Today I’m going for an interview for a new job, and I’m a bit nervous. I have a job, and though I don’t like much of it, it pays the bills and (obviously) buys the whistles. But there is always that desire to find something better, more rewarding intellectually and less frustrating.
I think the anxiety started sometime ago, and my natural inclination is to acquire things. Stash up against the storm, as it were. I pulled out and played four whistles yesterday, and that did make me feel better.
I also did a foolish thing and got a manually driven knitting machine on eBay. Has anyone had experience with these things? I’m NOT a knitter, and don’t want to do anything fancy, but the idea of producing a knitted/felted whistle cosy has driven me to distraction, but holding kneedles (my word) gets me wondering why I’m not holding whistles instead, or a book. The only thing I do regularly that I like less is go to the gym. So I saw knitting machine. I bid. I won. Maybe I’ll make afghans too. Or scarves.
when I got made redundant from one of my defence jobs the ran courses on interview skills, they reckon the most important thing was showing you were relaxed and selfconfident, don’t cross your arms or legs and let you hands rest on your lap… well thats what they said and in my 18 years of work I spent 3 days unemployed!
good luck
Richard.
My best interview was for my current job. My future boss and I spent most of the time talking about our aging horses. She never called my references, either. I’ll have been there five years in February.
Think of me, too, 'cause I’m in the midst of negotiating a promotion and raise based in increased work and responsibility.
My mom bought one of those knitting machines years ago. She never figured it out. And so it sits in a corner of the storage room collecting dust. I believe, and I could be mistaken, it also came with a video. She can crochet.
Good luck, Tygh: You’ll do very well. Think of it this way: As much as they are interviewing you, you are interviewing them to see if what they have to offer you will be worth it for you. Find out about the job and the poeple and see if it’s right for. You’re skilled & experienced, and you want to interview them to see if it would suit you.
Hey, I can top Martin’s suggest…imagine the interviewer in a toga that just came off you knitting machine!
I got a vintage knitting machine off ebay for Christmas…but it needs some restoring. Hope yourscomes with instructions & ready to go out of the box. You’ll get those knitted whistle cozies, yet, I think.
On 2003-01-22 07:35, mvhplank wrote:
Think of me, too, 'cause I’m in the midst of negotiating a promotion and raise based in increased work and responsibility.
M
Okay, so this does come around to being on topic…what do you do in between waiting for three seperate interviews in a brand new waiting room that doesn’t have lighting no less magazines…
you practice you fingering technique on the lower half of a two-piece whistle
Interviews went from reasonably good to very well indeed. I would LOVE this job…data wrangling for a research group that studies brain images in schizophrenia patients. The head of the department likes Irish music and liked that I was reasonably conversant in neuropsychology, mining data in 5+ dimensions, and had read Luria, Tufte and Sacks’ books.
I should know within 10 days…
M, I do hope it goes as well with you!
BTW, I wouldn’t want to have seen ANY of these guys in their underwear…or a toga!
I bought one of those (knitting machines) for my wife about 5 years (a Knit King), we haven’t got around to mastering it yet.
We did try to make a few patterns using the punch cards, nifty. It’s neccessary to buy knitting machine yarn, the yarn has wax in it and helps lubricate it with the system. Using plain yarns that are hand waxed can jam the machine easily - which can be time consuming to unjam. Once you get the tension right it sails. Oh, you need to invest in a winder for the yarn, especially if you take something back apart that you’re not happy with.
And one more thing, in the needle bed there is a bar that has foam on it and it presses against the needles - this thing requires replacement after many uses - make sure that the one that you have is in good shape before knitting. (Note: Machines other than Knit King might work differently).
On 2003-01-22 18:11, tyghress wrote:
[snip] The head of the department likes Irish music and liked that I was reasonably conversant in neuropsychology, mining data in 5+ dimensions, and had read Luria, Tufte and Sacks’ books.
I should know within 10 days…
M, I do hope it goes as well with you!
Hooray for you! I don’t know Luria or Tufte, but I’m a big fan of Sacks, so you’re already aces in my book.
Some of my bosses seem to be making it up as they go along, but my main supervisor won’t let my quest be forgotten.
Good luck and put a coin under your Buddha. (That’s what I’m doing, anyway )
Dakota, that’s EXACTLY the machine I got! There is something about an upgrade to the Ultimate Incredible Knitting Machine, but I figure I’ll get those whistle cosies made now. Hey, I know who to go to for help!
Margurite, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for both of us. Now I’m through the first issue, I need to 1, get the offer, 2 negotiate the transfer, 3 manage the fact that I have to get my vacation transferred with me. . .
But oh, wouldn’t it be nice to be OUT of the business of business and into the business of research?
)