Another Interview

I probably should update. I’ve been meaning to but sometimes I just can’t summon the energy to write.

I didn’t get that job. But that’s old news now. I actually had another interview this week, this time for a trainee chef position at one of London’s top Vegetarian Restaurants. This has been something I’ve had in the back of my mind as something I want to do for about a year now but I never really thought it would realistically happen as it would involve starting from scratch all over again. But then last weekend I saw an ad for this job and I just thought “f*** it” and applied – they weren’t asking for any experience, just a passion for food and willingness to learn, both of which I think apply to me. I don’t think I really thought I had a chance, but the next morning I had an email from the head chef/owner asking me in for an interview!!

I can’t even begin to say how anxious I was – probably because this is the first job I’ve applied for that I’ve actually wanted to do. I was having all kinds of silly negative thoughts like “What will I say when I go in.” And “They’ll think I’m strange for going from studying physics to wanting to be a chef.”

The restaurant was down a little side street, which I eventually tracked down. But ... this is so embarrassing ... I somehow got the restaurant and the one next to it mixed up and walked into the wrong one and introduced myself and everything. I got brought upstairs to wait for the manager but when after about 5 minutes he still hadn’t shown up I started getting a little suspicious. From where I was sitting I could just make out the name on the menus a few feet away from me, and it dawned on me that I was in the wrong place. I didn’t know whether to tell someone or not but there was no-one around so I just legged it! haha!! They didn’t seem very friendly anyway so I was almost glad that I had gotten the wrong place. Soooo I had to start all over again and was happy to find they all seemed a hundred times friendlier. This time the head chef (the guy who was interviewing me) came and took me down to his office. I told him that I had gotten the wrong place and he proceeded to tell me stories about customers who had made the same mistake and that once another guy who had an interview had done the same as me but actually gone through with the whole interview and not realised until the very end that he had been in the wrong place! So yeah that made me feel a lot better!

I was still too quiet during the interview but I asked a few questions and made a conscious effort to look interested rather than terrified (I was definitely interested, just sometimes it doesn’t come across). He was super chatty and did most of the talking. A couple of times I had finished a sentence and was just taking a breath and getting ready for the next one but he would start talking again and wouldn’t stop for about 5 minutes. He actually asked me at one point if I was nervous and I told him I was – then he said that it was a good sign that I was nervous because it showed that I actually wanted the job as opposed to some people who just go and sit there like they don’t really care.

He was obviously just saying that though as, I’m sure you will have guessed by now, I didn’t get that job either. I was more angry than upset when I heard I hadn’t got this one, angry at myself for not showing enough enthusiasm and angry at the interviewer for not giving me a chance.

I haven’t done a lot since all that happened really. I’ve been on a few runs. Actually for the last week or so I’ve been going running with my sister’s boyfriend (not as weird as it sounds :P). He suggested it a few days after she left for uni; I’m not sure what motivated him to suggest it though I’m trying not to think too much about it. It’s just nice to have someone to do something with a few times a week that isn’t going to therapy or support groups, which is great of course, but it’s nice for your life not to revolve around SA sometimes.

Saying that, I’m actually meeting up with one of my housemates from uni today J I havn’t seen her for a few months, even though she started her second degree at a uni about half an hour away from me. It’ll be nice to see her after this not so great week. Hopefully it'll leave me feeling a bit more positive and motivated for continuing the job hunt.