To the PAIN!

Job hunting is SO HARD. It is a full-time job in and of itself. I can spend HOURS each day trolling job websites, looking for an opportunity to send my resume to, in the hopes that it might get seen by the right person. And I really don't even know if it's working. In my industry, it's all about who you know, but I can't quite give up on the websites, on the off-chance that I will send a resume to someone who recognizes something I worked on, or knows someone I know. That possibility is enough to keep me going, in the hopes that I might land an interview. Not that that's any guarantee of success. I have been on some DOOZIES. Like the guy that refused to tell me WHERE he wanted to meet. I had to figure it out from his email. Or the woman that chatted with me for over an hour about all the stuff I've done in the past and how interesting it was, and then proceeded to tell me that she couldn't possibly hire me. Oh! Or the guy who stopped the interview cold to point out how well he thought it was going, and how much he enjoyed speaking with me. (He did not hire me.) One of my favorite responses was when the guy told me I was TOO SMART for the job. Well, that's very complimentary and flattering, but if I'm so smart, then why don't I have a job? Why don't you want me to come work for you?

I especially hate it when the interview involves a test of some sort. That's kind of where I thought the guy who wouldn't tell me where to meet was going. Was it a test? Or was he just rude? Who knows. In TV production interviews, you often get asked what kinds of ideas you might bring to the show you're interviewing for. Even if you don't get hired, you will invariably see those ideas turn up on the show the next season, which is SO frustrating. I sometimes think they organize interviews just so they can get some fresh ideas.

As bad as things have been, though, I can safely say that I have never come up against this:

Names blacked out to protect the spelling-challenged.

Last line, y'all. I can do a great many things, but I assure you that I am not qualified to DUEL. Taunt, yes. Duel, no.

I have wondered so many times if it would be ok to include the ad in my email, red-line it, attach my resume, and point out that I know basic grammar and would therefore be an asset to your company, but it seems pushy. Maybe not, though.

(Thanks, AD!)