One of the jobs I felt completely under qualified for actually called me on Wednesday morning and arranged for an interview on Thursday afternoon. I had two issues that stopped me in my tracks once I agreed and hung up.
Issue One --> I HAVE NO CLOTHES TO WEAR!! One thing I did after giving birth was to go through my entire wardrobe and give stuff away. This was mostly done in a "I'm so fat" mood about 2 months after giving birth since I was panicking about having too much to pack for the move back to Edmonton. Now, almost a year later, I've lost a lot of weight and the clothes I do have are mostly too big. In the end, this issue was resolved by trying on everything I had and a trip to Goodwill. But if I do end up getting an office job, I have to go and do some MAJOR shopping.
Issue Two --> I haven't looked at code for almost a year. That was really my fault. P offered to let me help him with some of his programming such that I would continue to practice my skills. Being 10 months now that Adelaide doesn't sleep well (for the most part), I favoured all my free time to sleep and if I wasn't sleeping, I was too tired to try to learn his code. Added on to the point that I'd have to look at his code while watching a very awake Adelaide made it all the more unappealing.
The hours leading up to the interview and really during the interview itself, I was so completely nervous. I should backtrack to say that with our current family arrangement, it is my decision whether I go back to work. I feel very blessed to know that this is a decision I get to make. Therefore, I don't and didn't feel any pressure going into the interview because I needed the job... The nervousness I felt the entire time was because I didn't want to be wrong.
When the interviewers asked technical programming questions - ones that I felt should be easy to answer - I had so much trouble phrasing a response well. I had such baby brain, my English just stopped working. I call it baby brain just because it's what I felt when I was pregnant and I couldn't thinking as fast as I'd like due to morning sickness. Now I had no excuse to stumble over my words and for my brain to blank out.
After leaving the interview, I tend to go over questions in my head. I either look up my answers or ask P to clarify certain questions that stick out. Today, all the questions that stand out in my head, I answered wrong. I know I'm going to keep kicking myself until I figure out a way to turn my brain off. Hence, this blog. I find my mundane rambling seems to calm me down. I should note that Adelaide has been asleep for an hour since her last wakeup and I really should be sleeping too... if I could.
So until the day I can finally stop kicking myself for being wrong, I can't go to bed because someone was WRONG at an interview.
5 comments:
I feel your pain! Baby brain is a killer. One tip I can pass on (although I'm not exactly a shining example, but I'm sure you'll understand why!) is that doing puzzles like crosswords, findawords etc help to increase the brain's plasticity, and helps you to get out of that foggy feeling. Even doing puzzles with Adelaide will help!
Many mums will cry forlornly that you don't ever get your brain back, but I honestly think that parents learn to view things in a different way because they've had to adapt to their baby. And really, how can that be a bad thing?
And with the puzzles, I've found that they help me sleep. Maybe it's because I'm focusing on ONE thing rather than the myriad of other things whirling around in my head, or maybe it's because the ones I do have nothing to do with being a mum or my profession, so it's a complete break. Just a thought?
Aw, I wish you better luck in your search for clothes and at your future interviews. You're callback worthy, so you have that going for you at least. :)
I stumbled upon the Ask A Manager blog, and she offers this free PDF guide for how to prepare for job interviews: http://www.askamanager.org/how-to-guide
It's not in-depth, but I found that it did help me feel more calm in an interview. Quick tip: Think that you're not going to get the job anyway.
Of course, interviews for computing professionals are a different kettle of fish--is that even a phrase? I dread the technical questions, because I admit that there is a lot that I forgot or don't know. Our field is so vast, and there's so much information out there, I wouldn't know where to focus my prep and learning. However, I know how to search for answers quickly. But how often does that response fly? :)
Ooh, Danielle, I love crosswords! That was my method to help stave off mush brain.
I don't like being wrong either. But thankfully that never happens.
@Danielle: Yea, thanks for the tip! I've started playing Picross 3D this past couple of weeks on the DS. I'm hoping that'll start sharpening my brain. I am finding that a lot about being a mother is learning to view things different. Will apply to baby brain and applies to Adelaide's sleep habits. This is what life is right now - enjoy it while it's here.
@Mythi: Thanks for the guide. I've downloaded and will give it a look-through! They asked for my references and I hope they do call them... I know I had pretty good relationships with my old supervisors.
@Andy: Reading that, all I can think about is the time that we argued whether Antarctica had actual land/soil. It does - I win. :P
Oh, wow, hiring managers don't usually contact references unless they want you, so it's a good sign! Here's hoping. :)
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