I've been trying to concentrate on school work. It's hard for me to believe, but the quarter is halfway over.

Among the other things I've been doing are some job interviews. Interestingly, now that I can go to school as my 'job search activity' I am getting calls on the applications I submitted in May and June.

I've had two interviews with a local school district. They're looking for an executive assistant to the assistant superintendent. Next week, the assistant super wants me to come in for a third interview.

A couple of weeks ago, I interviewed with a company that I don't really want to work for, but they called before I got my retraining approval, so I felt obliged to go through with the process. However, I did leave them with the idea that I would be too expensive for the position. I don't expect to hear from them.

Today I had a telephone interview for a legal secretary job with an airline company. Telephone interviews are scary in that the employer is screening out undesirables and you know it and they know you know it. The faceless voice on the other end of the telephone asks standard questions and you cannot judge how they are reacting to your response by reading their body language. Most inconvenient. Still, I must have done decently as she asked me to come in for a live interview. (Un)fortunately, it's on a day that I'm not readily available and this company seems pretty rigid on when they are available. The interview/screener said though that she's going to recommend that the hiring person call me up to arrange something -- so I feel that I've passed the first hurdle with them highly enough that she wants to make sure I get a shot at the next one.

Then again, do I want to work for a company whose first question is, "Have you used nicotine products in the last six months?"

Sure! :) That means none of them smoke, either.