What to Say

As you may know, September is recruiting month. That means that now is when CPA firms are hiring students to work for them after graduation. Many of the firms are holding open houses, there was a Meet the Firms night at the school, and a Golfing with the Firms day is coming up. Resumes, cover letters, and letters of recommendation need to be submitted. And the students wait by the phone to see if they've been selected to interview (and try to do homework and attend class when they have time.)

So far I've attended 4 interviews and I have another one on Thursday. The rest of the firms I've applied to are interviewing next week and the week after.

While attending all of these events you are supposed to ask intelligent, thought provoking questions about the company. I have asked so many questions that I no longer remember what the answers were. At this point I'm only asking questions to look good, I don't even care about the answer.

I'm tired of smiling, making small talk, shaking hands, trying to remember names (that I keep forgetting), smiling, making eye contact, nodding, looking interested, smiling, collecting business cards, and trying not to mention the kids. I just keep hoping that someday this horror will end.

Of course the worst part about the whole thing is the interviews.

Tell me about yourself?
What do you think you need to work on?
What 3 things are you most proud of?
What type of company do you want to work for?
Tell me about your last job?
Is the customer always right?
How would you handle a team member who doesn't contribute?
Why did you choose accounting/auditing?
Tell me about an experience when _____?
Do you have any questions for me?
(Yes, I was asked all of these questions and more.)

Why can't they just give me an accounting test and see how well I do on it? That would tell them more than their questions. And it seems that interviews depend more on whether you and the interviewer "click" than whether you answer the questions well. And that's just differing personalities, not ability.

All this for a job that won't start for another 7 months. [Sigh]

If any of you have any suggestions or advice I'd appreciate it.

Read more...

Vain and Foolish Men

"Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in ther hearts..." 2Nephi 28:9

http://www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm
*
*
*

Read more...

Singing a Song is Fun to Do

As many of you may know, my calling is to play the piano for primary. Fortunately there is another pianist so I only have to play every other week.

Now, you may know that I haven't played the piano much since Mrs. Sugawara, and what I have done has definitely not included the primary songbook. Of course when I was asked I looked dumbfounded and Travis laughed hysterically. Before I could think of what to say Travis answered for me that I would love to accept this calling. I did collect myself enough to interject that I didn't want to play the piano for the primary program. I think they thought I was kidding -- but I wasn't. Just wait, I'll be sick that day.

Anyway months have passed and I'm trying to learn the songs and deal with the mind numbing boredom and repetition which is singing/sharing time. However, I've got a problem. The chorister for the junior primary (who also does opening exercises) emails the list of songs to me each week either really late Saturday night or Sunday morning. On Sunday mornings, with four daughters, I don't really have any free time to be practicing the piano.

I do have the list of the songs we're working on for the primary program. The problem is all the other "settling the kids down" songs, and "dismissing to class" songs, etc. Many of them I don't recognize at all. About a month ago I got the list Sunday morning and I tried to quickly pick though them before we ran out the door. I couldn't even figure out what the tune was supposed to be. I know it's wrong, but I was conveniently went home sick before primary because there was no way I was going to try to play a song where I couldn't even figure out the melody. It was either that or when the time came to sing that song, glare at her and say loudly that she didn't give me time to prepare.

I have told her (in a casual way) that I don't sight read very well and that I need a lot of time to practice...nothing.

I have pointedly told her (in a specific way) that I need more time to practice and that she needs to send me the songs by Saturday morning...nothing.

So, after my hissy fit late last night when the list finally arrived Travis had a little chat today with the Primary President about my problem. Hopefully this gets resolved. I don't want to be a pain about it. But I also hate embarassing myself every week by constantly messing up the songs because I haven't been given enough time to prepare. For some reason I hate looking like an idiot.

Of course the best solution to this dilemma would be for me to be released, either that or I get to trade places with her and give her the songs at the last minute and let her struggle with them just because I can't be bothered to give her any advance warning.

And you may be saying that the kids don't notice, but there are adults in there too. And maybe they don't notice the piano normally but they totally catch on when the notes are wrong.

Travis's suggestion is just to learn all the songs in the songbook...there's only a couple hundred of them. Then I'll always be ready.

Read more...

Ashley versus The Orthodontist

Last month I took Ashley to an orthodontist appointment. I dropped her off while mom, me, Hannah, and Emma quickly ran to Smiths to get a couple of things. While there I got a call from her saying that they wanted to talk to me. She told me to come in alone.

I assumed this had something to do with her seriously delinquent orthodontist bill, so Mom decided to come in with me, and I brought her sisters in anyway so they wouldn't be in the car alone -- but I threatened them to behave and not embarrass Ashley.

Apparently Ashley had been telling them how much she wanted her braces off, and they offered to take them off now if I approved. Her teeth were straight, but the overbite still needed to move a couple more millimeters. They wanted to leave them on a few more months to get it perfect, but it was up to me.

Of course mom immediately pipes up vehemently saying that taking them off now would be a bad idea and that we should leave them on like the orthodontist wanted to.

At this point Ashley turns to me and says "I told you to come in alone!" Here I thought she didn't want her sisters bugging her, instead it was grandma she didn't want because she knew she'd be against it.

How well she knows her grandma!

Read more...

Fingers Crossed

Travis received a call from ADP for a third interview on Monday morning with one of their directors. They said he was a finalist and seemed relieved that they had gotten a hold of him.

So, if you have any prayers, chants, rituals, rabbits feet, and/or sacrifices you'd like to send our way, that would be great.

Read more...

Unclean! Unclean! Revisited

My Stafford loan money was sent to the U and no one knows how long it'll take for the money to be sent back to UHEAA so that they can send it to Weber so that they can send some of it to me.

My laptop died.

Other loan money we were hoping to get is delayed indefinitely.

No phone calls yet from last week's interviews.

I became Mom yesterday when I mixed what was left of our milk with powdered milk to make it last longer.

For dinner tonight Travis made powdered milk and added chocolate syrup (to make it taste better) and ice cubes (since it wasn't cold) and told the kids it was iced mocha.

I almost had to go to Carol's house for dinner last night. Fortunately she called to cancel. But, now Jenny's baby's blessing is Sunday so I'll still have to see her.

Read more...

Mean Mommy

I came home from school tonight to find that Emma had not only had an accident, she'd also cut her hair. Again. Fortunately her technique is improving. She only cut her bangs. And while they are about 2 inches shorter than when I left, they were roughly straightish.

While trimming her bangs to even them out I explained her punishments. She was grounded from tv, computer, and videos. And if she had any more accidents her toys would start to disappear. A couple of minutes later, in a small voice Emma asked, "Do I still I get to eat?"

Read more...