The job hunt...
Ok, so I've been job hunting for about 3 months. In most cases, with my degree, I'm over qualified for most jobs. It's always a "We'll make sure to get in touch with you", then a nothing or a "We found someone else". It's been frustrating to say the least.
So, today, I head out for a job interview at a very large company. I'm not naming names, so don't ask. I walk in, check in with the receptionist and get escorted to their graphics department which is in a large warehouse. All in all, it was a very nice place with all of the neat gagets and gizmos that are inevitably a part of what I do as a graphic artist.
Well, I come in and the staffer greets me, then she says, "hold on a sec, I'll be right back". She then gives me an 8 page test. EIGHT PAGES! I felt like I was requalifying and taking my final exam in Graphic Design School!!! Questions like: "What is the difference between a raster image and a vector image", I nearly about fell over, there I was, degree in pocket and I'm having to answer questions that I teach MY students! I went through this test going, ugh, another no brainer, but then there were other questions where I was like "I haven't used that since school!!"
It took close to an hour to finish the written portion of the exam...but then, it gets better...
After I finish, the gal looks over my answers then asks me, "Do you want a break?" I was like, "What the heck do I need a break for? I just answered every technical question you could ask me, what the hell more do you want from me?" But I didn't say it. I just went "No, I don't need a break, what's next?"
She leads me to a computer...and wouldn't you know it, I was set directly in front of the Anti-Christ...that's right, a Mac. I hate Mac's with a passion. In school, I was trained on a PC, I still use a PC to this day!!! Anyhow, there I am, sitting across from my nemesis, tasked with creating a poster in of all things Illustrator!
Now, I'm a photoshop junkie, so basically, whatever platform I am on, I can make Adobe software sit up and bark. Like I tell my students, you bend it to your will. So, I tamed the Mac Beast and started working. There is literally no difference between the Mac and PC when you are on Adobe Software, except the PC is infinitely superior because you can actually right click on things instead of the imbicility of the Mac where if you need to do a quick operation that is only a right click on the PC, it makes you do through the menus.
So, I sit down and have a good long talk with the Bezier pen, I recreate a logo from scratch and basically bend the Mac and the software to my will.
As I finished, another member of the graphics department walked up and said, "Oh wow, no one has EVER finished that fast! I finished that test in 8 hours!" I just thought to myself...uh yeah...that's why it's called higher education and having a higher skill set...that's why I get paid what I get paid. Because I'm fast, accurate and have an impeccable design eye. Hey, that's why I get paid the big bucks...it's called an EDUCATION!
All in all, I would call today absolute hell. I walked in at 1pm and finished at 5:30pm. I expected to interview for a job today, not re-take my Graphic Design finals!!!
After I told my husband all about it, he looked at me and said, "What do you think would have happened to someone without your education? They would have been crucified. They do that to screen out the wannabe's. You're the real deal, and they could see that in your answers."
So, we'll see if they call back. I won't be surprised if I get a "We found someone else."
I can't believe I actually had to take a written test...they could have asked me those questions while I was half asleep and I still would have gotten most of them right, with more detail than what they wanted or needed.
I don't know what is more insulting, the fact that the chick was snobby or that their test insulted my intelligence and my education.
For chrissakes! I teach this stuff, I don't need to be tested on it.
So, today, I head out for a job interview at a very large company. I'm not naming names, so don't ask. I walk in, check in with the receptionist and get escorted to their graphics department which is in a large warehouse. All in all, it was a very nice place with all of the neat gagets and gizmos that are inevitably a part of what I do as a graphic artist.
Well, I come in and the staffer greets me, then she says, "hold on a sec, I'll be right back". She then gives me an 8 page test. EIGHT PAGES! I felt like I was requalifying and taking my final exam in Graphic Design School!!! Questions like: "What is the difference between a raster image and a vector image", I nearly about fell over, there I was, degree in pocket and I'm having to answer questions that I teach MY students! I went through this test going, ugh, another no brainer, but then there were other questions where I was like "I haven't used that since school!!"
It took close to an hour to finish the written portion of the exam...but then, it gets better...
After I finish, the gal looks over my answers then asks me, "Do you want a break?" I was like, "What the heck do I need a break for? I just answered every technical question you could ask me, what the hell more do you want from me?" But I didn't say it. I just went "No, I don't need a break, what's next?"
She leads me to a computer...and wouldn't you know it, I was set directly in front of the Anti-Christ...that's right, a Mac. I hate Mac's with a passion. In school, I was trained on a PC, I still use a PC to this day!!! Anyhow, there I am, sitting across from my nemesis, tasked with creating a poster in of all things Illustrator!
Now, I'm a photoshop junkie, so basically, whatever platform I am on, I can make Adobe software sit up and bark. Like I tell my students, you bend it to your will. So, I tamed the Mac Beast and started working. There is literally no difference between the Mac and PC when you are on Adobe Software, except the PC is infinitely superior because you can actually right click on things instead of the imbicility of the Mac where if you need to do a quick operation that is only a right click on the PC, it makes you do through the menus.
So, I sit down and have a good long talk with the Bezier pen, I recreate a logo from scratch and basically bend the Mac and the software to my will.
As I finished, another member of the graphics department walked up and said, "Oh wow, no one has EVER finished that fast! I finished that test in 8 hours!" I just thought to myself...uh yeah...that's why it's called higher education and having a higher skill set...that's why I get paid what I get paid. Because I'm fast, accurate and have an impeccable design eye. Hey, that's why I get paid the big bucks...it's called an EDUCATION!
All in all, I would call today absolute hell. I walked in at 1pm and finished at 5:30pm. I expected to interview for a job today, not re-take my Graphic Design finals!!!
After I told my husband all about it, he looked at me and said, "What do you think would have happened to someone without your education? They would have been crucified. They do that to screen out the wannabe's. You're the real deal, and they could see that in your answers."
So, we'll see if they call back. I won't be surprised if I get a "We found someone else."
I can't believe I actually had to take a written test...they could have asked me those questions while I was half asleep and I still would have gotten most of them right, with more detail than what they wanted or needed.
I don't know what is more insulting, the fact that the chick was snobby or that their test insulted my intelligence and my education.
For chrissakes! I teach this stuff, I don't need to be tested on it.
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