Okay, I didn't get hired on the spot. But I had testing in Austin yesterday. Already I was worried because I didn't know how long it would take to find the place as it is Austin and you can never get a good map of the city. Plus, there's traffic. So I stopped at Starbucks on the way out of town to get my caffeine fix. Didn't want to be falling asleep at the wheel. Then, I leave. Traffic leaving San Antonio wasn't too bad. But I left late and I'm worried I won't be able to find the place or I'll hit traffic and be late. Don't want to make a bad impression by showing up late, you know?
But traffic in Austin wasn't too bad. I had to go to north Austin, so I went through a good deal of it, too. Then, on top of that, the map was actually right. It took me right there! I was dumbfounded at that, as I think that's the only time that's ever happened to me. But I made it on time, about 5 minutes early. Plenty of time to fill out the job application. I actually had more than enough time, as they were waiting for this other guy to fill his out and take him for testing first, as his test was different than mine and these other two women. He took FOREVER to fill it out. I don't know why, but he was just being so deliberate and thinking a long time to fill out every question. I mean, I already knew the answers; it didn't take me long at all. But he would stop to rearrange something like 5 pages he had laid out every time he answered one. And he wrote really slow. The other women and I were pretty antsy by then as he even took a long time to put his papers in order to turn them in to the receptionist. He must have rearranged them like 5 times, and he kept straightening them over and over again. I wanted to go over there and take them from him and turn them in myself. Maybe he had OCD or something. It seemed like it. But the testing wasn't hard at all. I hope I did well. I think I was pretty slow for some reason as this other girl did hers really fast, although she didn't fill in the little bubbles on her answer sheet. She just put a slash through them. Personally, I didn't think it took that long to fill in the bubbles, but hey. What do I know?
But I managed to leave Austin by about 3:30 or almost 4:00. But there was traffic heading back to San Antonio as there always is. By then, the traffic is just as bad heading up north, too, though. I had to stop and get something to eat, as much as I hated to do that. There wasn't anything healthy, so I just got Whataburger. I was feeling really weak by that point, like my blood sugar just dropped dramatically really fast. Then, on the drive back, I got this text message saying $10.00 had been posted to my phone account. (?!!!)All I know is that I did not put the $10.00 on there myself. When does it ever happen that people just give you money for no reason, you know? Then, when I got home, I found me a lucky penny right on the ground. Even after the Whataburger, I still had enough Flex Points to have dinner and even a couple of pieces of chocolate, with a few points left over. I was just in a really good mood.
Today R and little E are coming into town to visit. Hope we can find enough things to do that don't cost money. But we should have a good time. If nothing else, we'll have coffee. : )
Showing posts with label job testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job testing. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Driving Adventures in "Austin"
What is it with Austin that is such a challenge to mapmakers? I'll admit, some of the roads can be confusing, but they'd be less so if you had a decent map. For some reason, every map I've ever had of Austin is just terrible. This time, I only had to go through to south Austin, then turn off. But the road I thought I was turning on wasn't the road I thought I was turning onto. It was a completely different highway. Thanks, Google. So, then I'm hoping that the map isn't too far off and that my supposed RR 2222 is somewhere nearby. BUT, the area I'm driving in doesn't have that many businesses, so I can't stop and ask directions until I'm out in the middle of nowhere. I stopped at a combination gas station/Rudy's Barbecue (didn't know you could ever buy gas at a Rudy's Barbecue, but I suppose stranger things have happened). There was a very small convenience store type section, but no maps. So I asked the cashier, but the Map-finder they have had the exact page I needed stolen out of it. The guy was pretty sure where it was. He made it sound like it was nearby. I just crossed a bridge and it would be the next turn. Okay, I can handle that. Noooooo. It couldn't be that easy.
I continue on, thinking it's just another quarter mile or so. I cross over a section of the highway that was raised a little and I'm wondering, is that the bridge? Did I now pass my turn? Then, I come to an overpass. Is that it? But there's now no place to stop for more directions. So I just keep driving. I'm still way early because I anticipated this sort of problem driving up there as it always happens. The drive starts to get pretty scenic and I'm hoping I'm not going so far out that I'll have to come halfway back to Austin again to get to my street. Eventually, I see something in the distance that looks like a huge bridge. Like, a real bridge with an arch over it and everything. Is that what the guy meant? As I get closer I see a sign for 2222 and I know now that I've made it. Why didn't the guy tell me I wasn't really close to it? New question: How far did I go before reaching 2222 and do I now have to go back toward Austin to find the turnoff, or keep going west and away from Austin? I decided to try west first. Luckily, I chose correctly and I found my turn, then the turn from there to the office park I needed.
So, I saw a sign that said there were 8 buildings marked with Roman numerals, but nothing indicating which building I need to go to. Nothing said which businesses were in which building, or if the whole complex was indeed AT&T. So, I parked by building 1 and went inside. Sure enough, that's not right. AT&T isn't listed in the directory. I asked a man outside if he knew where AT&T was, but he just told me to look at the signs. Yeah, right. Like that's helpful. I went back to the car and drove on to the next building I saw, which was building 4. Went inside, and no, AT&T isn't there either. I drove on and came to building 6. No AT&T. I asked a group of people at each building if they knew where it was, but no one knew. I finally saw that there was a building behind the one I'd last gone into, so I went back to the car and drove over to that one (they weren't really close enough to each other to walk to--maybe if it were fall or winter I might have done it, but not in those shoes). Luckily, that one was the one I was looking for. I managed to make it almost an hour in advance somehow. Good thing I allowed so much extra time.
So, then as the time for the testing neared, more and more people showed up. Most of them were in jeans and sneakers, which I can't imagine doing for something relating to job-hunting. I just figured, I'd prepare for an interview, in case they interviewed us afterwards. So, I wore a suit. Only 2 other people even remotely dressed up. It just shocks me what people will do when they should be trying to make a good impression. Instead, they all just looked like they could care less what happened. Anyway, I'd been studying for several days, reading up on the design software, so I wouldn't be too rusty. But, the test was a written test and not on the computer at all. ??? The e-mail they sent me said it would be on the software, but it wasn't like that. It was all checking and proofing ads to make sure spelling, word usage, and everything were printed correctly. Piece of cake. There was only one of them that I wasn't sure of, so one out of all the ones I answered correctly should be okay. We'll see. The person running the testing said they might have results in a couple of days.
So, then I leave afterwards and the building is just dead. There's no one out there. Everything is dark. It's only 4 pm, though. Weird. So, I find my car and leave the park, only to forget which direction I needed to go. My choice turned out to be wrong, so I had to turn around. Then, I missed the turn getting back on the highway and went off again. Luckily it was a nice drive. I came to a spot where there was a sheer cliff on one side of the road with 3 eagles flying around on it, and a drop off the other side of the road that may have led down to a lake, but I couldn't really look because the road was pretty wind-y and I had to keep my eyes on the road. Eventually I was able to turn around and made it back to the highway. Back to 35, only to miss my exit because the signs weren't very clear until I was past it. So, again I had to turn around on 35 so I could head back down to San Antonio. Traffic was bad as usual as by then it was rush hour, but not as bad as it could have been. It didn't get really horrible until I reached San Antonio, and the worst was right at the last stretch of 1604 where there are traffic lights. Why they don't build overpasses, I haven't a clue. They just spent money on widening the turn lanes, like that will alleviate the traffic problems, but that was pretty stupid.
Anyway, I'm hoping this will turn out to be a job I'll actually get, but it remains to be seen. I'm going to keep looking, though, in case that one doesn't pan out. I'm pretty tired today, but some of it is allergies. I actually slept well, so I don't think that's it. Hopefully a Sea World trip is in the works for tonight, so that will be a welcome break from job-hunting and studying.
Well, if I get a job in Austin, I'll probably have to invest in a Mapfinder or I'll never find my way around up there. Still I hate it when I plan things out like that and then I don't get the job, and it turns out I did all that planning for nothing. Maybe it's a jinx or something. I'll just wait and see and worry about it when the time comes this time. : )
I continue on, thinking it's just another quarter mile or so. I cross over a section of the highway that was raised a little and I'm wondering, is that the bridge? Did I now pass my turn? Then, I come to an overpass. Is that it? But there's now no place to stop for more directions. So I just keep driving. I'm still way early because I anticipated this sort of problem driving up there as it always happens. The drive starts to get pretty scenic and I'm hoping I'm not going so far out that I'll have to come halfway back to Austin again to get to my street. Eventually, I see something in the distance that looks like a huge bridge. Like, a real bridge with an arch over it and everything. Is that what the guy meant? As I get closer I see a sign for 2222 and I know now that I've made it. Why didn't the guy tell me I wasn't really close to it? New question: How far did I go before reaching 2222 and do I now have to go back toward Austin to find the turnoff, or keep going west and away from Austin? I decided to try west first. Luckily, I chose correctly and I found my turn, then the turn from there to the office park I needed.
So, I saw a sign that said there were 8 buildings marked with Roman numerals, but nothing indicating which building I need to go to. Nothing said which businesses were in which building, or if the whole complex was indeed AT&T. So, I parked by building 1 and went inside. Sure enough, that's not right. AT&T isn't listed in the directory. I asked a man outside if he knew where AT&T was, but he just told me to look at the signs. Yeah, right. Like that's helpful. I went back to the car and drove on to the next building I saw, which was building 4. Went inside, and no, AT&T isn't there either. I drove on and came to building 6. No AT&T. I asked a group of people at each building if they knew where it was, but no one knew. I finally saw that there was a building behind the one I'd last gone into, so I went back to the car and drove over to that one (they weren't really close enough to each other to walk to--maybe if it were fall or winter I might have done it, but not in those shoes). Luckily, that one was the one I was looking for. I managed to make it almost an hour in advance somehow. Good thing I allowed so much extra time.
So, then as the time for the testing neared, more and more people showed up. Most of them were in jeans and sneakers, which I can't imagine doing for something relating to job-hunting. I just figured, I'd prepare for an interview, in case they interviewed us afterwards. So, I wore a suit. Only 2 other people even remotely dressed up. It just shocks me what people will do when they should be trying to make a good impression. Instead, they all just looked like they could care less what happened. Anyway, I'd been studying for several days, reading up on the design software, so I wouldn't be too rusty. But, the test was a written test and not on the computer at all. ??? The e-mail they sent me said it would be on the software, but it wasn't like that. It was all checking and proofing ads to make sure spelling, word usage, and everything were printed correctly. Piece of cake. There was only one of them that I wasn't sure of, so one out of all the ones I answered correctly should be okay. We'll see. The person running the testing said they might have results in a couple of days.
So, then I leave afterwards and the building is just dead. There's no one out there. Everything is dark. It's only 4 pm, though. Weird. So, I find my car and leave the park, only to forget which direction I needed to go. My choice turned out to be wrong, so I had to turn around. Then, I missed the turn getting back on the highway and went off again. Luckily it was a nice drive. I came to a spot where there was a sheer cliff on one side of the road with 3 eagles flying around on it, and a drop off the other side of the road that may have led down to a lake, but I couldn't really look because the road was pretty wind-y and I had to keep my eyes on the road. Eventually I was able to turn around and made it back to the highway. Back to 35, only to miss my exit because the signs weren't very clear until I was past it. So, again I had to turn around on 35 so I could head back down to San Antonio. Traffic was bad as usual as by then it was rush hour, but not as bad as it could have been. It didn't get really horrible until I reached San Antonio, and the worst was right at the last stretch of 1604 where there are traffic lights. Why they don't build overpasses, I haven't a clue. They just spent money on widening the turn lanes, like that will alleviate the traffic problems, but that was pretty stupid.
Anyway, I'm hoping this will turn out to be a job I'll actually get, but it remains to be seen. I'm going to keep looking, though, in case that one doesn't pan out. I'm pretty tired today, but some of it is allergies. I actually slept well, so I don't think that's it. Hopefully a Sea World trip is in the works for tonight, so that will be a welcome break from job-hunting and studying.
Well, if I get a job in Austin, I'll probably have to invest in a Mapfinder or I'll never find my way around up there. Still I hate it when I plan things out like that and then I don't get the job, and it turns out I did all that planning for nothing. Maybe it's a jinx or something. I'll just wait and see and worry about it when the time comes this time. : )
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Two Things...
Mom and I went to Sea World last night. Nothing much. We just wanted to do some walking and maybe find some way to carry our passes and ID without them getting too wet if we're on a water ride. The passes aren't laminated and they're just these paper ticket-like things, so we were afraid they'd disintegrate if they got wet too many times. So-oo we went shopping mainly. Nothing too strenuous, but a lot of walking. We found these wallet things that were pretty cheap and will hook onto our belt loops. So, won't come off on a roller coaster, either and we don't have to hold it or anything. Then, we got home, exhausted. It was a long walk, you know. Then, I checked my board shorts and found that they don't have belt loops. Hopefully the wallet will still hook on somewhere. I'll have to figure that out. They had some really cute board shorts out there at Sea World, but they were over $20! Wow. There was also this cute dress, but it was $30. Guess I'm not buying clothes out there.
Anyway, I also got an e-mail from AT&T about a job I'd applied for. There were actually 3 positions, one in San Antonio, one in Austin, and one in Fort Worth for a graphic designer for the yellow pages. Sounds easy enough and probably about entry-level. The one from Austin contacted me to come in for some testing on Monday, so they're going to be wanting to see how well I know the design software and how well I can proofread, etc. That kind of thing. So, I'll have to talk to Dad and make sure I have enough gas to start off the week. I'll also have to study quite a bit since I haven't used that software in a while and I might be a little rusty. I want to make sure I do well. At least it's another opportunity, which I really need right now. I think I'd be more upset if the interviews, etc. dried up. Hopefully I'll get a job from this, but again, I'm not holding my breath. We'll see.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals tonight. Would be great if the Spurs won it all tonight, but R wishes they'd come back to San Antonio before they won. Don't know. I think I'd feel better if they won sooner rather than later. It's nerve-wracking, even though they're 3 games up. I'm a worrier after all. Can't fault Cleveland at all, though. They did great to make it this far, but they're a young team and they have a lot of potential to be even better after this year.
Well, I'll keep everyone updated. I probably won't blog again until Saturday or Sunday unless something happens that's different than every other day. Usually my days are pretty ordinary and routine.
Anyway, I also got an e-mail from AT&T about a job I'd applied for. There were actually 3 positions, one in San Antonio, one in Austin, and one in Fort Worth for a graphic designer for the yellow pages. Sounds easy enough and probably about entry-level. The one from Austin contacted me to come in for some testing on Monday, so they're going to be wanting to see how well I know the design software and how well I can proofread, etc. That kind of thing. So, I'll have to talk to Dad and make sure I have enough gas to start off the week. I'll also have to study quite a bit since I haven't used that software in a while and I might be a little rusty. I want to make sure I do well. At least it's another opportunity, which I really need right now. I think I'd be more upset if the interviews, etc. dried up. Hopefully I'll get a job from this, but again, I'm not holding my breath. We'll see.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals tonight. Would be great if the Spurs won it all tonight, but R wishes they'd come back to San Antonio before they won. Don't know. I think I'd feel better if they won sooner rather than later. It's nerve-wracking, even though they're 3 games up. I'm a worrier after all. Can't fault Cleveland at all, though. They did great to make it this far, but they're a young team and they have a lot of potential to be even better after this year.
Well, I'll keep everyone updated. I probably won't blog again until Saturday or Sunday unless something happens that's different than every other day. Usually my days are pretty ordinary and routine.
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