Don’t Forget to Hang Up!

Let me start with this:  I like my job.  I love my co-workers.  I like various benefits of my job; some more than others.  Let me lay it out.

Pros:

I work with my husband and we work well together.

I have flexibility to leave early/come in late if necessary (ie: appointments and such)

I can take a day off/time off easily if needed or wanted (hidden meaning: travel!!)

I work where I live (no fuel costs or car maintenance, let alone traffic)

I’m comfortable.  It’s in my “bubble”.  Low anxiety.

Cons:

Lack of appreciation

No room for advancement

It doesn’t challenge me

Low pay

Feeling disregarded, under-utilized and used.

Okay.

Lately I’ve been wondering if there is something else out there for me.  Something… more.  Something where I’d feel appreciated and have something to work towards.  Something where I’d be challenged and, let’s face it, something that would pay me what I’m worth.

I started putting my resume out there through various websites and job search engines.  At first I was getting no feedback at all (there are HUNDREDS of people applying for the same jobs I’m applying for… tough market).  Then, all of a sudden, I got a response to one of my submissions.  They asked that I do a phone screening in an attempt to decide if they would want to set up an in-person interview.

Cool.

Here’s how it works:  they send you a link.  You go to said link and click on a “start” button.  The website then calls your phone and you answer various questions while the screen records your answers.  After each question they ask you respond and then push the # sign to end your recording.

I set it up for them to call my home number so there was no chance of losing the connection.  We do live in bumfuck, after all, and phone reception can be hit and miss.  It’s easy-peasy.  I’ve done it twice already.  So, I click the link and wait for them to call.

They do.

I go through all of the questions, recording and saving my answers per the instructions just as I had done twice before.  I get to the last question, record my response, push #, listen to the final recording and hang up.  After which I wander out into the front room and proceed to tell my husband about the screening, the questions they asked and how I felt about doing a phone screening interview vs an in-person interview.  Pretty much the consensus was that it’s lazy on the part of the employer to not take the time to meet prospective employees in person.

Judgmental, I know.  Meh.

During the course of our conversation we both decided that we were hungry (that call just wore me out, apparently, being so much work and all) and proceeded to discuss where we would eat and such.  After agreeing on the semi-local taco shop I grabbed my purse and my phone.  I go to shove my phone in my purse and something caught my eye.  There was a message on my phone that said “recording”.  “Recording what?” you might ask.  Well, I’m assuming it was the entire conversation my darling hubby and I just had regarding the laziness of the company I just screened for.  Oh, and our dinner options and choices, but really, how bad is that in comparison, right?

Actually, I have no idea what actually recorded because I pushed the “stop recording” button as fast as I could and hung up before I could actually listen to what I had just recorded.

Here’s the thing…. today I got an email from that company asking me to come in for an in-person interview next week.  WTF?  What if they ask me about my phone screen?  What do I say to recover from that?  I’m terrified and amused and have no idea what to say if they bring it up.  I think they may be pranking me.

Moral of the story:  always hang up the damned phone before you start talking shit about someone/something and save yourself from a lot of stress and consternation and maybe just a moderate amount of humiliation.