job interviews/ school/ different paths

Aug. 15 Job interviews: Today is my day off and I had two job interviews. I did manage to have some fun on my day off by going shopping between the interviews. The first interview was in downtown as a receptionist. It turns out I had sent my resume to them months ago, but they needed someone now. There are a lot of applicants. She told me about the job. I don't know if I will get it.

Then I took the bus to the other place. It turns out the position is like a call centre, but this time I'm the one taking all the incoming calls and I'm not making them. I've been to that office before, but I didn't know that it was a call centre. There are shifts that end at midnight and I told them I wanted to end the shift at 9pm to catch the bus.

There are buses that go late at night, but I don't feel safe staying that late. There are people all across the country making phone calls so that's why the call centre is so late. All the other call centres I worked at, the shifts end at 9pm.

Shopping: I went to City Centre and Costa Blanca and Urban Behavior are closing down, and everything's on sale. There's a Costa Blanca at Kingsway and an Urban Behavior at West Ed mall if you like those stores. At West Ed there's a new store called Boathouse that took over where the clothing Off the Wall used to be. Boathouse sells Hurley and Billabong for men, women, and kids.

I had went to T&T in the Northgate and they sell these cute little cakes. One was a hedgehog. I saw a guy take pictures of them.

Aug. 16 Job assessment: Today I did a little interview over the phone today for a company. I was thinking about that Industrial company that hired me on the spot. It's been a week and I don't regret that I didn't take the job.

I say to myself: "Don't put obstacles in front of yourself." I had printed out all the maps and bus routes that I would have to take to get to and from work on the weekdays and weekends if I worked there. I was prepping myself up in my mind to imagine if I did take the job. It's okay I didn't take the job, because I'm doing a lot of interviews.

Law of attraction: I was thinking about the Canadian singer George. He's Asian and he sings R&B. His manager is Howie D from the Backstreet Boys. I was thinking of how he came out in 2006 and released a few songs, but now we don't see him. Then I turned on the TV and accidentally pressed the wrong buttons and got satellite radio. I got George's song "Lie to Me" playing.

Aug. 17 Crazy day: I went to another job interview today. I was coming home from work, but then stopped in downtown. It was easier to get to the interview from there. I then got to the bus stop and it was 45 min. before I had to be at the interview. It was ample time to find the place. But then it took me the whole time to find the place. I stopped at this place to ask for directions and they gave me the right direction.

It turns out I had walked past it. I then stopped at another place and she gave me the right direction because I walked a block away. I then asked two men and they gave me the right direction. I then asked a woman at a restaurant and she gave me the wrong direction. Then I called the office and she told me the right direction.

At least I got to the interview on time, and did the interview instead of giving up. I'm proud of myself. I think the interview was okay, she's going to interview 5 more people. The job seems pretty hard.

School: I got home and talked to my dad about my interviews. He says I should go to school. It's been 8 months (Apr.-Nov. 2010) job/ office job search. Then it's been 10 months of office job search.

I have talked about school with my dad earlier and asked about Norquest College and CDI College. He says I shouldn't go to it and that I should go to NAIT and Grant MacEwan. I also thought about that Metro article about going to school when you can't get a job.

You know what? I should take one or two computer classes to learn programs like Simply Accounting and Quickbooks. I can honestly say to myself that I have spent 18 months looking really hard for an office job by sending hundred resumes a month. I did so much and I have gotten myself the interviews with my Professional Writing diploma. However, I need more computer skills.

Different paths: I was thinking about how in 2010 when I was laid off I could have gone to school in the fall. Then I could still get EI and I may have possibly gotten an office job by now. But I wouldn't know, because I didn't take that path. I did get my appendix out so I may have missed a few days off of school if I did go to it.

I am happy with the path that I have taken. Now I know that after 18 months of an intense job search, I know I have given it my best shot. I know that I can get an office job on my own like what happened last year. I learned that I need to improve on my interpersonal skills. I need to go to school even if it's one class.

Aug. 18 Writing: I finally did something I haven't done in 6 weeks. I got on the computer and typed up more of my Rain script. There was this big plot point with the lead character, but then I wrote it for a supporting character. That way the supporting character will be put more in the background, and the lead character will be forced to take the spotlight. I worked for 1.5 hrs on it.

Dialogue: My brother was watching Shark Week on Discovery, and there was this reenactment.

Cut to the beach.
Man: I thought we were safe.
Cop: Nowhere's safe.
Me: Cliche.

It's true, nowhere's safe. I guess it was the delivery of the line.

Tension: I feel tense when I watch the TV show Prison Break and always think: "Will these inmates get caught or killed?" I feel tense when I watch Flashpoint as in: "Will the Strategic Response Unit be able to save the people or will they get killed?" Now I add the teen show Pretty Little Liars as in: "Who is A? Who is stalking these 4 girls?"

I learn to create tension for my scripts.

Aug. 19 Crazy interview: I went to another job interview today. It was crazy. I talked to the receptionist yesterday and she said to come at 1pm. I had to go to work, and to get there by 1pm, I would be late so I asked to come at 1:15pm. I was a little lost in finding the place in the right building, but I found it.

I was then told to wait so I read a magazine. The interview started and it seems to go bad because he asked why I wasn't here at 1pm. I told him I had to work and to get here, it takes nearly 1 hr bus ride. He asked why I couldn't leave work earlier. I guess I could have done that. Someone at work had to leave earlier for an appointment. Also I was under the impression that I could come at 1:15pm so that's why I didn't leave work earlier.

I was very tense and nervous. The other 3 interviews I did this week, I wasn't. He said he was willing to give me a shot, and to call him on Mon. I'm going to prepare myself for it by reading my books and the website. I don't totally know if I'm hired, because I can see him saying: "We decided to go in a different direction" because I have gotten that before. I'm sure a lot of people have heard that phrase.

You know the saying: "Don't count all your eggs before they're hatched." It's not until I work a shift there before I can say I'm hired.