Now that I’m back on the face of the earth (kind of)…

CHICAGO

I headed to Chi-town last Thursday night for my interview at Starcom MediaVest Group.  My parents arranged for me to stay a night at a hotel downtown, because a) I have the best parents in the world (who really, really, want me get a job, already)  and b) they are so freaked out that *I* am going to get freaked out by The City that I’ll get lost, have a breakdown, etc etc.

It was my first time driving in the Loop. I was fine, as long as I turned off my radio and opened my windows to “listen to the city” and constantly murmured a mantra of, Don’t get hit.  Don’t hit anybody. Don’t get hit.  Don’t hit anybody. I parked in a garage and went to put my parking ticket in my wallet when….that’s funny…my wallet isn’t in my purse.

PEOPLE…I FORGOT MY WALLET.

Have you ever attempted to check into a hotel without any identification or credit card?  Yeah. There were tears.  It was so embarrassing. I had checked my bags for EVERYTHING seven times over before I left.  Apparently, when I was getting change together for the toll road, I absentmindedly left my actual wallet in the kitchen.

In the end, my dad had to go to Kinko’s, get a copy of his credit card and license, and fax it to the hotel.  The hotel clerk felt so bad she bought me a couple candy bars and water, which made me feel like a little lost kid.  (which I totally felt like)  For a moment, I couldn’t fathom the possibility of even landing a job — I’m so irresponsible.  I have no idea what I’m doing. I looked around the lobby and saw all these suits, all these nicely dressed yuppie women going out for drinks.  I am so out of place here. It was 9:30pm by the time I actually checked in.  I did interview prep for about 90 minutes before passing out.

Luckily, the whole wallet mishap was the only thing to go wrong in regards to my interview in Chicago.  Starcom was only about four or five blocks from my hotel, so I walked and spotted the building on Wacker Dr., which looks like this,

…which immediately brought forth feelings of “Holy Shit.  I’m in A City and this is Corporate America and I’m totally interviewing to become a part of it.”
(The feeling subsided a bit when I stepped inside and saw that all the girls walking to the Starcom elevator where wearing JEANS! *squeal*)

I thought I’d be interviewing with 100 other people after reading an applicant’s experience from the Princeton Review.  But by the time the interview began, it was me and two other people, who were very sweet — making it hard for me to hate them and be bitchy and competitive.  I did FIVE 30 minute interviews with media supervisors, assistant media directors, and others that I don’t remember because it was one great big blur of ME, TALKING.

Knowing the company is very selective, I went into the situation with a clear agenda:  I wanted to come out of the interview knowing that if I get rejected in the end, I won’t have any major regrets about how I could have better prepared or presented myself.  I really feel I accomplished that on Friday.  I imagined two and a half hours of straight interviewing would be a complete hell. In the end, I realized I was more nervous about the phone interview!  The first women I interviewed with was the most serious of the five, so it was all downhill from there in terms of the nervousness. I interviewed with one women named Kyleen and she was such a doll, I just wanted to be her friend afterwards, regardless of everything.  Immediately after sitting down, she smiled, and said,  “Hi! Do you want some putty to play with?”  And for some reason her interview kind of made me feel like I was pledging a sorority, but in a good way?  (Maybe because Starcom is like, 70% women,  not an exaggeration.)

In a blink, it was over.  We were taken out to lunch at the House of Blues, gave the brand ambassador our transcripts, and it was done.  I really can’t be more happy with the way that it went.

I got back in the car and continued south to Chinatown to visit

thehipeinie.

If even for a few hours, it was great.

And now? I have up to TEN NINE BUSINESS DAYS to receive an OFFER or REJECTION LETTER.

“The waaaaaaaiting is the hardest part…”
(Thanks, Tom f*ckin’ Petty.)