A couple of days after applying to university I got a call from the school inviting me to an interview. Z had some errands to run in ariel so he gave me a lift to the school and showed me which building to go to. I found the room and sat down to await my turn. I was the only one waiting and I began to wonder if I was waiting in the right place when another person showed up. The women sat down next to me and wasted no time in getting to know me.
Random Lady: "So, which other programs did you apply for?"
Me: "Uhhhh, just this one"
{Random Lady graces me with a look of shock and disbelief.}
RL:"But what if you don't get into this program?! I applied for three others just in case..."
Me: "I dunno, I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I guess I'll just have to find something else to do..."
RL: "Why did you apply for university?"
Me: "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
{Random Lady seems unimpressed with my answer and proceeds to tell me more than I ever wanted to know about her life.}
RL:"I rushed into school when I was your age. But then, I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life... I'm married now with three children and I know now that this is what I want to do with my life!" {proceeds to gaze purposefully into the distance.}
RL continues: "Both my sisters are nurses. I'm certain that this is my path in life."
Me:"I'm glad you found your calling."
{I try to give her an encouraging smile and then busy myself with answering some highly time sensitive nonexistent messages on my phone}
RL continues to stare at me intently....
RL: "So, tell me more about you."
Me: "Well, my parents always taught me not to talk to strangers!"
RL: "Whaa?"
{The interviewer shows up and calls my name}
I wave goodbye to Random Lady and hurry into the room for my interview which went much more smoothly than Random Lady's interrogation.
Showing posts with label Adventures In Adulthood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventures In Adulthood. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Adventures In Adulthood: Prodigal Salesgirl
Friday was a good day. The morning didn't get off to the best start, everything that could go wrong seemed determined to wrong.
I woke up late and had no interest of ever leaving the safe confines of my warm and comfy bed. after going through every possible excuse in my head and debating whether or not I should call the manager claiming to have come down with a rather sudden case of rocky mountain spotted fever I determined that I wasn't really in the position to start ditching work just yet. I somehow managed to coax myself from under the covers and sat up to face the morning.
Due to my laziness and reluctance to get out of bed, I was running a bit behind schedule. Breakfast was rushed and I barely made it out the door on time. The bus picked a superb day to show up on time and appeared to belong to the most cautious driver in the city. We ambled through the streets of bet shemesh at a snails pace and I wondered if we would ever make it to the mall.
The bus finally reached it's last stop and I skidded into the store at exactly eleven o'clock. The manager took in my slightly disheveled self and commented on how quiet the store had been all morning. She told me about how she had considered calling to tell me to stay home and wondered if I might "be interested in a relaxing day off". My appalled expression of utter dismay must have tipped her off and she said "but you're welcome to stay if you'd like.." with a tight smile. I quickly recovered and flashed her an award winning Polly smile "I think I will stay. Today's gonna be a great day!". She did her best to nod reassuringly and sent me into the back room to drop off my bag and phone before starting my shift.
I wandered into the desolate store and wondered why I had bothered getting out of bed when the day seemed to be so vehemently against me. Sales seemed to be a little hit and miss (emphasis on the miss) but I managed to convince a few people to part with meager amounts of their money.
My luck seemed to turn when a nice english speaking couple came into the store with their two sons trailing behind them. The elder was too big for gap kids but after a bit a persuading the younger agreed to take a look around the store. In a remarkable feat I managed to cajole the kid into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that actually looked quite nice on him. He bounded over to his dad with a big grin on his face and his father sighed as he pulled his credit card out of his wallet. Things seemed to be going well so I thought I'd push my luck and see if I couldn't get him to buy a membership card. Gods countenance continued to shine down upon me and he was only mildly reluctant to shell out the cash.
Feeling good about my sudden change in luck I smiled wide at the next customer that came into the store. I didn't know it at the time but it would later be revealed that the sweet older woman was my guardian angel.
She wanted a present for her granddaughter and I led her to the baby section. She noticed an outfit on the wall and stated "that one looks nice." It was a three piece outfit which is a nice sized sale and would cost at least 400 shek but my adrenaline was pumping and I was determined to have the best damn shift so in a fit of possible insanity I asked "would you care to see some of the adorable outfits in the toddlers section?". She didn't seem too enthusiastic but allowed me to lead her into the other section. I pulled out a cute dress and waited for a reaction. "Yes." I was a little surprised but didn't argue and quickly found the right size. "Don't forget the jacket..!" she kindly reminded me, I nearly passed out from excitement.
We continued through the section and she happily accepted every outfit that I suggested. When I was holding three full outfits and a bathing suit she beckoned me towards the desk and I followed her wondering if the whole thing was a wonderful dream or some form of cruel joke. Would she weed through the things when we got to the cash register and pick her favorite or did she honestly plan on buying the whole lot?
We got to the register and it became apparent that she was going to buy it. All of it. I saw her eyeing a little tote bag and had the audacity to pick it up and try to convince her to buy it. To my continuing surprise, she made no objections and let out a little laugh "It's just money, right?" I tittered nervously and did my best to look like I knew what she was talking about.
The manager came to check on things and was slightly shocked at scene unfolding before her eyes. The woman waited patiently for the cashier to ring her up and passed the time by lavishing praise on me in front of the manager. I tried to smile modestly and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she was leaving.
Everyone gathered around to see her off and as soon as she left another woman walked up to me and the manager and said "you're the one that helped me last week! I came back to buy the stuff that you recommended, thank you so much!". I asked her how her son was doing (despite the fact that I couldn't really recall if I had met him or not) and she promised to come back when the new collection came in.
The manager congratulated me on my sales and the rest of the shift passed by in a whirlwind of even more sales.
I guess its a good thing that I didn't come down with any sudden exotic diseases after all...
I woke up late and had no interest of ever leaving the safe confines of my warm and comfy bed. after going through every possible excuse in my head and debating whether or not I should call the manager claiming to have come down with a rather sudden case of rocky mountain spotted fever I determined that I wasn't really in the position to start ditching work just yet. I somehow managed to coax myself from under the covers and sat up to face the morning.
Due to my laziness and reluctance to get out of bed, I was running a bit behind schedule. Breakfast was rushed and I barely made it out the door on time. The bus picked a superb day to show up on time and appeared to belong to the most cautious driver in the city. We ambled through the streets of bet shemesh at a snails pace and I wondered if we would ever make it to the mall.
The bus finally reached it's last stop and I skidded into the store at exactly eleven o'clock. The manager took in my slightly disheveled self and commented on how quiet the store had been all morning. She told me about how she had considered calling to tell me to stay home and wondered if I might "be interested in a relaxing day off". My appalled expression of utter dismay must have tipped her off and she said "but you're welcome to stay if you'd like.." with a tight smile. I quickly recovered and flashed her an award winning Polly smile "I think I will stay. Today's gonna be a great day!". She did her best to nod reassuringly and sent me into the back room to drop off my bag and phone before starting my shift.
I wandered into the desolate store and wondered why I had bothered getting out of bed when the day seemed to be so vehemently against me. Sales seemed to be a little hit and miss (emphasis on the miss) but I managed to convince a few people to part with meager amounts of their money.
My luck seemed to turn when a nice english speaking couple came into the store with their two sons trailing behind them. The elder was too big for gap kids but after a bit a persuading the younger agreed to take a look around the store. In a remarkable feat I managed to cajole the kid into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that actually looked quite nice on him. He bounded over to his dad with a big grin on his face and his father sighed as he pulled his credit card out of his wallet. Things seemed to be going well so I thought I'd push my luck and see if I couldn't get him to buy a membership card. Gods countenance continued to shine down upon me and he was only mildly reluctant to shell out the cash.
Feeling good about my sudden change in luck I smiled wide at the next customer that came into the store. I didn't know it at the time but it would later be revealed that the sweet older woman was my guardian angel.
She wanted a present for her granddaughter and I led her to the baby section. She noticed an outfit on the wall and stated "that one looks nice." It was a three piece outfit which is a nice sized sale and would cost at least 400 shek but my adrenaline was pumping and I was determined to have the best damn shift so in a fit of possible insanity I asked "would you care to see some of the adorable outfits in the toddlers section?". She didn't seem too enthusiastic but allowed me to lead her into the other section. I pulled out a cute dress and waited for a reaction. "Yes." I was a little surprised but didn't argue and quickly found the right size. "Don't forget the jacket..!" she kindly reminded me, I nearly passed out from excitement.
We continued through the section and she happily accepted every outfit that I suggested. When I was holding three full outfits and a bathing suit she beckoned me towards the desk and I followed her wondering if the whole thing was a wonderful dream or some form of cruel joke. Would she weed through the things when we got to the cash register and pick her favorite or did she honestly plan on buying the whole lot?
We got to the register and it became apparent that she was going to buy it. All of it. I saw her eyeing a little tote bag and had the audacity to pick it up and try to convince her to buy it. To my continuing surprise, she made no objections and let out a little laugh "It's just money, right?" I tittered nervously and did my best to look like I knew what she was talking about.
The manager came to check on things and was slightly shocked at scene unfolding before her eyes. The woman waited patiently for the cashier to ring her up and passed the time by lavishing praise on me in front of the manager. I tried to smile modestly and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she was leaving.
Everyone gathered around to see her off and as soon as she left another woman walked up to me and the manager and said "you're the one that helped me last week! I came back to buy the stuff that you recommended, thank you so much!". I asked her how her son was doing (despite the fact that I couldn't really recall if I had met him or not) and she promised to come back when the new collection came in.
The manager congratulated me on my sales and the rest of the shift passed by in a whirlwind of even more sales.
I guess its a good thing that I didn't come down with any sudden exotic diseases after all...
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Adventures In Adulthood: Retail Woes
Wow. It's been a while since my last post! As you can imagine, I have spent most of my time at work. The grand opening was on Thursday and although it's only been four days, I've already learned that:
I wish I had exciting stories to share with you but so far it's been highly unentertaining.
Here's to hopping that we get a shoplifting grandma or something else exciting!
- People do not like to part with their dearly beloved money.
- Americans are cheap.
- Folding the same pile of shirts twenty times per shift is a lot less exciting than the manager seems to think it is...
- I'm not particularly fond of people.All complaints aside, work is all right. Mostly I wander around pretending to fold stuff and look busy.
I wish I had exciting stories to share with you but so far it's been highly unentertaining.
Here's to hopping that we get a shoplifting grandma or something else exciting!
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Adventures In Adulthood: Job Hunting
I've heard that job hunting is no fun.
On Sunday I went to my sisters house to get some help with putting together a resume. The job proved more challenging than originally anticipated (mainly due to lack of content) but eventually she managed to put together a rather nice looking page for me.
Excited to begin my adventures in job hunting, I sent my resume out to a couple of places not really expecting many answers. To my surprise, one of the places answered me about 5 minutes later. After a couple of emails we set up an interview for the following morning.
The crowds cheered at the news and I was reminded that I shouldn't be surprised if I didn't get the job and that there are plenty of other jobs out there waiting to be taken. We talked about failed interviews and the woes of the unemployed and frankly, I was excited to have an opportunity to grumble and complain with them.
The next morning I went to my interview armed with the wise words of wisdom from my friends and family. In full disclosure, the interview wasn't great. My quietness and very obvious american name were noted and commented on. I did my best to assure them that my bad ass english skills were an asset in a mainly english speaking city but they didn't seem impressed. At the end of the interview they said that they weren't sure that I was exactly what I was looking for but that they would call me with an answer by the end of the day.
In a surprising turn of events, I got a call later that afternoon and was told to be in Tel Aviv this morning at 9am. The thrilling news was met by further cheers from my family members (but mainly from my very relieved father).
This morning I woke up bright and early to catch the 7:08 train to Tel Aviv. I got to the mall an hour early (at my family's insistence that "the earlier, the better") and found a nice chair to sit on for 40 minutes. At 8:50 I wandered over to the store and discovered that it was still closed.
Eventually I saw someone in the store and knocked on the window nearly giving the poor woman a heart attack. After recovering from the shock, she let me into the store. I was sent down to the sketchy underbelly of Azrieli to the office where I filled out what felt like a million papers. Halfway through the mountain of paperwork, the other girls arrived. Everyone filled out their papers and then we all got badges with our names on them and employee cards.
The rest of the day was spent wandering around the store pretending like we knew what we were doing (spoiler alert: I had no idea what I was doing but following my fathers sagely advice, I smiled until my face hurt and then smiled some more.). When I wasn't smiling like an escaped mental patient, I was "organizing" the store. My mad folding/organizational skills came in handy and I got a whole bunch of compliments on my side of the store.
My job hunting lasted all of one day and I can't help but feel like I've missed out on a unique opportunity to sit around and complain (which in typical jew fashion, is one of my favorite past times) but somehow, I think I'll manage to survive.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think its time for me to go watch TV and maybe eat some ice cream.
On Sunday I went to my sisters house to get some help with putting together a resume. The job proved more challenging than originally anticipated (mainly due to lack of content) but eventually she managed to put together a rather nice looking page for me.
Excited to begin my adventures in job hunting, I sent my resume out to a couple of places not really expecting many answers. To my surprise, one of the places answered me about 5 minutes later. After a couple of emails we set up an interview for the following morning.
The crowds cheered at the news and I was reminded that I shouldn't be surprised if I didn't get the job and that there are plenty of other jobs out there waiting to be taken. We talked about failed interviews and the woes of the unemployed and frankly, I was excited to have an opportunity to grumble and complain with them.
The next morning I went to my interview armed with the wise words of wisdom from my friends and family. In full disclosure, the interview wasn't great. My quietness and very obvious american name were noted and commented on. I did my best to assure them that my bad ass english skills were an asset in a mainly english speaking city but they didn't seem impressed. At the end of the interview they said that they weren't sure that I was exactly what I was looking for but that they would call me with an answer by the end of the day.
In a surprising turn of events, I got a call later that afternoon and was told to be in Tel Aviv this morning at 9am. The thrilling news was met by further cheers from my family members (but mainly from my very relieved father).
This morning I woke up bright and early to catch the 7:08 train to Tel Aviv. I got to the mall an hour early (at my family's insistence that "the earlier, the better") and found a nice chair to sit on for 40 minutes. At 8:50 I wandered over to the store and discovered that it was still closed.
Eventually I saw someone in the store and knocked on the window nearly giving the poor woman a heart attack. After recovering from the shock, she let me into the store. I was sent down to the sketchy underbelly of Azrieli to the office where I filled out what felt like a million papers. Halfway through the mountain of paperwork, the other girls arrived. Everyone filled out their papers and then we all got badges with our names on them and employee cards.
The rest of the day was spent wandering around the store pretending like we knew what we were doing (spoiler alert: I had no idea what I was doing but following my fathers sagely advice, I smiled until my face hurt and then smiled some more.). When I wasn't smiling like an escaped mental patient, I was "organizing" the store. My mad folding/organizational skills came in handy and I got a whole bunch of compliments on my side of the store.
My job hunting lasted all of one day and I can't help but feel like I've missed out on a unique opportunity to sit around and complain (which in typical jew fashion, is one of my favorite past times) but somehow, I think I'll manage to survive.
Now if you'll excuse me, I think its time for me to go watch TV and maybe eat some ice cream.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Adventures In Adulthood: Acquiring Debt
When I was sixteen I got a debit card, mainly because my father was tired of giving me cash for school transportation. Each month my father would deposit just enough money for me to be able to buy my bus tickets.
Having my own bank account was fun. Eventually I started to add my own money to the account and I rejoiced as I watched it grow. As my friends discovered the joys of melting plastic, I discovered the thrills of saving and actually having money in my bank account. As a result, I never had to extend my credit limit beyond the meager 500 shekel limit that it originally came with.
Unfortunately, there came a time when I had to start growing up and paying my own way. The reality of the situation hit me when I tried to sign up for my psycometri exam a couple of months ago which exceeded my credit limit. My parents offered to pay for it but it seemed like something that I probably shouldn't be pushing off so I headed to the bank to take care of things.
I arrived at the bank with purpose and determination. Sadly I had neglected to find out how to say "credit limit" in hebrew and decided that the word "chov" (meaning debt) would suit me just fine.
I sat down in front of the banker and declared that "I would like two thousand shekels of debt, please.", the banker gave me a funny look and than laughed as if I had told a joke. Puzzled by her response, I repeated my request. She still wasn't answering me so I spent the next five minutes adamantly insisting that she give me debt.
Eventually she looked up from her computer and tentatively asked if I might want her to extend my credit limit instead of giving me two thousand shekels of debt. I thought about if for a minute and nodded sheepishly as I realized my mistake. She printed out a bunch of forms and handed them over for me to sign. I signed the papers and then thanked her for her help before getting up to leave.
Luckily she took pity on me and waited until I was downstairs before telling the other bankers about my little mishap.
Having my own bank account was fun. Eventually I started to add my own money to the account and I rejoiced as I watched it grow. As my friends discovered the joys of melting plastic, I discovered the thrills of saving and actually having money in my bank account. As a result, I never had to extend my credit limit beyond the meager 500 shekel limit that it originally came with.
Unfortunately, there came a time when I had to start growing up and paying my own way. The reality of the situation hit me when I tried to sign up for my psycometri exam a couple of months ago which exceeded my credit limit. My parents offered to pay for it but it seemed like something that I probably shouldn't be pushing off so I headed to the bank to take care of things.
I arrived at the bank with purpose and determination. Sadly I had neglected to find out how to say "credit limit" in hebrew and decided that the word "chov" (meaning debt) would suit me just fine.
I sat down in front of the banker and declared that "I would like two thousand shekels of debt, please.", the banker gave me a funny look and than laughed as if I had told a joke. Puzzled by her response, I repeated my request. She still wasn't answering me so I spent the next five minutes adamantly insisting that she give me debt.
Eventually she looked up from her computer and tentatively asked if I might want her to extend my credit limit instead of giving me two thousand shekels of debt. I thought about if for a minute and nodded sheepishly as I realized my mistake. She printed out a bunch of forms and handed them over for me to sign. I signed the papers and then thanked her for her help before getting up to leave.
Luckily she took pity on me and waited until I was downstairs before telling the other bankers about my little mishap.
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