Another Interview

This is where I had another interview yesterday, in this glass tower that sits atop a 350 foot high bluff in the Watchung Mountains of northern NJ. It's 11 minutes from my house to the parking lot. How convenient.

Inside the building is all fancy marble and plants and soft lighting and waterfalls and fountains. I loved it. Quite a idfference from the uber-chic loft in Chelsea of last week. The office for the firm is on the tenth floor. Gorgeous views from the elevator ride up, and gorgeous views from office windows. Here, the conference room was an interior room, but a normal room, with projector screen, white board, and food and drinks on sideboards. Big oblong table, plants, and accessory lighting complemented comfortable chairs (Aerons, I think). In the reception area was a tabletop basketball hoop, a Zen rock and sand garden, and eatable goodies (candy jar, 5 types of pretzels, etc.). My kind of place. The dress code was decidedly casual; I saw jeans and flip-flops. No female wore hose or closed shoes. This is the second place in a row that every gal wore sandals or open-toed shoes (save me, the interviewee). I will love having a work excuse for pedicures.

Two ladies interviewed me at the same time. Both are senior vice presidents. they told me that one of their clients suggested they hire someone with grant writing expertise; lo and behold I happened to e-mail their CEO out of the blue (this is true- I found them because they are a local medical education and communications firm). Can I write education grants for them? Why not? I replied. We spoke for a while about how I find funding agencies and grant mechanisms, how I put together a grant, how they put together grants. There are commonalities, and I pointed those out. After an hour, the interview ended (one of them had another meeting). I promised to e-mail grants and publications, so they could see my work. I'll call them next week and find out what they're thinking if I haven't heard from them yet.

I don't really want to write grants forever, but if I can write some grants, and also help develop new education content (I have expertise in an area they ought to represent), I'll have a nice blend that interests me.

Tonight starts Shavuos, Pentecost, the commemoration of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. DD#2 is coming in from parts south for the holiday. It's traditional to eat a cheese-based meal so we'll have 3 kinds of blintzes plus sour cream and ricotta cheese; a variety of smoked and herb cheeses; a cheese ring for dessert. I'll whip up huevos rancheros one day, and we'll also have pot roast. I spotted a pie from DD#1, dropped off this morn on her way to work. Now I'm hungry and it's not yet lunch time!