How It Went

No, nothing like the cartoon (thank G-d!).

It went well, I think. Everyone was very cordial, very nice. They seemed to be almost as eager to sell the position to me as I was to sell my skills to them.

The venue: a converted factory loft in Chelsea, very hip part of Manhattan. The loft itself has exposed brick walls, indirect lighting, is one huge room with some offices along 2 outer walls, and stuck at odd places in the vast space are these round open can-like objects that fit 8 or 10 people, a table, and a white board. Painted black inside and out. Called pods, they are the meeting rooms (!), and are identified by the hip neighborhood in Manhattan folks chose: NoHo, Flatiron, and The West Village. Otherwise the decor is so minimalist the offices don't have full walls, such that while I was speaking to the hiring manager, the fellow next door bellowing on his phone was louder than our conversation. I took it in stride but I would think that if it inhibited work, the bellowing fellow would be made to quiet it down a bit. One manager I was to meet had to "take" an important phone call, which lasted for over 45 minutes. The upshot of that was the manager then had to dash to another meeting. I took that in stride too, and told the HR rep I'd be very happy to come back and meet the manager another day very soon.

The weather: The heat was terrific and the humidity impressive. Thought I did not have to wait for a single train (a miracle, I tell you), I was totally worn out by the time I returned home last night. It took 2 tall glasses of iced lemonade to revive me.

What I noticed: people dressed like college faculty, which surprised me; I was expected the ne plus ultra of downtown-chic. I was the only gal in hosiery/ closed toe shoes (I even spotted flip-flops). Jeans and untucked shirts prevailed on men, nary a tie in sight. That's good news for my wardrobe budget and my feet: I can wear comfy shoes to walk to and from the train station, a half-mile each way (not a great distance, but imagine doing it in dress heels).

What next: They are supposed to call me to set up the missed meeting with the manager. This gets sticky because of: 1) the interviews I have lined up and may have lined up (I hope); 2) the holiday of Shavuos (Pentecost) next week; 3) going to Los Angeles to see my father the following week; 4) having a family wedding out of town the last week in June. Well, come what may, I'm sure we'll work it out. If they don't understand prior commitments, they're not the right workplace for me, right?