Week 5 of Unemployment: Interviewing

This week I was on a little bit of a roller coaster. It could have to do with the fact that it is 90 hundred thousand degrees here with 400% humidity and we don’t have AC, so I am feeling quite lethargic. In any case, one minute I was feeling productive, the next useless, then pumped. So you see. Roller coaster. And not the fun kind that you ride at amusement parks.

But I did have an interview this week. Now before you get all excited and give me a virtual high five, I will ruin it for you and say it didn’t work out.

I responded to a craigslist ad for a contract writer for a start-up newspaper here in NH. While craigslist can be iffy, I knew it was a legit gig because the newspaper had a website. We set up the interview via e-mail. I went in to the whole thing with an open mind and started to get excited about the possibility of newspaper reporting again (last time I called myself a newspaper reporter was in college). However, when I showed up to the address Wednesday, it was someone’s house in a seedy neighborhood in Manchester. I quickly texted J the address and person’s name just in case I got chopped up in a million pieces.

The interview took place (other people showed up and I felt safe, BTW) and they offered me the job. I didn’t accept it. The pay was, um, not enough. I understand it being a start-up and I’m not really complaining because this is the standard and I sort of knew that (writers make jack), but I couldn’t justify accepting a job that would take 10+ hours out of my week and barely cover my gas for the weekly editorial meetings I had to attend. I really am trying to build a freelance base that can get me off unemployment or that will be there when unemployment runs out and that means being a little choosy. While I am a little desperate, I’m just not that desperate (yet).

Overall, it was a good experience. I haven’t interviewed in such a long time so I definitely need practice. Hopefully there are more where that came from!