Oh, yeah, so the job interview yesterday — I think I’m only now recovering from it. I get really keyed-up for interviews. I don’t think it shows; I like to think I present myself professionally and dynamically, meeting all the requirements, like making eye contact, exuding skill and confidence, supplying concise and informed answers, asking lots of questions, capitalizing on my experience, etc.
But afterwards, I feel like nothing more than laying around the couch like some sort of lobotomized lab cat.
Turns out this was a preliminary interview. If I pass, I get a callback in a week or so to take a writing and editing test, then interview with the editor-in-chief and human resources director.
The interview yesterday was with the editor of the magazine. I couldn’t get over how similar the publication and the workplace were to my previous job, which I think was a plus, because I knew exactly what would be expected of me at this job, and told the interviewer I was already experienced with all the tasks of a managing editor — writing, editing, serving as a middleman between production and editorial, checking bluelines, making and checking corrections in QuarkXPress, etc.
The only potential downside is that my background is writing, which is a small part of this job, about one feature and a few departments per issue. Because the staff at this magazine is large, they have many more writers than at my old job.
But I still think I’d make a fine managing editor. I emphasized that I’m up for the challenge and stressed that one of the chief reasons for my move was to step up my work life. I have nearly eight years solid work experience on trade publications and managing editor is the next logical station for me, I said.
I gave it my best shot and anxiously await that return phone call, all the while continuing to freelance and apply for other jobs, of course.
Walking back to Penn Station after the interview, I couldn’t help but think that a great benefit of getting this job would be that I could buy pants for $1.99 on my way to work.
That’s New York, baby.