Ask Seek Knock: The Interview and Shoe Catastrophe

(Janelle, this blog is for you.)

Okay. So this interview. Let me first start out by saying every single part of this job interview/process has been weird. Just weird. Not in a bad way. It's just been crazy. Like the ONLY way to explain it, is God. Like things have just come out of nowhere, been crazy, unconventional and just weird. And I really don't mean that in a negative way at all. I really think the Lord has just been blessing me a lot.

So I get a call on Tuesday and set up an interview for Thursday morning. Lisa and I were in the car, on our way to James' house in Georgia for the night. Then we were driving all day Wednesday. So I set up the interview, and I'm excited. Lisa was great and really excited with me! And then about 15 minutes later, I turn to her with the realization that I don't have ANY interview clothes to wear. All I had with me were jeans. Everything I own is in my grandma's basement in NJ, so when I got to Richmond, I still wouldn't have any more of my clothes. I had one pair of dress pants with all the stuff I had since Chicago, but when I packed for Lisa and my trip at the beach, I left them with the stuff that I gave my mom to take to NJ. I could always just go buy some clothes, which is what I figured I would do. But, when? James' school is in the middle of nowhere and we were going to be in the car, basically until my interview. Lovely. Lisa said that she had a pair of dress pants that I could try, but she thought they would be too big. We were going to figure it all out once we got to James' house.

At this point I was thinking that I would wake up early on Thursday and try to go to Target before my interview. But that seemed to be pushing it a little bit. What if I didn't find anything? I needed dress pants and a nice shirt. I thankfully had some shoes I could work with. Brown flats and black flats.

So we get to James' house and are hanging out. I found out that I didn't know I applied for this job, couldn't find any information online about the school, and decided I should figure out what I was going to wear. I tried Lisa's pants on. I needed a belt, but they pretty much fit. They were a little baggy, but that was the style of the pants. The problem though: they were REALLY long. I definitely couldn't wear my flats. Luckily, (or maybe not so luckily) Lisa had a bunch of dress shoes that we had been carting around in her car. They had just been in her car the whole trip. So we go out and get a pair of round toed boots with heels and a pair of pointed toed shoes that had like 3 inch heels. I went for the boots first. They weren't quite high enough, but I could make them work. I tried the other heels on and they looked a lot better. They were dressier and high enough for the pants.

Okay, so let me tell you. I DON'T wear heels. Like never. If I do, their the little half inch heels and I only wear them for whatever outing I'm going to, so only a couple hours. Stiletto's are NOT my thing.

So I put these shoes on and try to walk across the room. James and Lisa BUSTED out laughing! I looked like a fool. My ankles were shaking, my feet were slipping out of the shoes and I looked like I was walking with a stick up my butt. Seriously. They were laughing out loud at me. I told them I never wear heels. The shoes looked a lot better, but I was planning on going for the boots. I borrowed Lisa's pants, both pairs of shoes, a nice shirt and a cardigan. Still not sure what I was going to wear, but I had an option. (Thanks Lisa, you're the best!)

Okay so fast forward to Wednesday night. Lisa and I had just spent the day in the car and I arrived in Richmond right before dinner. I hadn't decided what I was going to wear. I could either go to Target that night, go the next morning, or wear Lisa's outfit. I was going to put on Lisa's outfit for Katie and see what she thought. If she thought it worked, I was just going to stick with it.

I put the outfit on with the boots and showed Katie. She said that it worked, but the other shoes would look better. I put them on and it definitely looked better. But again, that problem of 'I stink at wearing heels' came up. I also have a problem with dress shoes in general. My heels are really narrow, thanks to my dad's side of the family, and so shoes slip off the back of my feet really easily. Which makes me buy dress shoes in smaller sizes so my foot is more squished and my heel doesn't slip. (I know, this is one of many reason's I'm not a fan of dressing up) So Lisa and I have the same size feet, but these Stiletto's were definitely too big. But definitely made the outfit look more dressed up. And I wanted to dress to impress.

So I decide that I am going to stuff the front of the shoes with toilet paper to make them fit and just bite the bullet and wear them. They were going to look a lot better AND this was just an interview, right? All I had to do was walk from the car to the school and back. They weren't going to judge me on my high heel walking abilities, and they weren't going to see them either. (or so I thought)

I wore the shoes to the interview.

As I was walking out the door, for some reason, just felt like it was a bad decision. I went to get into the car and literally thought, "how the heck am I going to drive with these things on." I ended up making it to the school in one piece. Thankfully.

I made my trek into the school and got there in one piece. (Phew!) I checked in with the office, someone came and got me and walked me to where the principal was. I felt like a fool walking. Seriously. I do not look graceful in stilettos.

I talked with the principal and she told me all about the school. She didn't really ask me any questions. She said that they were going to give me a tour of the school, let me sit in on a class if I had time, and then we would talk again. Okay, cool. But...crap...a tour of the school? That requires walking. In heels. Arg.

So I walk with this guy all around the school praying that I don't trip and fall! I was walking SO slow cause the shoes were slipping off my feet and I was walking on my tippy-toes. The whole thing was just not a good combination. The more I walked, the more the toilet paper in the toe of my shoes was getting scrunched. So the more I walked, the bigger the shoes were getting. I seriously just kept praying I wouldn't fall over and make a fool out of myself!

After the tour, I went in and observed a class. For two and half hours! This was not your typical interview by any means. It was great to be in the class though, I really felt like I got a feel for the school and the students. I took my feet like half way out of my shoes while I was sitting in the class. And I have to admit, I may have also pulled the toilet paper out of the toe of the shoes, unscrunched it, and put it back. Yeah, that's embarrassing.

Someone came and got me, I met with the principal and a couple other people again and asked them a million questions about the school and the job. I kept waiting for them to interview ME and ask ME questions. It didn't happen. We talked for a while and they answered all my questions, and then I left. I safely made it to the car. (whew!)

As I drove home, I realized that this was the weirdest interview ever! Cause they didn't interview me. Like I said, this whole thing has just been WEIRD. I did really like the school though and I think I would like the job. It was a perfect first job.

I haven't heard from them yet, but I'm pretty sure I didn't get the job. No one has called me, but from my application online it looks like they hired someone else. Oh, well. I'm not crazy bummed about it. I definitely wanted the job, but it came out of nowhere and was just kind of crazy in and of itself, that I wasn't really ever completely "set" on getting it. The whole process was weird, and totally from the Lord. That's the only way I can explain it. But if he can plop an interview down in my lap like that once, He can do it again.

Lesson Learned: NEVER WEAR STILETTOS

Here is a little visual.