I’m On the Short List!

I’m on the short list of potential copywriter hires at a multinational, multi-billion dollar company. Three candidates are being presented to the company, and I’m one of them.

 

I’m probably the weirdest one of them (in a good way, of course!), but I put my weirdest cards right out on the table in a P.S. to the cover letter, saying I’m 66 and dress like a guy, so if those are deal-breakers to feel free to pass me by “because applying for jobs I have no prayer of winning just isn’t on my bucket list!”

 

The recruiter didn’t even bat an eye. She says she will be presenting my writing samples, cover letter and client testimonials to them today or Monday and I should hear back from her by mid-week next week one way or the other.

 

I already knew about the company–they’re big across the U.S. and a lot of other places (Canada, Mexico, and Australia)–but not enough, so I visited the company website. What I learned there made me realize what a terrific company they are. Their values and community engagement mirror my own.

 

The recruiter tells me that the people I’d be working with are terrific.

 

I mean, what’s not to love about this opportunity? It pays an ample amount per hour and is full time with overtime pay (40 to 45 hours a week).

 

I haven’t been a full-time, paid employee of anyone other than myself for twelve years, but I’ve served in large corporations as an executive secretary and in smaller ones, too, so I know the ropes and always got great reviews from my bosses.

 

It’ll actually be nice to have friendly, proactive faces to greet and interact with five days a week–something that this introvert wouldn’t have been able to say all that many years ago!

 

The story: I forced myself to attend business networking meetings for months. Told myself, “You just have to do it until it isn’t a white-knuckle torment to you anymore. You just have to get used to interacting with people on a business basis again.”

 

By the time I got comfortable with it, I found out I actually enjoyed it. I even ended up volunteering to give presentations  about how to write great copy and content, how to write a killer bio and elevator speech; I even regaled audiences with my 30-plus year association with DeForest Kelley and sold lots of my books about him that way. One time I even did a scene from The Music Man, portraying Harold Hill!  So, see, I definitely got over the “be seen and not heard” hurdle!

 

I’ve given presentations (even stand-up–how nerve-wracking, weird and wonderful is that?!) across the country about De at various Star Trek conventions, appeared on TV in Seattle with Margaret Larsen (on her King-5 New Day program) to talk about De, and done scores of podcast and radio interviews (as you know if you landed first on my homepage here at YellowBalloonPublications.com), and no one in the audiences ever guessed I’m an introvert. I know how to interact personally and professionally; it just used to wipe me out to do it; I’d go home exhausted and needing my space.

 

But now I find (positive) interaction stimulating in a good way.

 

(I think my intrinsic gregariousness was “taught” out of me very early on because I was such a sparkler as a child that I’d take over the room I was in, like a little Shirley Temple. Mom and Dad “corrected” me, but when they did–inexpertly–it made me feel like the real me wasn’t acceptable, so I adopted the “be seen and not heard” disguise. That’s probably one of the reasons I became a writer as a young kid! I had a lot to say and no one seemed to want to hear it, so I wrote it! They paid attention then! My teachers even read my stuff in class–blush! HORRORS!!!–making me want to melt and run under someone’s shoe because I thought I was supposed to be seen but not heard!!!)

 

So yeah… I’m very excited about this opportunity. I’m going to have a tough time thinking about much of anything else until the decision comes down.

 

But win or lose–scratch that–let me start again! Whether I get the job or not, it’s a win because it’s great to know that a recruiter finds me as awesome as Scholastic does and wants to present me to this company as a solid contender. It sure is a different feeling than the one I get from Upwork, where most employers (startups, small business owners, and entrepreneurs) are looking for my level of skill and expertise at sweatshop prices. That can be depressing as hell to see every day!

 

Well-established companies that understand the tremendous ROI of riveting writing don’t quibble about wages. Scholastic pays well and even spoils me rotten with perks like logo’ed jackets, mugs, journals, and other bling, and it tickles me to death.

 

And the best news is that I can still serve Scholastic–and I always will, for as long as they need me. They don’t use me often enough that it will impact me adversely if I do land this full-time job.

 

If it happens, just think: I’ll be supporting two great companies whose employees are doing wonderful things for people.

 

It doesn’t get much better than that!

 

Fingers crossed, prayers said… the ball is now in their court.

 

Whatever happens, I feel blessed to be in this position where my skills as a writer are acknowledged, respected and honored.