Lifestyles of the poor and nameless

Monday I had my 2nd interview for an attorney position in NYC. I can't say that I'm too enamored by the place, but I'd rather be there than "here", especially since there offers a formal training program.

I was supposed to interview with 3 people. 2 of them showed up. One was a woman, whom I instantly connected with. The other was an older man who seemed like a complete cynic. He would ask questions about something on my resume and then act skeptical of any answer I gave....like he thought I was making it up. 30 minutes into the interview, the phone rings and The Woman answers. She comes back and starts talking. 5 minutes later, the phone rings again and she anwers. It's the 3rd person, the head legal counsel. He was stuck in a meeting but he's on his way over.

He shows up with nothing to offer except his cool hair and funky tie. No notepad or copy of my resume. The others offer to lend him one of their copies. I hand him an extra that I came with. He glances at it. He asks a question about the issue in the moot court competition 3 years ago. *Dammit* Not that I didn't know, but the answer wasn't as crisp as it should have been.

Mr. Cool Hair starts asking about the time line of my resume. He's confused about why I graduated in May, didn't start working until October, left that job in November to start working in NJ, and my bar admission is "still pending". He decided not to ask whether I took the Bar last July. I decided not to volunteer that I took it and failed it. *I can't help that I got sick, OK?! But nobody wants to hear my sob story* He asked one or two more questions and then pushed the resume to the side.

He reached over to the reference books and started doing research. Alrighty then.... I guess it was over...at least for him anyway. I asked for business cards so that I could follow up. The Woman didn't have one but volunteered to get one from her office, as did Mr. Cool Hair. Mr. Cynical didn't have one and didn't bother to get up to find one.

He agreed to walk me out. He asked if I wanted a tour or if I had to get back to work. I told him that I had to get back to work. At that point, Mr. Cool Hair returned and flicked the business card at me across the table. How rude! If their actions are any indication of their attitudes towards hiring me, at best I have: one for (The Woman), one against (Mr. Cool Hair) and one borderline (Mr. Cynical).

I need this job because I need some kind of money (although it's a significant paycut from my present job and I'd have to live at home), it's good training, and it's a ticket out of here. But, Mr. Cool Hair's attitude is deplorable at best, and if I have to work with him, things could get ugly. There are no "people of color" on the legal staff (unless there's a Native American or Latino person that escaped my attention). *Sigh*

As my mom always says "the grass is greener on the other side of the cess pool". The new job could be just as shitty as here, but at least it's new shit. I probably won't even get the new gig, but ask me if I care. *Do you care?* Hell no, I don't care. Job or no job, I'm tired of the shenanigans that go on at work; tired of being made to feel incompetent when I ask for clarification on unclear assignments; tired of higher level management cowering away from my super because she's super-smart and has seniority; tired of the "we'll try to get you a transfer" rhetoric. I'm out! I've already given notice on my apartment (we'll see if they choose to accept it). October 14th they can kiss my ass goodbye :-).