just got a call from my recruiter, and they have received feedback on my interview yesterday.
as expected when i left, the hiring manager (director of development, want to talk about nervous interview… i haven’t been that nervous in an interview in YEARS!), was very happy with my gaming background and thought i would be a wonderful ‘cultural’ fit. he also liked that i had ‘old school experience’; doing this manner of work ‘back in the days’ when there weren’t any fancy metholodgies about, meaning i had the mindset and logic in place to manage things.
on the flip side, he has a concern for that lack of formal experience, but it was slightly offset by my exposure to the methodologies they’re using (agile, rup) and since we did talk about my interest in attaining certification in these two areas, i thought the concern level was minimal and this was born out by the recruiter who mentioned that he spoke of that specifically and was pleased that i didn’t try to ‘hide my lacking’ (honesty – the best policy – always!).
he told me at the end of our interview that he had ‘several’ candidates to talk to, but that he would make a decision by friday. this seems to have changed, as he told my recruiter/account manager that he only had one person to talk to this afternoon (about this time, actually) and that he likely would have a decision tonight.
the other candidate has the ‘more formal’ certifications and whatnot, but is not a gamer and it looks like it’s going to come down to how well they hit if off/how well this other person interviews.
i will share with you that at the end of my interview, this fellow actually gave me a tournament deck of the collectible cards they make.
he also spoke of me, the job, etc. in future active tense as opposed to hypothetical… which i always take as a positive sign.
i cannot say i “know” i have this job. but i feel as if i do. every possible good indicator is present. this is something of an object lesson…. how many times do we think we know something only to find that reality is quite different than we have assumed, concluded? heh.
i am waiting to hear. i am so enthused and hopeful that it almost hurts. i couldn’t eat last night. i couldn’t sleep last night. i have been jittery, jumpy, nervous, and anxious all day today. i finally took an hour’s nap around noon, and to be sure, this call from the recruiter has been very helpful (seeing as before it, my mind was filled with all the reasons i might not be ‘good enough’ to warrant serious consideration).
but he specifically told them i was a ‘strong candidate’ and very much under consideration. so. i cannot hope for better (outside an actual offer itself)…. i will content myself as i may until the decision is made.
it turns out the other direct hire position with the non-profit in downtown has slipped out from under the recruiter i was submitted through… which is bad, as it means i likely have lost that opportunity. in a somewhat kammic display, that position was newly listed by none other than robert half today. so i’m a bit irked… because had the NC office of robert half networked me with this office when i arrived, i would be submitted through them.
of course, it’s only my fears talking… having more than one option is never a bad thing and in the event this chance with the game company doesn’t come through, i’m fairly well hosed on the opportunity front and ‘back to square one’ which will NOT be a good thing.
on the other hand, i sold the ivory statues on ebay last week so i do have funds to keep my (rather minimal) monthly expenses paid for now. (i will not speak more of that, as it was extraordinarily painful to have to sell off family heirlooms.)
as you can see, i don’t really have much time to linger on the manner of thoughts that might otherwise be present in this moment… which is likely as well, since we know how morose they can sometimes be. (wry grin) the creative urge is flatlining for now as well, but perhaps this will change in the near future.
did i mention that the gaming company is less than 7 miles from where i live? hah. i drove to that interview yesterday exulting in the reality that there would be no traffic and my poor, old truck could easily make the commute.
did i also mention that the rate for the contract portion of this contract to hire gaming company position is over double what was possible for this manner of work on the east coast? i am not much of one for being mercenary, but i will admit to imagining what it would be like to go form barely scraping by to actually living comfortably for a change.
sigh. i cannot deny it, i want this job. in fact, it is the first job i’ve actually WANTED since the game company position i had back in 2005-2006. you wouldn’t believe the offices.
i walked into that place to interview yesterday and was greeted by a life size DRAGON hanging from the ceiling. wonderfully rendered a la special effects company. the walls along the office lobby were set in with books shelves upon which were every manner of collectible from all their properties. i could think of a good many of my friends who would have wet their pants to see them. as it was, honesty incarnate that i am, even i was itchy handed…. an original, leather bound, D&D 1st edition DM book…. so much more that i cannot even begin to list it.
every conference room i passed had named like ‘transporter room’, ‘whumpa cave’, etc. heh. every cubby and corner had some manner of star wars, d&d, or other brand life size figure, bust, etc. in them.
there was a life size boba fet in the main conference room.
in the back corner of the lobby was a larger than life statue of a D&D warrior looking very sternly over the area with the biggest damn broadsword i’ve ever seen in my life casually slung over his shoulder.
the hiring director told me there is an ’employees only’ gaming room where all the games may be played on reserved servers.
he also told me employees earn ‘product points’ in addition to their wages every check. those points may be spent in an ’employees only’ store. he then pulled open a drawer and said casually, ‘this is all the crap i’ve bought.’ i chuckled, ‘and none of it has made it home yet?’ he sighed and started to close the drawer, then, stopped, reached in and extracted something and slid it across the desk to me, ‘here… have a tournament deck.’
heh. latest edition, five color, tournament quality. i enjoyed going through it last night. a legenday land was in the deck. what a geek i am. 🙂
anyway… pins and needles time. needless to say if this doesn’t happen for me, i will be … crushed.
i’ll recover of course, but suffice to say i won’t be worth talking to for a time.
send warm thoughts of positive outcomes, eh? call whatever kamma or luck or whatnot you have out of the corner for me?