walla Walla, WA. I don't often wonder where my life would be now if the author of that letter had said, "You know what? I'm always willing to take a chance on fresh talent. Fly out here and we'll talk." That letter was the opposite of that pipe dream.