Still really great at job interviews

In a recent phone interview (yep... still hunting) I must have mentioned my personal blog when describing my qualifications for an editorial internship. When I went in for a personal interview, my would-be boss confessed that she'd looked up my blog out of curiosity. Whether this was a good or bad thing was never articulated, and to be honest, I'm still not sure. It had been quite awhile since I posted, and her investigation was a reminder that I need to get back to the blogosphere. However, the knowledge that she had access to my blog was also a bit of a deterrent... because all I really wanted to write about was the fact that a potential employer had found my blog dating back to high school.

Alas, I did not get the job-- which I was actually very qualified for and am rather disappointed about. It was for a really cool organization, too. I still think they're cool even though they didn't hire me, so here's a link to check out their work on documenting nonviolent conflict.

The company is operated by a small team, and I had a Skype interview with the president, who turned out to be a customer at the small food co-op where I cashier. This became real unfortunate when he came to my register to check out groceries the first time after I was informed that I didn't get the internship. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello! Do you have a member number?
Him: Hi Lauren, I'm Hardy.
Me: Oh...Hi! Um, I can look you up by your name then (because I know his last name... because I had skyped him)
Him: Yeah... my family just got back from vacation, so you'll probably see us around
Me: (scanning his three cans of beans) I saw them a few days ago, actually
Him: Yeah...
Me: Credit or debit?
Him: Credit
***awkward silence waiting for receipt***
Me: And if you could just sign-- (indicating the machine thing where you swipe your card)
Him: Oh yeah, of course, sorry, you'd think I would remember by now
Me: Yeah, it's kind of a gauntlet of questions to get your groceries
***awkward chuckles***
Me: (handing over receipt) Well, enjoy your beans!

He's been back since, and I think that one initial encounter was the awkward hurdle that just had to be jumped. I felt less flustered the second time he came by. And who knows, maybe he never felt awkward about it at all! But then there's me, standing there trying to figure out if it would be good sportsmanship or bad form to say, "I hope your new intern is working out for you!" (Obviously, I decided on bad form and settled on "enjoy your beans," instead. An improvement? Your call.)

So I'm still cashiering, filling out job applications, hoping for interviews and job offers, and waiting for the Peace Corps to decide whether or not they want us in Vanuatu next spring. Cheers to the life of a recent college grad! #whatIusemydegreefor