Is this inappropriate?

| 3 comments

So, I had an interview today. It's for a part-time position with a library here in Zion. It's not ideal, but it's a good starting place (at least that what I tell myself. A mantra that will probably lose its effectiveness when I contract some terrible disease and don't have any health insurance. Though, I have always wanted to die of consumption...). They asked the standard interview questions, "what's your greatest strength?", "and what would say is a limitation for you?", "how do you cope with people getting angry at you?", and so on.

They even pulled out the standard "You're rather young. But imagine if you will that you were dropped down five years from now. Where do you see yourself?" I gave my standard long-term goals spiel and then, just to wrap it up said "...and that's where I see myself...professionally at least." And then, the interlocutrix countered with "and in your personal life?"

What can or ought one say to that? I was totally caught off guard. I made some joke about getting married, but otherwise was at a loss. Are there people out there who actually have five-year plans for their personal lives? Are those sorts of people ever happy? How do they cope when something doesn't happen?

More pressingly, though, what were they looking for here? I mean, the truth, as you all know, is right out (because the truth would require a whole lot of explanation as to why I see myself dead with syphilis in a gutter. Though, "you're not really someone until you die of syphilis" if we are to believe my friend).

I hope I didn't totally blow my chances by not having a ready answer to private matters.

3 comments:

Shaun R. said...

I didn't think they could ask you questions like that. I know they can't ask marital status questions and the like or whether you have kids.

alea said...

the job is with a church-related entity, so that means it's slightly less of a no-no, right?

Shaun R. said...

well if it was for a church related entity I suppose the syphilis wasn't a good way to go. Though I can't imagine a situation where that would be the right way to go.

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