Sleepy Phone Call Then a Soggy Interview (Part 4) – Mad Chaos: January 23, 1999

A Sleepy Call from an Employer

Let me note first that I woke up at 10:30 a.m. and I was surprised to find that it was an employer on the other end. Listening to his conversation in my groggy mood I found out that he was returning my call and asking me in for an interview for the Inputter position for Fairfax Newspapers which owns the Advertiser and all other newspapers around here.

Because I was still half asleep I tried not to speak as it would come out all wrong and when I did my statement came true. When he asked have I worked before and where I came up with some weird ass ‘Computer Processing’ and I told him I used to work at Liverpool.

Knowing that I was wrong I just went along with myself and as he asked me if I could head in for an interview on that day being Friday at 4:30 p.m. I said, “Oh, I can’t do that, I have other engagements.” “Oh,” he stammered, “Well how about we make it Monday.” That sounded fine to me and when I hung up the phone after getting some details still in a half asleep mood I thought how stupid I must have sounded.

Calling Back to Set Things Right

After my telephone call with the employer who was named Tyler I kept thinking to myself how stupid I must have sounded and how I would definitely miss out on an opportunity if I didn’t call him back. After ten minutes of lying on the floor and thinking of what I had done I gathered my thoughts and now in a sober mood I called back.

Once Tyler was back on the phone I announced “Hello, look I’m sorry about how I came across in our last conversation, I had a late night last night.” When he told me it was quite alright I asked him if he would like to still see me at 4:30 p.m. and he was fine with that. Weighing the opportunity to work and waiting for Shawn to call me so we could head to Miranda to see Janice Chan and Chris Tucker from a distance, I took the job over the other.

Dressing for My First Interview

Getting back to sleep after my phone call I kept myself under until 2:00 p.m. and upon waking up I had something to eat and started preparing what I was going to take with me. Rain was sprinkling outside and at times it was gushing down but that wouldn’t deter me from my first interview in over a year.

Saving my resume that I typed ages ago on my computer to a disk I dressed for the first time in my suit with the blue shirt but without the jacket top. Putting on my shiny black shoes I asked my dad to give me a lift to Campbelltown as it was raining and that he did. Both dad and mum got to see me before I left and I gather they were probably thinking proud thoughts as parents do.

Printing Resumes in the Rain

Getting dropped off at the Pizza Hut car park I walked through to the computer store on Queen Street as I had called up the library and they were closed for renovation. Needing their computer to print out my newer resume I walked up to the reception desk and after getting some assistance spent a couple of minutes printing out two sets of my resume. Paying before I left for the printouts I headed out into the meddlesome rain and getting somewhat wet made my way to the Advertiser building on Queen Street. The last run to there was where I got the most sodden.

Twenty Minutes in the Hot Seat

Walking into the Advertiser building I had no nerves about me at all, I wasn’t nervous. There was an eerie calm about me for my first interview in such a long time but as usual, that calm was soon overrated when I was being interviewed. I can never seem to be myself as I am around my friends when getting interviewed and apart from keeping the same tone in my voice constant through our conversation but my attitude seems to be put on.

The interview itself was fine for my first interview but I didn’t say what I needed to say, as enthusiastically as I needed to say it and as honestly as I could have said it. There were many things left out that I could have said but my mind wasn’t all there and for that I paid with sounding nervous or half prepared.

Rather, I let my resume do the talking as best as I could but the only drawback about this was that my resume didn’t justify fully the job I was hoping to get. For one, the job asks for someone who can type 85 words per minute and even though I know I can definitely do that with great accuracy I didn’t get it across to him enthusiastically.

An Awkward Remark About Men

The interview took around twenty minutes and I gathered that we were going downhill when he started sounded discriminative and bias. For one I should have taken a typing speed test and I asked if he would like me to perform one for him but he informed me of how his day has been too busy and how it was too late in the day for that. Then he went on to say “Don’t think I am being at all discriminating here but I’ve never known for a guy to go for this type of position before.”

That alone was enough to inform me that he would rather pick a woman over me and I would be extremely surprised if he did give me the job. The hours are great though and that’s another thing I didn’t inform him of with great enthusiasm. There were three days of constant typing a week and the one that appealed to me most was the Thursday where I started at 1:00 p.m. and ended at 7:00 p.m. how cool is that.

Bus Home with Blisters

After my interview was over and I was walked half way to the entrance I made my way to the bus stop and after waiting a couple of minutes in my work clothes and resume folder in hand I caught my bus. Once again there was that skater girl on the bus and I found it interesting that she sat one seat in front of me, switching from one side to another.

Despite that I didn’t make any comments to her because there were a numerous number of people on the bus but we did get off at the same stop which was a bit puzzling. When she jumped off she basically kept to herself just as much as I did and as she walked down towards the park I made my way up the steep long street to my house.

Wearing my new work shoes came to be a trouble for the short time I had to walk around with them on. There was only two or so hundred meters I had to walk with them on but coming home I had a popped blister on one of my legs that I think started to bleed and another forming on my other heel. These shoes really pissed me off and I hope they will eventually wear in because I’m getting tired of shoes that hurt my feet.

Back to the Gym

Upon coming home the time was edging closer to 6:00 p.m. and after having something to eat for some energy I grabbed my towel and headed for the Gym. While there I talked to that guy again that knows Kuper and Osama and I had seen a couple of days back at Macarthur Square. He seems to love chatting and when I try and get away he starts some more conversation. I feel that he’s only trying too hard which he is but he didn’t bother me at all. Anyway, here is my workout for Friday…

Chest Day

Chest: Starting with my two minute warm-up on the bikes after a running scurry to the Gym to get out of the rain I began on my heavier sets. Moving to Peck Deck Fly’s for a warm-up I pushed the weight up to a new 170 pounds to perform 15 reps. Completing that I made my way to Dips and on there performed 15 reps. Taking myself now to Decline Dumbbell Press with 60 pounds per hand I performed 10 hard reps.

Being my first small cycle I moved back to Peck Deck Fly’s and with 160 pounds just squeezed out 10 reps with some trouble near the end. For two more sets I moved to Dips where the first was for 14 reps to failure. The next set was to 12 reps pausing near the end. Moving now to Seated Machine Bench Press with 180 pounds I performed 8 grueling reps.

Taking the weight down to 160 pounds I performed another 8 reps then taking the weight down some more created some more power. Moving to Cable Crossovers with 50 pounds per hand I performed 10 reps, they came to be hard. Lastly I moved to Pullovers and with 60 pounds I performed 12 reps. Before I began my Biceps I picked up two 40 pound dumbbells and performed 20 shoulder shrug movements for my trapezius and shoulder muscles.

Biceps and Abdominals

Biceps: Beginning with Cable Preacher Curls after a warm-up, with 50 pounds I performed 10 reps. Moving to Dumbbell Preacher Curls with 35 pounders I performed 8 or so reps with each arm, it was getting tiring. Thirdly I walked over to Seated Dumbbell Curls and with 35 pounds per arm completed 7 reps then after a pause picked up the weights for a further 3 reps. Lastly I moved to Concentration Curls with 25 pounds where I performed and completed my Biceps exercises with 12 reps.

Abdominals: More straight forward, I began with Low Ab Crunches and created 30 reps where I would turn for my obliques on all reps. Moving to Machine Ab Crunches with 40 pounds I performed 30 reps with some side crunching movement. Moving back to Low Ab Crunches I created 20 more reps and then pausing for a further 10 I was finished.