For the past few weeks, I've been temping in a Surgeon's office. They told me it was open-ended and that he might end up hiring me permanantly. I found out today that he decided to hire someone else for the job. *ARG* I'm disappointed, but not terribly upset - I don't think this would be a great environment for me to stay in - intimidating and wishy-washy people here.

What frustrates me is that my interviews NEVER pan out - my jobs usually come from temp assignments that I'm assigned that go permanant. So what's wrong with me?

I've got PLENTY of skills:

*Typing 80 words per minute
*I'm a wiz with MS Office
*I'm GREAT with customer service
*I'm very easy going and sweet

The only thing going against me (besides my ADD) is my lack of transcription experience.

Am I just not marketing myself well enough or will there *always* be someone with more skills?

K~

MOST importantly, there is nothing "wrong" with you! :) There's only "wrong" stuff for you at those jobs, and you may never know exactly what it was about those jobs that wasn't right for you...try to find peace in the fact that you dodged a bad-job bullet.

(Perhaps you can refer to whatever Higher Power beliefs you might have as you read this paragraph.) I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, and there are lessons we're supposed to learn from every situation in which we're placed. If we don't learn them, then we'll end up in another situation where we could learn the lesson we "missed" the last time around, and if we don't learn it, the cycle will keep going on until we learn! Even with being in a job I've come to loathe over the past (almost) 3 years, I recognize that I was clearly brought to this job for a reason--many reasons, actually. And I won't be able to leave this job until exactly the right time I'm supposed to leave it--VERY hard for me to deal with that little fact, thanks especially to that whole ADD impatience thing, but I acknowledge that this is where I'm supposed to be--for now!

Lots of other thoughts on this.... First of all, if your gut tells you it wasn't the right environment, believe it! The last place an ADDult needs to be is in office climates that rub us the wrong way, whether it's because of the people, the work you have to do, the commute, the way the building smells, the boss, the way the boss smells, whatever....

Your list of skills seems great for administrative types of jobs...are those the kinds you really want? You've stated that your interviews seem not to pan out, yet from what I understood you've received offers after temping at other places for several weeks, after they've had a chance to see you strut your stuff. Perhaps at the interviews you're unintentionally giving off cues that you're not interested in the job--or that you're too interested. Have you considered videotaping yourself in an interview role-play, maybe with a friend? Does your temp agency have some sort of program that works on interviewing skills? You can find lots of interviewing tips on the internet at those job sites like hotjobs.com, etc. If you suspect your interviewing skills, you need to investigate what it is you do in an interview (like by taping it), and as we ADDults are notorious for being poor self-observers, you're going to need to enlist the help/advice of a trusted person to get feedback.

Since you mentioned social skills, I recommend reading M. Novotni's book What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don't? about social skills ADDults seem not to have learned as they were growing up. There may even be a chapter specifically on interviewing skills in it. K. Nadeau's book ADD in the Workplace: Choices,... also talks about interviewing--GREAT resource for ADDult-friendly jobs in general.

Perhaps you've already thought about all these things in relation to your job search; perhaps not. These are just my little ol' initial thoughts and a little bit of what I was told when I was obtaining assignments and interview opportunities through agencies. Whatcha think?

Thanks for the advice Smooch!

I actually bought What Does Everybody Else Know That I Don't? last week and just started reading it :)

Yesterday, the nurse that I'm working with called to tell me that there's an opening in the Breast Clinic appointments office. She mentioned me and they were VERY interested in interviewing me. It's a little bit of a step down career-wise, but this position would be nice and structured. Patients call in, I schedule them an appointment, bada-bing, bada-boom :)

I interviewed (I wasn't even dressed for it!) and the nurse said that I'm on the top of their list now. Today, my coworker got a call the from the people doing the hiring and she totally talked me up. She thinks she sinched it for me. YAY!

There's hope for me yet :)

"Bada-bing, bada-boom".....that's great Kelly. You sound TONS more animated and hopeful...go for it...good luck:)

WOO-HOO!!! You GO, girl! :D

Well, I didn't get the job in the appointment's office (even with all my recommendations, they found someone with more experience *grr*). I *did* interview yesterday with a Research lab in another department. Not only would it be in a nicer building, I wouldn't have to pay for parking, I'd get more perks, and I'd get to use a wicked-sweet mac!

*bounce* I want!

Even with all my shyness - I feel like I clicked with the Admin Assistant that interviewed me :)

Keep your fingers crossed!

Been thinkin' 'bout ya, dear, and sending LOTS of positive thoughts your way. :) :D :)

Kelly,

We're all pulling for ya! Let us know how it goes :)

Fingers (and toes too:) ) are crossed Kelly.....

*giddiness*

They called to talk with the doctor that I'm working for - he sent them this email:

"Kelly has done a great job for me and would be an asset to your program. Her interpersonal skills and computer skills are excellent and she is a very motivated individual."

That just totally made my day! I think he's the first person *ever* to call me motivated!

If a recommendation from a Staff Physician doesn't sinch the job for me, nothing will! (Of course I thought the OTHER job was sinched because the doctor, his nurse, and our head secretary recommended me - but I won't think of that :)

I'm not sure if it's the my doc upping my Methalyn dose or this, but I'm super bouncey this afternoon *grin*

AWESOME!!!! You must be on cloud 9!!

or Perhaps even on Cloud 10:)

Such wonderful news!!! Way to go, Girl!!! :)

I am so high in the clouds that I lost track of the numbers!

I got the job!!

I go to orientation on 9/8 (My 3 year anniversary :) ) and I start on 9/9! I'm taking next week off to prepare myself. WOO!

*bounce*

I also had a consultation with an ADD Coach last night - so I'm hoping she can help me stay organized and KEEP this job!

CONGRATULATIONS, Kelly!!!!

You GO, girl! Keep us informed of all the new job scoop! That'll give those of us looking for new jobs some hope for our own job situations! ;)

Originally posted by smooch
CONGRATULATIONS, Kelly!!!!

You GO, girl! Keep us informed of all the new job scoop! That'll give those of us looking for new jobs some hope for our own job situations! ;)


SMOOCH COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER:)

Hooray!!!!! Way to go, Kelly!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Kelly


I got the job!!

I go to orientation on 9/8 (My 3 year anniversary :) ) and I start on 9/9! I'm taking next week off to prepare myself. WOO!



Kelly -- Next week off while you're preparing, are you planning any FUN in there???:) OR a celebration for the fact that you got the job?:)

Way to go Kelly... Cheers on your success story...

Your emotions back at the beginning of the post strike a chord with me; I am currently working at a crappy job, because it was the 75TH bloody job I applied for and the only one of the lot that would hire me. No word of a lie... I wrote every place down that I applied to. 75!!!!

And I have good customer service and tremendous computer skills... *sigh*

Ah well... life is a rollercoaster... I have a lead tomorrow morning on a better job already, so I will charge off after it and see what adventure comes my way...

hehe - I planned on organizing my place while I was off of work. Let's just say it didn't happen. I didn't get diddley squat done - not really sure how that happened. I didn't even spend the whole day on the computer!

I did get to spend Friday with my Mom, which was really nice.

I think I'm pretty prepared for my new job - I've got florescent post-it's to stick all over the place and I'm going to try keep a rolling checklist of everything I need to do.

I'm really excited about it :)

You'll have to tell us how your first week goes. I'm pulling for you! :)