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Mar. 6th, 2004 01:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaalaThe job interview went pretty well. It was very thorough and in many ways more of an audition than an interview. I was expecting strenuous activity (all that talk in the description of "excellent physical ability") so I wore a breathable shirt, but we were in a casemate cold enough that I ended up shivering. I think my answers were okay though I have a bad tendency to ramble. My roleplaying (as an 1867 soldier) was, in a word, awful. I gave up on being intimidating almost instantly. (And, as I already knew, I stink at improv.) My musical abilities were sufficient; they seemed impressed that I can already play the fife decently. I somehow managed to memorize most of the historical information given to me beforehand.
The interviewers gave me many dire warnings about the stress of the job and the strain of the training, all the while, assuring me that they don't really hate the new employees even if they act that way out on the training grounds. There were also vivid descriptions of the hours spent under the sun in wool uniforms in the middle of the summer. It's as if they were testing me to see if I would get scared. Apparently, they model their training as much as possible after 1860s British military training--yipes!--because it's efficient and it gives the historical interpreters insight into their roles. I was given a "sample" of this method when I was taught how to stand and march. After all the build-up, I found the actual "sample" surprisingly mild. My only major difficulties lay in balancing on one foot at a time for several seconds, and the corrections were far from the verbal chewing-up I was expecting. I did have to yell, of course, but at least it wasn't "Yes, sir!" The whole drill experience was slightly weird to me as someone who has never held any interest whatsoever in any type of military training. I must have looked vastly underqualfied in this respect compared to cadets from the RMC (right next door).
One of the two panelists told me afterwards that I "did well." He said to let them know if I find another job opening because at this point, though they can't give me an answer for certain, they're "trying to save a spot" for me. If accepted, I'll have to make some tough decisions. Employees work weekdays, weekends, and holidays from May to September and are extremely unlikely to be granted leave for more than two days. This would mean no term at the ISC, no camps, no family trips, no daytime spring or summer courses (and a struggle to complete anything by correspondence), no piano lessons in Newmarket, no Wolf Project, very brief attendance at any OGW event, and very few if any jaunts to visit my family or Toronto. On the other hand: it pays well (over $9 an hour including union fee--I'd be able to contribute towards any future trip to the ISC), I wouldn't have to sublet my room, it would be a challenge, I'd learn a lot and gain invaluable job experience, I'd meet new people, I'd still have my evenings free (if I'm not exhausted after the day), and I would get regular physical exercise. It's already as much as decided that I will defer my flute jury until September for health reasons so I probably need to be here all summer for lessons anyway.
The interviewers gave me many dire warnings about the stress of the job and the strain of the training, all the while, assuring me that they don't really hate the new employees even if they act that way out on the training grounds. There were also vivid descriptions of the hours spent under the sun in wool uniforms in the middle of the summer. It's as if they were testing me to see if I would get scared. Apparently, they model their training as much as possible after 1860s British military training--yipes!--because it's efficient and it gives the historical interpreters insight into their roles. I was given a "sample" of this method when I was taught how to stand and march. After all the build-up, I found the actual "sample" surprisingly mild. My only major difficulties lay in balancing on one foot at a time for several seconds, and the corrections were far from the verbal chewing-up I was expecting. I did have to yell, of course, but at least it wasn't "Yes, sir!" The whole drill experience was slightly weird to me as someone who has never held any interest whatsoever in any type of military training. I must have looked vastly underqualfied in this respect compared to cadets from the RMC (right next door).
One of the two panelists told me afterwards that I "did well." He said to let them know if I find another job opening because at this point, though they can't give me an answer for certain, they're "trying to save a spot" for me. If accepted, I'll have to make some tough decisions. Employees work weekdays, weekends, and holidays from May to September and are extremely unlikely to be granted leave for more than two days. This would mean no term at the ISC, no camps, no family trips, no daytime spring or summer courses (and a struggle to complete anything by correspondence), no piano lessons in Newmarket, no Wolf Project, very brief attendance at any OGW event, and very few if any jaunts to visit my family or Toronto. On the other hand: it pays well (over $9 an hour including union fee--I'd be able to contribute towards any future trip to the ISC), I wouldn't have to sublet my room, it would be a challenge, I'd learn a lot and gain invaluable job experience, I'd meet new people, I'd still have my evenings free (if I'm not exhausted after the day), and I would get regular physical exercise. It's already as much as decided that I will defer my flute jury until September for health reasons so I probably need to be here all summer for lessons anyway.
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Date: 2004-03-06 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-06 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-08 06:43 am (UTC)