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March 24, 2006
recruitment
In my email this morning, in addition to the usual fifteen messages from online pharmaceutical companies (damn that one-time penis pump purchase!), was a message about an upcoming job fair in Seattle. Job hunting in and of itself can be exhaustive and grim. Years ago, having just been brutally laid-off from a job in the high-tech industry, I decided I would check out what this “job fair” concept was all about.
Following the online career advice I had been dutifully reading, I dressed as though for an interview: navy suit, pearl earrings, sensible shoes. I also brought the suggested stack of resumes. I went with a former colleague who’d also had his ass handed to him on a high-tech platter. Once at the fair, we decided that we’d go our separate ways and meet up again in an hour.
I hadn’t been unemployed for all that long and also have a fairly optimistic view on my general employability despite never being able to communicate to my family what it is I do (“something with computers”). So I was in a strange mood, strolling around and observing: the Army recruitment booths; job-seekers wearing hair-sprayed perms and pumps with purple skirts; a sense of hope and desperation as pervasive as the spell-checked resumes printed up on bonded paper.
As I was walking around, a petite young woman in a chocolate brown suit strolled by and gave me a slow, approving smile. She had long auburn hair pulled up in a loose twist and beautiful pale skin. Being in full “I’m so hirable it’s ridiculous!” mode, I smiled back, thinking the exchange was a bit odd but that was about it. I continued to cruise up and down the aisles, wondering if maybe a career in air travel was right for me, or if I should put my communications skills to use in an entry-level position with an up-and-coming real estate company.
As I rounded a corner, there was the woman again. This time, she said “Hi.” We introduced ourselves. Her name was Audrey and she said she worked in the entertainment industry. She asked for a copy of my resume, which I gave her. We chatted for a few minutes and she seemed to like me. I was only half-listening to what she was saying because she was so striking and also because the situation seemed slightly odd. Was it that easy to get a job at a job fair? Someone just walks up to you and you're hired? As I tuned back in, I realized Audrey was talking about needing attractive, intelligent woman to work with high-profile international clients. A little light went off in my not-too-clever noggin. Audrey told me her “father” ran the business and would be in touch. I wrapped up our conversation quickly and rushed off in search of my friend.
So the only resume I gave out at the job fair was to a hooker. In my (admittedly feeble) defense, I was recruited.
Posted by Max at March 24, 2006 09:35 AM