the daily snivel

I've had a very kooky week, and I'm still a little mixed up about it. I'm starting this week-long contract with Health Canada, typing up transcripts of a two-day conference (it should take about forty hours), but I was told this week that they also need someone to take minutes of their weekly BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease) teleconferences. This would have been a sweet gig, and been the answer to my money problems as it could have extended into the school year as a part time job, and I could charge $35 an hour. Although there would only have been about 8 hours of work a week, the pay scale is equivalent to working forty hours for minimum wage. Anyway, today I was supposed to show up for training (sitting in on a meeting with the usual minute taker, cranking out notes on my laptop and seeing what kind of accurate records I can generate), so I arrived at 11 am in a suit and tie, vaguely melting in the heat and humidity. I was told upon my arrival that the division chief had decided, not two minutes before I'd shown up, not to hire someone for the position because the division was running in a deficit already. So I was there for basically nothing, and everyone was really embarrassed. I'm not upset, though. I only heard about the minute-taking position as a possibility (albeit a good one) and I'd committed myself to being very cautious until some kind of contract was in my hand. And, at the end of the day, I still have what should end up being an $800 transcription contract.

I was still a little crestfallen when I got home, however. I'm sure you know how soul-crushing all this hunting and rejection is. It seems like such a waste of time, yet we're losing money every single day we don't work. Happily, I got a call this afternoon from a Canadian health issue organization, to whom I'd sent my resume on Tuesday. They want me to come in for an interview on Monday morning. It's a minimum wage position, but it's for a social cause, which has both intrinsic (contribution to society) and mercenary (resume) benefits, so I'd be happy to do it. Now, I'm not getting my hopes too high, but at least someone is interested in me, even if they give the job to someone else. I was starting to think that I was doing something terribly, horribly wrong in my resumes and/or cover letters. Like somehow inadvertently including the oft-muttered phrase "I pity the fool that don't hire me" in my bulleted list of qualifications. Now, as with any interview, there are no guarantees, but I'm still happy, and you can be sure that I plan to show up and give them the best possible first impression.