Newsflash, people: I am no longer unemployed. No. Longer. Unemployed. Meaning that I have a job, and it's a job that pays. Like, real money. What. Please bask in the glory of my new title: project-based content writer for [insert company name]. (I know somebody somewhere has a Google alert set up for that name, and I'd like to keep this blog just between us, thank you very much.) I'm currently working on a study guide for the high school exit exam, which means teaching tenth graders all about past participles and misplaced modifiers. It's awesome. Well, except for the fact that I need to learn all about that stuff first. Whoops.
The Story:
I stumbled upon the listing a few weeks ago and started writing my regular old three-paragraph, discuss-how-you-found-the-listing-then-discuss-why-you're-perfect-for-the-job-then-bid-them-a-courteous-adieu-type cover letter. Halfway through, I scrapped it and started over on something that actually expressed who I was as a person in the hopes that it would enable them to think of me as more than a piece of paper.
And it worked!
Who knows if it was my reckless abandon or if the company and I were just meant for each other, but they actually got back to me. They emailed me saying that they had already filled the position for which I had applied, but hey, a response is a response. About a week later, I received another email encouraging me to apply for a writer position. They seemed to be courting me. This was indeed a strange turn of events. I'd never really been wanted by a place of work before, so of course I was willing to play the game.
I submitted the writing samples they wanted me to submit (thanks again for the corrections, by the way), and then the waiting began. It was another week before I got a call from someone at the company. I missed it, of course, and when I called back, I managed to mispronounce the company's freaking name! Ugh...so like me. Naturally, this all happened on a Friday so I was able to thoroughly get my worry-wart on.
A few days later and I had a callback (no mention of the mispronunciation), a brief phone interview, and then the magic words: "I'd like to set up an appointment for you to speak with the CEO." Set for later that day. She called. We talked. I went to Cal. She went to Stanford. Irreconcilable differences? I think not. She asked about trivia. I impressed. She laughed. I dazzled. She hired.
On the spot, ladies and gentlemen. On the spot.
Never in a million years did I think that I would be making money as a writer, but I suppose my saving grace is that they actually like me as a person. They like my voice. I get to write for work the way I write for this blog. (And they actually think it's funny! Who knew?) Even though I'm writing study guides for high schoolers, I don't have to be stuffy and pretentious. I can just be me! It's kind of cool. Also, it doesn't hurt that I set my own hours and get to work from home. That part is pretty great as well.
I'm still not sure exactly what effect my new job will have on this here thingamajig. I thought initially that maybe I would be so sick of sitting in front of my computer that I would neglect to do anything non-work-related until my project's due date. But then I remembered that I love procrastinating almost as much as I love food. (Well, it's more of a love-hate relationship with the laziness, actually.) So I think I might be writing in here more often. After December, that is; I can't bring myself to mess up my perfect updating record until I am able to start afresh in 2011.
Happy holidays, friendlies!
