Job Interview

You could call her passionate; you could call her a motormouth. I didn't know what to make of this woman, and after interviewing with her for an hour, I still didn't know what to make of her. She was interviewing me for a part time job but you'd never have known it.

Instead, she talked on and on about the organization; about all that needed to be done. She told me about the Board members and all her contacts. It seems she's friends with anyone who is anyone in the known universe (New York City being the known universe, that is).

Was she bragging or just telling me her story? I couldn't tell. Every so often I tried to wedge a word in with a shoehorn. I asked her, almost desperately, wasn't there something else she needed to know about me? "Oh, yes," she replied, as if pulling a question out of a ready-made jarful of Things to Ask at an Interview. "Why should I hire you? What's do you bring to the table that's better than the others?"

I countered with questions about the organization, the board, the future plans. In between, I studied her. She must be in her mid-fifties, with hair dyed a stark black, matching her little black dress. I thought little black dresses were evening wear but I see they have somehow made it into the boardroom. She's smart, she's sophisticated, she's out of my league. I don't think I'll fit in with her crowd, and that may very likely blow me out of the water.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe she wants someone who is more down to earth. Maybe she is looking for someone who can tone down her personality a bit. She's strong, she's forceful, she knows how to be a catalyst for change. Those are good things, but talking to her was like coming up against a steamroller. I learned much more about her than she could possibly have learned about me. Was that good or bad? Only time will tell.