The First Interview
Bethany Ann Stevens knew her dream job was to work at Petsworld. Learning about animals and being surrounded by them everyday-it was the perfect fit! She sighed contentedly as she signed her name to the bottom of the application and handed it over to the person behind the counter. The rest of the day was spent in nervous expectation.
I have to get the job,' she thought to herself this is my dream job and God wants me to be happy, of course I'll get the job. It's my dream job!' was the thought that kept surging through her brain.
Early the next day she received a phone call to come in for an interview. She showered and dressed hurriedly and rode her bike to the store, arriving fifteen minutes early. Beth parked her bike and fumbled with the lock, her fingers trembling with excitement. Inside the store, she reminded herself to stay calm and looked around for someone who might know where she should go.
"Excuse me." She said to one of the cashiers.
"Yea?" said the smiling girl, with long black curls, forced to stay in place with a great amount of hair gel and a name plate that said AMBER' in big red letters.
"I have an interview at eight; do you know where I should go?"
"Hold on and I'll page someone for you."
"Great, thanks."
Beth perused the animal magazines beside the check stand while she waited. Stay calm' she kept saying to herself stay calm!'
"Are you here for an interview?" a voice from behind her asked. She turned, her heart skipping a beat at the voice.
"Yes." She said smiling.
"I'm Brett." He said extending a hand and smiling.
He was a tall black man, with black hair shaved close to his head. Beth shook his hand and said "Nice to meet you."
"You too," he said "follow me."
She followed him into a small office with a huge one way window looking out at the cashiers. There was a good sized desk on one side of the room cluttered with papers and a computer, and another, smaller, desk with another computer and a printer on it. There were three chairs in the room, two near the door and one behind the large desk. There were also two black filing cabinets on the wall opposite the door.
"Please, have a seat." Brett said pleasantly. "I'm going to call one of the other managers in as well."
Beth nodded her head, took a seat in a gray padded, metal chair and looked around the office curiously. He paged Adam to the office' and waited in silence. Beth became more and more nervous in the silence and felt something should be said. She was not, however, able to come up with a topic and remained silent. Finally, Adam came in. A tall man with a curly bunch of brown hair on top of his head and shaved on the sides. He nodded a smile at Brett, and Beth tried not to gape at the handsome figure standing before her.
"Hello." He said smiling and extended his hand toward her.
Beth blushed, shook his hand and returned the greeting. Brett was seated across the desk, looking at Bethany's application and Adam was half sitting, half leaning on the desk with the computer on it, arms folded. Beth was now more nervous than ever! Not only was she in an interview for her dream job but there was an extremely good looking guy standing just behind her! It seemed to be getting very warm in the small office.
"So," Brett began, not looking up. "What position are you interested in?"
"Umwell, anything really." She answered her voice quiet and nervous. She was trembling slightly now.
"Would you want to work with cash?" He asked looking up finally.
Bethany thought for a moment, she had never been good with math and the idea of handling something so important was scary to her.
"No," she said slowly "I don't think so."
"OK." He said "How would you like to work in our grooming area?"
A smile played on Beth's lips. Grooming sounded perfect! "That sounds fun." She said trying not to appear too excited.
"All right," He said "we'll have to bring the grooming manager in, see what she says." Brett smiled at Adam and picked up the phone. In a few minutes the office door swung open and an older woman about fifty came in. She had grayish blond hair down to her shoulders and a plump middle. Her face looked like a witch with a slightly protruding chin, a wart or two and very crooked and yellow teeth. Bethany however did not notice this all at once as she was shocked by the woman's entry into the room. She swept in, sat on the corner of the desk, one foot on the floor the other tucked under her. She leaned forward with one hand on the desk the other on her leg, giving her the appearance of a police interrogator. She did not greet the other two managers or Beth, but immediately began firing off questions in an unfamiliar accent.
"How many hours can you work?" Do you have transportation? Are you flexible with your schedule? Are you in school?" Were only a few of the questions asked.
Beth was sitting, back straight, wide eyed with hands gripping the sides of the chair as she answered as quickly and as straight forward as possible. It was hard to think with this scary person in her face, barking questions one after the other.
"Full time Yes, a bike Yes, I'm home schooled." Were the quick answers she gave. Finally the lady sat back, looked at the two managers and back at Beth, then asked
"When can you start?"
Beth wanted to shout "Today, Right now!" after that interrogation but instead she shrugged her shoulders and said "Whenever," in true teenage fashion.
"How about tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is great!" she said still in a nervous fright and not fully realizing what was happening yet.
"Great be here at eight in the morning then. We'll fill out paper work then."
"Ok" Beth said meekly.
The lady left the room without another word. When she was gone Beth looked around at the two managers still in the room and breathed deeply. Brett smiled and extended his hand. "Congratulations." He said and stood up.
Beth shook his hand and also stood. She felt as if she was waking from a dream. She knew the interview was over but was not yet sure of the outcome, it had all happened so fast. She played it over in her mind as she left. Did that really just happen? Is that how ALL interviews go? ' she thought as she again shook Adams hand and was escorted to the door.
"See you tomorrow then." Brett said as she left.
A weak "Yea." and a small wave, was all she could manage.
Outside there was a cool breeze and as she entered the combination on the lock to her bike the reality of everything hit her. "I got the job." She said to herself over and over. "I got the job!" She sped home on her bike and gave her mother all the details. It wasn't until later that she realized she had not learned the name of her new boss.