5.8 for Artistic Impression, 5.1

5.8 for Artistic Impression, 5.1 for Technical - First interview was a phoner (switched from a face-to-face at almost the last minute). It'd be a cool gig, if I can land it. I'm the only UI Designer currentl in contention, which is good. They haven't decided if they want a UI designer, which isn't so good.

Interview this afternoon - for a gig I really really want. Actually, among the five positions currently in play, there are two that I think'd be pretty near perfect; the one where I had the 7:45 hour interview three weeks ago, and the one I'm interviewing for this afternoon. The first was with a small company that's in that "just right" space; they've gotten past the startup growing pains, but they haven't hit the "excessively mature" stage yet. And I'd be the only UI person on the staff, in a role that I'd just kill to have, sort of the pivot between Marketing and Engineering, with a lot of responsibility for making sure that not only does the product kick ass, but that the company's whole message screams "Easy to use!". In short, everything I want out of a fulltime, permanent gig.

The second would be a nice counterpoint to that; working with a "consulting" company, jobbed out on project teams to different client companies. I'd combine everything I like about freelancing (getting to change locations and co-workers and projects periodically, learning new stuff constantly) with everything that appeals to me as a single father with a ton of bills to pay (health insurance, a steady check, even when I'm not on a project).

I got a new lead yesterday, by the way. But...

...ugh. It's with a big local corporation, through a local "Technical Staffing" company (think Temp firm for geeks). The "recruiter" was a guy who never got off the speaker phone and with whom I've never spoken when he didnt sound like he was guzzling potato chips - his mouth always sounds full. The "Account Manager" was worse - a woman who never, not once, let me finish a sentence. It's not like I ramble, especially not in job-interview-ish setting. I'm pretty loquacious in normal conversation, but I've been accused of being almost excessively to-the-point in business settings - a former boss said "meetings with you are like military briefings", which I took as a compliment. When I schedule a one-hour meeting, I usually wrap it up within 40 minutes.

So I try not to waste time - but being interrupted really harshes my mellow.

Then, the Accountmanagerette started lowballing the salary; one of her first comments after we started talking jing was "you DO know that the average technical professional has taken a $5-to-40-thousand-dollar pay cut, right?" Duuuuuh.

Which begs a question, all you people who work with Fortune 500 HR departments; it's perfectly understandable to lowball salaries when the economy is tight. But then, when the market opens up and salaries boom, like they did in the mid-eighties and late nineties, why do you act so perplexed when your IT department evaporates like a regiment of Republican Guards?

Anyway - gotta get ready for the next interview. Best wishes/prayers/karmic vibes gratefully accepted!