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.:Thursday, November 28, 2002:.
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Conspiracy Theories
Okay, I have been on weird interviews, but this last one tops them. This past Tuesday I was called by an unknown person telling me that he had my resume on his desk, and wanted to know if I had a job yet. Thinking this was one of those pesky Primerica things, I was immediately suspicious. The man said he had gotten my resume from a woman at London Life. London Life? Oh yeah... that woman. So I figured it was okay. He said everything would be explained in the interview. The man gave me the address of the office, which just so happens to be in the same complex as my good friends Niko and Junko... hmm... I thought that was a residential building!?
Anyway, Thursday rolls along and I make my way to the interview. First of all, not so professional with the answering of the phones... "Hello??" went a heavily accented voice. Secondly, did not know how to operate the buzzer to let me in the building. When I got to the 'office' (a condo that looked like it was re-modelled into an office space), I was ushered into an office (i.e. a bedroom) where I got to meet the man who had called on the phone, Majid, and Mr. Hosseini, the owner. And Ali.
"You find this okay? Three people here for your interview?"
While Mr. Hosseini held court, it was Majid who asked most of the (relevant) questions. Run-of-the-mill type interview questions like, where do I work right now, what positions have I held in the past, what I liked about my jobs, what I didn't like, what my greatest strengths were, my greatest weakness... interspersed with weirder questions I'm not sure they are allowed to ask... like, "Can we contact your current boss? What do you think he would say?" And then, "How hard are you to manage?" "If your current employer offered you a full-time position, would you take it?" (Truthfully no, unless it was DT)
Mr. Hosseini tried to explain the job to me, but wasn't doing too well. In basics it is an Executive Assistant's job, they tried (but didn't manage) to avoid 'secretary'. I was asked what my salary expectations were. Then I was given a sheet to read, and sent to another room while the other three had a closed-door conversation. The sheet I was given was a list of duties I would have as an 'Executive Assistance,' with run of the mill things like, answering phone, e-mail, faxing, photocopying, filing. "Research" duties, which apparently is reading trade journals, answering tenant enquiries (this is a commercial real estate holding company)... and then... "Search for merchandise, resources and contact for the trading arm of the group, as directed."
Ahem. Trading Arm? That is where Ali came in. Ali is Mr. Hosseini's brother. He trades in China. I think.
Anyway. They were quite vague about their whole operations, wouldn't really say anything about anything I asked. Commercial properties? What kind of commercial properties? How many? Hosseini seemed really pained to give me this sort of information. I was asked when I would be able to start, and gave an honest answer - at least two weeks upon hiring. That is only fair, right? "And then it is Christmas holidays, right?" Well, there's nothing I can do about that.
All in all, pretty pleasant, if not creepy interview. The last question asked, which I know is not allowed to be asked, my "marital status" - to which I said that I'm not required to answer that question anyway, but I answered it nonetheless. I was glad to be out of there... Even though the office is in a very ideal location (heheh), getting the creeps when you go to work is not exactly a great working environment. I intend to give these guys the benefit of the doubt but for many reasons this all sounds very shady.
Second interview pending.
11:27 p.m.
posted by tre
.:Tuesday, November 26, 2002:.
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E-mail Link
Hey all reading this. I have added a link to e-mail your comments to me in the side bar there... but if you can't find it, I've added it here:
E-mail Me!
No SPAM please.
7:28 p.m.
posted by tre
.:Monday, November 25, 2002:.
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more sports peeves
you know what else bothers me about hockey? the interviews after the games with the players. and the incessant use of the word 'obviously' in answers to reporter questions. "Well obviously we have been playing well and I guess you can attribute it to an obvious team effort. Obviously our confidence is a big factor, we're doing really well on the penalty kill and getting goals when we obviously need them. And obviously if we keep this up we'll be able to win more games and an obvious spot in the playoffs."
btw, the Canucks won tonight, Linden scored his 263rd goal, which obviously makes him the all-time goal scorer on the Canucks team. go Trevor!
8:05 p.m.
posted by tre
.:Sunday, November 24, 2002:.
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Sports Similes and Metaphors
I am having a hard time trying to decide whether sports writers are genius with the written word, or just plain cheesy. It's true, they can turn a phrase that is at the same time effective in getting their point across as well as amusing... but really... "One of the most productive Canucks has been Brendan Morrison. The wiry centre, who bounces between lines like a ball rolling down steps, has seven assists and 11 points in six games." "Cloutier, whose play in the past bobbed up and down like a ship in a storm, has found smooth sailing." I could go on. Don't get me started on their manipulation of stats. "The Canucks are 5-2-0 when they score two goals in the first period when Bertuzzi plays more than 20 minutes per game and Cloutier is in goal." Really.
Well, you know, whatever makes hard stats seem more interesting. Now there is a reason to take a stats course in university. Hmph.
9:57 p.m.
posted by tre
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this evening i went for a dinner at sue's where mark, megan, sue and i sat for hours discussing what our house on the ocean will be like next year
..it was great ;)
7:23 p.m.
posted by Anonymous
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What is Terra Incognita?
Chart your own territory, that is my motto. This is the over-arching name and theme of my business, which is primarily a marketing service. What do we do? Anything and everything. We are a freelance collective. We do marketing, promotions, event planning, consulting, crafting, scheming, plotting, designing... we are about as vague as you can get without pinning ourselves to one specific type. What is marketing? What is geography? These are questions we hope to answer.
In any case this is my personal weblog... so you may find my aimless ramblings here as well. -- TR
1:09 p.m.
posted by tre
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copyright? what copyright? (2005)
guess what?
... webstats provided by:
...with...
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