Job Interview(s)

So I woke up bright and early Thursday morning to head to the TDot
for my first career job interview in Canada.
I dressed up all snazzy and professional and started driving.


About 20 minutes into my drive on the high way I notice a missed call.
It must have been the blaring Britney CD I had going to pump myself up.
And it was a second job interview for a different job in Toronto.
So I called back to schedule an interview for later that afternoon.


An hour or so into the drive I was sweating.
Okay obviously it was way too much hype from Britney and bobbing around in the car.
So I turned the AC on blast and held my elbows out
(I was totally sweating through my blue striped Banana button up dress shirt ~the new one I talked about here).


So I arrive at this job and it is totally in my dream location.
As I pulled up to the GORGEOUS building right smack downtown in the TDot.
I found myself quickly daydreaming of how cool it would be to take the subway to work.
Catch lunch downtown and live right near the dreamjob.
Then I forced myself to focus because I didn't land the job yet.


So as I walked into the lobby of the dreamjob... I fell in LOVE.
It was beautiful and modern and loft like and open and full of light.
I could totally see myself here.

I find it so surreal being on job interviews.
It is weird and awkward and uncomfortable.
The whole experience is weird to me.
The whole time trying to prove your awesomeness.

 I met with the two owners.

Is it weird that I sometimes still feel like I'm playing dress up?
Anywho...
And had a great vibe.
I kept telling myself to take a deep breath and calm down because the more I talked to them the more I realized I really wanted to work there.
And the more excited I got and I didn't want this to translate into desperation or immaturity.


So it was all going great.
Really the only crazy part is when the financial aspect came up.
It is super hard to explain but in my field sometimes they pay straight up commission...
as in commission only no guaranteed money at all.
Zip Zero Zilch.
At least waitresses get some sort of guaranteed money.
This is very VERY stressful.
Especially because I want to live in a very VERY expensive city.
The other option is basically to rent space (but I don't have any way to really do that).
It is definitely a conundrum because some people view it as amazing potential...whereas worryworts like me don't understand how you are supposed to live with 0 guaranteed income.
And if you are asking NO I didn't know this before pursuing my profession because it didn't used to be like this at all.  It used to be you had some sort of base to at least get you by.  This is a more recent thing (the last 3 year+ in Canada).
So ummmm how do you budget that??? In a very expensive city.
Stressed!


The good news they have already called and I have a second interview scheduled for Monday.
This is great great news.
I'm nervous and definitely have to get prepared for it.
I'm trying NOT to focus on the financial aspect of it though it has me very very very stressed.
And I could totally tangent into the fact that I spent 6 figures on my education to come out to a job that is all commission...wtf!

Moving on...
So the great thing was I was able to meet Eva for lunch at Yorkdale
(the mall I went to with Taylor read here).
We had a wonderful lunch and got to shop around for a bit.
Eva was doing great with less than 10 days until her wedding.
She didn't seem very stressed at all!
I walked her to her car and gave her a big hug and told her this would be so great to be able to do on a regular basis.

Then I headed out to my second interview.
Which was a really cool and different focus job.
Nothing that I have ever seen before.
The president of the company loved me.
The head of what would be my department ...not so much.
Thought it is technically the same overall field ...he is not the same profession.
Honestly he had this kind of skeptical pursed lips/smirk across his face the entire time.
Kind of like this...

Annoying right???  And he wasn't as cute as the guy above.
So I just did my best.
I found out in the last year they have been through 8 of my profession!
Which is likely more of a testament to this guys ability to work with others.
He also asked me, "do you have any references that aren't from Asia."
Which I found rude actually.
But yet humorous because the guy was Asian in ethnicity!
I totally got a weird vibe from him the whole time.

Here is my super weirdo personality though.
I can totally work with jerks and egomaniacs...I'm so good at putting a smile on my face at the most ridiculous tasks and smoothing things over.
And am totally open to working with other professions in my field.
I actually do so quite well.
In fact I don't think there are many people (in my profession) who can suck back their ego for the good of the person you are providing services for.
In a sense I felt like "hey buddy I'm so your ideal candidate!"
Heck I've sucked up any professional ego I could have had and have been working as a receptionist for 6+months. (Obviously didn't tell him THAT).

However, after talking to theGirls about it they were like...yes Teagan you are great with working with people like that but it would totally SUCK...and would be draining on you and you don't need to constantly prove your profession to someone else.
So I tried not to be so bummed when yesterday I got the "we selected another candidate" email.

Plus the dreamjob (minus financial issues) second interview is Monday.
Now I have to just knock their socks off and figure out how I can swing it financially.
Because I need to move to Toronto and I need to do it soon.

Also random follow up my cousin Bella ...
(remember who was supposed to move with me to the TDot.)
MIGHT get a promotion in my hometown so she says she wants to "move in September" to the TDot now.  Ummm rightttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt (totally don't believe it).
Which just makes it a lot more difficult to figure out how to move without a roommate.

But maybe I should take a positive outlook.
Maybe having flatmates again can be fun.
It was great for me when I was in Singapore.

I'm trying not to let these hurdles get in the way of doing what I need to do.
The alternative is just too depressing.
I just have to stay focused and believe that things will work out.
They have to.




Images from here, here,