My job and I parted ways last week, after more years than I care to think about. It’s a story I’ll have to share someday, as the day after my departure my boss realized that the the person who had been doing the work of four employees, then five employees, leaves a very big hole in productivity once they’re gone. Her response to my absence was as divorced from reality as the behavior of her and others in management that led to my abrupt departure.
Yesterday I put in for a job at an established facility, my first application since I became unemployed. Not two hours later I was contacted about it, the HR woman gushing over my qualifications. I spent almost an hour filling out all sorts of forms and questionnaires online, the last portion of the interview and paperwork to be delayed until today, as the woman’s shift was to end in four minutes as I finished up the online portion. I was trying to be respectful in doing so. As you’ll read in a moment, there’s a lot of irony in that.
Today she texts me a question about my skill set. She asks me if I have training in a certain area. I inform her I do not, holding back on noting that nothing on my resume indicated I had such knowledge. In point of fact, my resume literally covers the opposite end of what she is asking about, along the lines of the difference in pediatric versus geriatric medicine.
Just like that, the job offer is rescinded. She then goes on to tell me to send anyone her way I might know who was qualified.
It’s funny: As I was doing all the online application work last night I thought it was odd I was doing that part before we seriously discussed the position. I really thought she was that impressed with my resume, and I honestly thought I might be a “unicorn” to her, as I’ve seen the term used here. I was feeling good about myself last night because of it; it’d been years since I had that kind of feeling of self-worth.
Maybe she used some sort of keyword program, and because of that my resume stood out. Maybe there was a miscommunication on what they were looking for versus what the position listing said; they updated it between yesterday and my talking with them today. Or maybe she drinks from the same well of stupid as my former bosses. Whatever the case, my quest for a job continues.