There May Be Light at the End of the Tunnel After All...

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Perhaps things are not so bleak...

Three weeks ago, a recent friend of mine sent me an email regarding the firm where he started last month. This company creates software for the oil industry. He stated that they are looking for someone in QA. After my resume being forwarded to the appropriate person, I received an interview the next week.

The person who interviewed me (the head of the QA department) would be boss if I do have the position. He was extremely laid back. We had an interview where he took the current type of interview questions ("State a complex problem that you solved, and how you solved it"). However, he interacted with me in order to pull the appropriate details (or relevant, as the case may be) out of the situation. In fact, it was one of the most pleasant interviews that I have had in a long time.

Later in the interview, I found that my friend had been singing my praises to him. He told the manager the story about me as a child, writing BASIC programs on paper, and then proceeding to debug them on paper (no doubt about me being an aspie here ) . When the manager asked my why, I was able to explain to him about my lack of a computer at the time.

The manager also told me how he came into the QA field himself. Apparently, he was an avid gamer. He somehow stumbled upon an interview where he explained how he would memorize the layouts of levels in games, and if he found a particular power up, bonus pack, &c once, he could always find it again. His interviewer was impressed by that, and said those skills translated directly into QA.

The manager also stated that he likes to have eccentric employees, as they generally create unique solutions. I replied that I have been occasionally accused of being eccentric. To which he replied that my Lanny McDonald mustache gave it away.



I hope that someday my mustache will be quite as impressive as Lanny's.

In fact, he appeared to desire me as an employee even before he realized that I actually do have an engineering degree (apparently OO split my education section of my resume across two pages).

He stated that the next step is a second interview with the VP of the company, and the company psychologist. Yes, apparently they have a psychologist on staff part time, and all new hires must be interviewed by her. Maybe I can get an official diagnosis at the same time as my interview.

He said that by then, that he will have told them "I want this guy". Taking this on face value, it sounds encouraging. Though he did wait several days past when he said that he would get back to me, I have just obtained a date for my second interview. It is on the fourteenth. Wish me luck!

Congratulations. That sounds like a really good job. Any pics of the stach?

You know who else has an awesome mustache? Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters.

Sure, why not. I have attempted to keep my online self separate from myself. However, I suppose one picture won't hurt.



This picture is from last summer. My mustache is slightly better now.

thats awesome, hope it works out, I have had my present job for 11 years (longest ever), on stress leave right now, but going but sometime next week.

Cool stach. I hope you get the job.

Wow. If all employers were that open-minded, how much easier everything would be. I've no experience of job-seeking though, so i can only guess what it's like to be rejected at interview after interview because of being "wierd" or asocial. Heh.