: Job interview :
I had a bit of an adventure today in getting to my job interview in New York. I had intended to take the train into Hoboken and then a ferry to the South Side Harbor, which is only about three blocks from my final destination. The trouble began when I missed the train to Hoboken.
My problem is that right now I take way too long to get ready. I tend to look at myself a lot in the mirror while I'm doing my hair and makeup and see things that need attention, like hair needing to be plucked or shaved, skin blemishes, nails needing work, etc. I need to start doing all these maintenance things regularly, like on weekends, so they won't distract me when I'm in a hurry.
So after missing the train by about five minutes, I paid my $3 to get out of the parking garage (even though I was only in it for a few minutes) and drove to Hoboken. I found the Hoboken terminal without too much trouble, but I couldn't figure out a good place to park, so I just used an open lot near the terminal that cost $19. I walked to the ferry office and bought a round trip ticket, but I got confused about which pier I wanted, and accidentally bought tickets to the World Financial Center, which is on the opposite side of Manhattan from South Street Harbor. So the ferry dropped me off at Battery Park near Ground Zero, and I proceeded to walk east, not knowing how far I would have to go.
After about 30 minutes of walking, my feet were killing me (I didn't figure on doing so much walking, so I was wearing heels) so I finally found a subway station that I recognized and bought a ticket. When the train arrived, I got on board, but the train didn't move. Eventually I heard an unintelligble announcement that must have said the train was being delayed, because everyone started getting off. I finally followed suit and went back up to the street, wasting my subway fare, and walking the rest of the way to my destination. Fortunately, despite all the foot pain and perspiration which threatened to ruin my makeup, I managed to arrive almost exactly at my appointed time looking reasonably composed.
This PR firm I interviewed with is fairly sizeable - about 50 people in New York, and offices in Los Angeles, Seattle and Boston. They were on the 30th floor of a tower overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, and the view from their floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby reminds me of the views of offices featured in movies such as The Devil's Advocate and The Thomas Crown Affair. I snapped a shot with my camera while I waited for the interview to start.
The interviews went fine, and it seems like a good firm. They do a lot of work for high-profile charitable non-profits, which is always nice to be involved in. The only thing that I think probably hurts me is that I was referred to this firm by a headhunter, and I would guess that if they hired me, they would have to pay a pretty sizeable commission to the headhunter. That would probably be an incentive to hire someone else of equal quality whom they might have found through their own referral system or an employment ad.
Getting back home was a breeze compared to my transit ordeal getting there. I simply walked three blocks to the South Street Harbor and took a ferry to Hoboken, walked to my car and drove home. Now I have to tend to all the blisters on my feet - I think I'll be keeping off them for a while.
My problem is that right now I take way too long to get ready. I tend to look at myself a lot in the mirror while I'm doing my hair and makeup and see things that need attention, like hair needing to be plucked or shaved, skin blemishes, nails needing work, etc. I need to start doing all these maintenance things regularly, like on weekends, so they won't distract me when I'm in a hurry.
So after missing the train by about five minutes, I paid my $3 to get out of the parking garage (even though I was only in it for a few minutes) and drove to Hoboken. I found the Hoboken terminal without too much trouble, but I couldn't figure out a good place to park, so I just used an open lot near the terminal that cost $19. I walked to the ferry office and bought a round trip ticket, but I got confused about which pier I wanted, and accidentally bought tickets to the World Financial Center, which is on the opposite side of Manhattan from South Street Harbor. So the ferry dropped me off at Battery Park near Ground Zero, and I proceeded to walk east, not knowing how far I would have to go.
After about 30 minutes of walking, my feet were killing me (I didn't figure on doing so much walking, so I was wearing heels) so I finally found a subway station that I recognized and bought a ticket. When the train arrived, I got on board, but the train didn't move. Eventually I heard an unintelligble announcement that must have said the train was being delayed, because everyone started getting off. I finally followed suit and went back up to the street, wasting my subway fare, and walking the rest of the way to my destination. Fortunately, despite all the foot pain and perspiration which threatened to ruin my makeup, I managed to arrive almost exactly at my appointed time looking reasonably composed.
This PR firm I interviewed with is fairly sizeable - about 50 people in New York, and offices in Los Angeles, Seattle and Boston. They were on the 30th floor of a tower overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, and the view from their floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby reminds me of the views of offices featured in movies such as The Devil's Advocate and The Thomas Crown Affair. I snapped a shot with my camera while I waited for the interview to start.
The interviews went fine, and it seems like a good firm. They do a lot of work for high-profile charitable non-profits, which is always nice to be involved in. The only thing that I think probably hurts me is that I was referred to this firm by a headhunter, and I would guess that if they hired me, they would have to pay a pretty sizeable commission to the headhunter. That would probably be an incentive to hire someone else of equal quality whom they might have found through their own referral system or an employment ad.
Getting back home was a breeze compared to my transit ordeal getting there. I simply walked three blocks to the South Street Harbor and took a ferry to Hoboken, walked to my car and drove home. Now I have to tend to all the blisters on my feet - I think I'll be keeping off them for a while.
