I'm THE finalist. No job offer yet.

Sorry. I thought it was all but a done deal. I hope the offer is good.

Aw, Harvey! Poor guy. Hope you get enough of a sample, Andi. also: {{WindSparrow}} and scritches for Harvey.

I've got a phone interview sometime today. They asked me if I was available between 8 and 12, and I said yes, and that between 10 and 12 would be better than between 8 and 10. I expected to get an email back telling me that they'd call me at some specific time. But, no. I emailed to ask if there was a specific time, or just some time in that interval, and no response. I also wasn't sure which phone number I had put on the application, so I sent them the one that they should use for the interview. My other phone interview asked for the number.

Oh, bah, Hil, that's irksome.

Vibing good-decision~ma and negotiation~ma to omnis.

I still don't have my cover letter written. My ex-boss whom I love like a dad talked to the person in charge of the position, and reported back that she was totally adamant about not even considering anyone who doesn't have the specific experience she listed. Not equivalent experience, not the same experience under a different name, nothing but exactly what she asked for word-for-word. Which, I understand, but it's incredibly discouraging. Another co-worker thinks I can easily handle the job and is going to go talk to a couple other people, but it looks doubtful.

JZ, I've discovered that employers can be as incredibly picky as they want in this job market, because the person with exactly the experience and qualifications is likely out there.

It is incredibly discouraging.

JZ, if she's that sticky, it's unlikely she'll find the perfect person and she'll have to settle for looking at resumes that don't quite match. Get that cover letter written and keep having your people drop your name!

Good luck with the offer, omnis!

OK, I finally got an email back saying that the phone interview will be sometime between 10 and 12. I'm going to assume that's their time zone, not mine, so between 11 and 1 my time. Still seems weird to have a two-hour interval rather than a set time.

Unfortunately, nothing she wants is outside the realm of possibility. There are probably two or three dozen people who have all the specific experience she wants; it's just that it's stuff for which that specific experience isn't as crucial as she thinks it is--a bright person who knows the hospital, the basics of HIPAA, and the reason why CHR exists and who's good with patients, can do the job just fine.

My guess is that she's been burned at some point in the past by hiring someone who not only didn't have the specific experience but wasn't bright and fucked it up, so now nobody else gets a chance because there's research money and the wellbeing of fragile patients at stake. She'll have no trouble finding any number of people who meet her qualifications exactly, and I can't blame her. I'm just frustrated because I need a way out of where I am, and GOD how I don't want to get out by going into accounting (the one big constant opportunity on campus).

I'm just frustrated because I need a way out of where I am, and GOD how I don't want to get out by going into accounting (the one big constant opportunity on campus).

I hear that.

My son shocked me yesterday by mentioning that he thought he would go for an Accounting degree. He has never mentioned any specific degree before. He had been talking about doing a couple years in community college to decide what he was doing before going further. He still plans to do the CC thing first. The shock comes because both his parents have BAs in Accounting.

He is also planning to move into an apartment with a friend instead of moving south with us. Between the other kid's parents and us they will have all the furniture and stuff they could want. He's taking the Foosball table and my waterbed as well as a number of other things we won't need. And of course his cow painted dresser.