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THR Hipster Girl Recovery Thread

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I'm home and so glad that's finally over with, whew! ~ I'm not sure how it went today. The good thing is it lasted 75 minutes instead of the 45 that was scheduled, so that's a good sign, but I'm not sure if the interviewer felt we clicked or not. When it was time for me to ask questions, I told her I knew the lady who was leaving identified as an extreme extrovert and I asked if that was the personality type she was looking for, (the interviewer on the other hand is an extreme introvert according to Myers Briggs). She said that having an extreme extrovert work for her worked well because they balanced each other out. Well I am not even an extrovert, let alone an extreme extrovert.

The part about the company and the position went okay I thought, but I left there not real sure on where things stood with her. I sent a thank you email and reiterated my interest in the position when I got home so now all I can do is wait. Unlike the other interviewers last week, this one did not put me at ease so I am not sure if she sees it as a fit or not. It wasn't a horrible interview but it wasn't great either. I didn't leave there with the same elation I felt last week.

She said she has a couple more people to interview but is anxious to make a decision soon.

I do still have the open opportunity with the other company where I am supposed to interview next week, so thankfully that is an option, just in case this one doesn't work out.
Thanks everyone for all your support and well wishes as I navigate this job search. Y'all are truly amazing! :flwrysmile:
 
@Hipster Girl - Thanks for keeping us posted! Wow!- 75 minutes is one long interview! I've been thinking of you all day with fingers crossed. Sounds like you did great - and following up so quickly with a thank you was very smart. You've done all you can do and did it well. Sorry, I had to smile reading how you weren't an "extrovert", much less an "extreme extrovert"! Like: "Help Wanted - extreme extrovert desired!" Maybe it's typical corporate talk, but it sounded a little quirky to me.

You never know exactly what they're looking for. I've had interviews where I thought we really clicked and then - zippo, nada.

Anyway, I think after this grueling week you deserve some good R&R and maybe a delicious treat as well! I'm glad you have that back up interview next week as a buffer, too. Have yourself a beautiful, restful weekend!
 
@Readysetgo thank you so much, and I chuckled at your Help Wanted comment - quirky is right. :skep: They get all caught up in that Myers Briggs stuff. On the one hand, they say they value individuality but on the other, they are saying "extreme extrovert wanted". Well I am who I am, and can't change that, so if that's not enough for them, then I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I guess you never know. I have no idea how many other candidates have been called back or what they are like. Maybe I'll be surprised, who knows. I just feel kinda blah and let down but again, I can't do anything more than my best which is what I did.

As I was leaving, I ran into one of the ladies I interviewed with last week and it was very nice to see her and we chatted a few minutes, so maybe she'll put in a good word for me. I really like her and we have a good connection.

Yes, R&R is definitely on the agenda this weekend. :SUNsmile: How was your week back at work? I bet you're ready for a nice restful weekend yourself! :flwrysmile:
 
I can't even tell you how many times I thought something (like your interview) didn't go so well and I'll be darned if it turned out the opposite. Like when I took my real estate exam many years ago. The first time I was absolutely sure I had passed, but I missed it by two questions. The second time I took the exam I was almost certain I had failed, but I passed. You never know! Like @Readysetgo mentioned, treat yourself to something luscious this weekend (hot fudge sunday anyone?). :heehee:
 
@Cynthia777 thank you for sharing that! Wouldn't it be something if I turned out to be pleasantly surprised....I do know I clicked very well with everyone there last week so maybe they will put in a good word for me - I'm sure they talk among themselves about the candidates so if they have good things to say, then hopefully some of that gets passed on to the hiring manager. I don't normally like surprises but that would be a very welcome surprise! :)
 
Hi @Hipster Girl, I just caught up with your thread. I think it's impressive that your interview lasted so long. It sounds to me like she was really interested in you, and in getting to know you. It's great that you still have the other option in your back pocket, if you need it. I'll be anxious to hear how things work out. Congratulations on doing so well. You have been through the ringer with this job search. I keep thinking of the saying, "the darkest hour is just before the dawn."
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! that's true about the length of the interview. Maybe there really was some interest on her side to keep me there that long. I wish I knew how many other candidates there were and how many. So true about it being darkest before dawn. :)

@Cynthia777 awww, y'all can't get rid of me that easy :friends:
 
Awww @Hipster Girl - glad to hear that things went well....and that you still have another interview to go to. I think you're on the perfect track.....and know enough about yourself and into Who's hands you place your future employment. The right answer will come....all in due time. ~ Nothing more you can do over this weekend.....except to kick back....and relax. Enjoy.
 
Thanks @Nana2-8 , you're right, God knows what's up ahead for me and will place me where He wants me so I just need to rest in that. I know I wouldn't be comfortable at a job where I had to hide who I really am in order to pretend to be an extrovert and it wouldn't last and I would be miserable. By introvert, I just mean that I need my alone time and quiet time to recharge. That's just part of my nature. I am friends with several extreme extroverts and what they seem to have in common is that they can talk non-stop about anything and everything. They regularly keep me on the phone for hours and I barely get to say anything, they just want someone on the line to listen to them. When I get done with a conversation with them, I am utterly drained and just need peace and quiet.

There is another similar job opening at this company in a different department where the bold outgoing personality probably wouldn't be necessary as it is with this role, and I did previously ask their in-house recruiter if I could be considered for that position if this one didn't work out, and she said yes. So that's always a possibility also. That position is replacing someone who is retiring at the end of June.

I am finding out that the new modern workspace is a big open room and that they don't even have tall partitions for privacy. Everybody is in one room and it's loud and hard to concentrate. I had a cubicle at my old job but it was a quiet floor and I had partitions to break up the sound somewhat. The new offices also have open casual collaboration meeting areas where those low soft couches and chairs are the norm. I guess they think that comfy furniture enables people to think better? Maybe I really am getting old because if I am on casual low sofa, I feel like it's time to nestle in for a good show on TV, definitely not focus on work. It really does affect my mental state. Kind of like how we have recliners in our family rooms to get comfortable at the end of a long workday. If I had furniture like that at work,I would want to take a nap. Not to mention the low furniture is certainly not THR friendly. I still don't like getting down on low furniture like that because of my hips. I wonder whose bright idea this was, obviously someone who's never had a hip replacement. With all the ADA regulations in place, I'm surprised they get away with furniture like this. I don't see how that could be in compliance. Whose bright idea was this? :tantrum2:
 
Hi @Hipster Girl, Can you imagine if you had been acting like an extreme extrovert once you were hired? That made me chuckle. I think from your description, several of the ladies in my knitting groups were extreme extroverts. I found it very draining, too. I prefer one on one communication. Groups exhaust me. I can totally relate to what you're saying. Sometimes you couldn't even get a word in edgewise. It used to grate on my nerves. But, it does sound like they really like you. That's what matters. I would let go of the outcome. Maybe something great will happen. You are such a valuable employee.

You may find that you are able to sit in the lower chairs with time. I don't even notice that stuff anymore. Before the surgery, it was the opposite. I would scope out the situation and plan a strategy. I think it's also reasonable to ask for them to provide you with a comfortable seat for work. The set up does sound really casual. That seems to be the norm now. I prefer to work on my own, too. I can see why you would want peace and quiet. Everything is so "team" oriented now. It's like the autonomy is gone. Interruptions seem to be commonplace. I find it very distracting.

I hope it all works out for the best. I wonder if you could wear headphones?
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! the funny thing is I was finally at a place in my life where I am comfortable in my own skin and accept myself as I am, flaws and all, which I think is a healthy place to be. I feel society places such a value on extroverts and looks down on introverts, always trying to get us to "come out of our shell" (their words, not mine). I see it differently - neither extrovert or introvert is better, just different, and it takes both types.

I'm glad you can relate to what I was saying about those people that talk incessantly. I have a friend who calls me almost every day and she will talk "at" me for close to 3 hours at a time, and that is no exaggeration. It is not a two-way conversation, it is one-way with her just rambling on about anything and everything. The only time she pauses is to ask "are you still there?" I can't get a word in because it's like she doesn't come up for air so I have realized she calls me solely to have someone to listen to her. I am so exhausted after I hang up.

The headphones are a good idea actually. We'll see if it gets that far. I really think I did not get this job. But I will keep the headphones in mind for future jobs since the open work area is the norm now. It's so foreign to me. I miss my old company so much - it was a great fit. I am old school and more traditional. It seems all this "fun company culture" talk and the open work spaces and cushy furniture, and constant recognition for the littlest things ("everybody gets a trophy" mentality) is all just a way to coddle people instead of treating them like grown-ups who are there to do a job. The emphasis should be on work, not fun. Nothing wrong with fun but that shouldn't be the focus - we're not 12 year olds. Oh well, nothing I can do about it - I am learning this is the new norm, so I need to learn to adapt. Inside though, I am shaking my head like "really??????" :skep:
 
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@Hipster Girl, it sounds like your interview went well. Just my opinion, but I don't think somebody would talk to you for 30 extra minutes if they weren't interested in what you were saying.
I find the concept of this interviewer kind of looking for an 'extreme extrovert' to be puzzling. I understand wanting to get along with those you work with and perhaps an extrovert balancing her out, but the goal should be finding someone to fill the job that is better for the company overall...not just one person.
I so hear you about the introvert thing. I've fought that battle all my life. It was a relief to learn that instead of being 'odd' I was simply an introvert and needed quiet and alone time in which to recharge.
I had to smile at your mention of phone conversations. Unless it is absolutely necessary, e.g. talking to a doctor's office, addressing a billing question with a company, calling a repair service, etc, I don't talk on the phone any more. I can't stand it. I detest small talk and listening to non-stop prattle literally makes my ears ring.
I've told my friends that I'm more comfortable communicating through texts, emails, private messages, and so on.
I also share your uncertainty about modern 'open concept' work spaces. A quiet work space is a necessity, as is a good, solid chair. Low, cushy seating is not appealing to me. I think the head phones would be a great thing to have.
I'm sending out continued vibes that you find that just right position. I know it's out there!
Enjoy your weekend and treat yourself to something wonderful. :)
 
@DeepBreath the extrovert thing is just part of their "fun culture" mumbo jumbo and how she/they perceives an extrovert to be more "fun" and a better fit. I don't get it either to be honest, I always thought companies were looking to hire someone who can & will do the job. Silly me. All this extraneous stuff is so ridiculous, it's laughable. I've been reading about this new fun culture stuff today and apparently it is becoming very commonplace now. When did companies lose sight of the fact we are at work to "work"?

I laughed out loud reading how non-stop prattle literally makes your ears ring! :heehee: I don't enjoy talking on the phone either; it's one reason I don't even own a smartphone. My cell phone texts and that is just fine with me. That's all I need, and maybe a very brief call here & there. I'm so glad someone else understands. Your post helps me see I'm not alone. Introverts rock! :egypdance:
 
I've been seeing this as a customer, too. I just went to Home Depot and bought some begonias for my window boxes. As I went to the cashier, who was a young woman, a man about my age, (who was also a cashier,) nudged her and said, motioning to me, "This one is feisty, I can tell." I was not in the mood. Especially after what just happened with my ex. I was pleasant with her and explained what I wanted. I ignored him, and he went back to his station. It's weird to me how unprofessional people some people are now. They act way too casual and pushy for my taste. I don't even know this guy. He got the message.

I try to smile and be friendly with people who are working, but we don't have a close, personal relationship. I like to do business with people who are efficient, honest, and talented. I totally get what you are saying about all the rewards for the tiniest thing. It's a whole different world now. I feel so foreign.

p.s. I love introverts. I don't think we need to work with the opposite. I find I'm very compatible with introverts. One lady in my knitting group announced that introverts are "socially inept." She behaves identically to the woman you described who talks "at" you. It's so important to click with people, or at least to be compatible.
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! that comment from the lady in your knitting group seems to be how a lot of people look at us introverts but in my opinion, from what you described about how rude and unfriendly they were and how poorly they treated you, I think she is the one who is socially inept. Outgoing is one thing but it is not good to to be rude, loud, and overbearing. Those are not good qualities.

Yes, good customer service seems to be a thing of the past also. I was a cashier many years ago and I was taught to be polite and courteous to the customer but I notice these days that many of them don't even speak. Not one word. Or they have ear buds in. Or they're laughing it up with their co-workers and ignoring the customer. We are changing as a society and it is not for the better. People can be very rude.

I was at Sam's last weekend and it was right after my workout so I was starving. I normally avoid the aisles with all those samples because it gets so congested there but I was starving. I realized my cart was blocking the way as a man was trying to get through. I looked up and saw him glaring at me angrily so I immediately moved my cart and apologized to him to let him through. He continued to glare at me so I thought that maybe he didn't hear me say I was sorry, and I said it again, and he snapped at me "I'm glad you're sorry" in a very rude tone. I thought to myself "what the heck?"

Talk about sweating the small stuff, I can't believe someone could get that bent out of shape over a shopping cart. Annoyed yes, I can understand, but I moved the cart and apologized, and it's not the end of the world. I marvel that so many people go through life so rude and angry. Common courtesy is a thing of the past. :sad:
 
@Hipster Girl, Wow...that guy sounds really intense. My theory is that a lot of people now are depressed and/or bi-polar. This isn't to make excuses for them, it's that's my hit on it. You are so conscientious and sensitive. Sometimes when people see that they just attack. There are times I am afraid to make eye contact with people, because I see and feel so much rage in their eyes. Our society has a lot of problems. There is so much clashing on so many levels. I think it's harder as you get older...we are now the age of our grandparents. We don't look like they did, but the generation gap is there.

I try to focus on the people that are kind, loving, and spiritual. I totally agree with what you said about being loud, rude, and overbearing. Unfortunately, to some people, this is normal. It's what they know.

I have been seeing some people in their twenties that really uplift me. They are very sweet, sensitive, well mannered, and artistic. My hope is that many of these old souls will help change the world. It's a challenge, that's for sure!
 
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