Day 28: Jobless Jitters (M)

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Since I wasn’t hired after my last few interviews--I was even late for one and underdressed for another--I decided to throw-out-all-the-stops for this most recent one. I borrowed JR’s tie, donned my white leather shoes, left from the house two hours early, and was open to the possibility of faking most of my answers. The prospective employer is a bar/lounge that’s set to open in two weeks in Ward, the principle shopping district of Honolulu; this is how the interview started:

Owner: Hi, my name is owner dude (I forgot his name).
Me: Hey, I’m Matt.
Owner: So I see you’re from Pennsylvania. Are you a Steelers fan?
Me: Ummm…yes?
Owner: Well then, you’re hired! I was born in Pittsburgh.
Me: I LOVE the Steelers!
Owner: [goes into his wallet and pulls out a photo of him and some guy] Do you know who this is?
Me: Yes, that’s you.
Owner: Right, I know. But the other guy?
Me: I don’t know.
Owner: Oh…because that’s the quarterback for the Steelers…
Me: You know, I watch mostly hockey…I’m more of a Penguins fan, really…I watch football sometimes, though.

Then he starts asking me about my experience serving alcohol and stuff like that. The thing is, I was so early for the interview that I went to a nearby cafe and drank a few cups of coffee to waste time before arriving at the bar. At this point, I was feeling quite jittery:

Owner: So what are your aspirations?
Me: (I’m applying for the bar-back position) I hope to become a bartender, and one day work my way up into management, maybe even try to supervise a nightclub here in Honolulu. I’m young and the sky is the limit!
Owner: You know what, you seem very high energy. That’s just what we need behind the bar here.
Me: [fidgeting with my pen, jiggling my leg] That’s wonderful! That’s great! That’s wonderful!
Owner: Alright then. You’re hired. Here’s the paperwork.
Me: Thank you thank you thank you!

So that’s the story of how I finally got a job here. And the rest is all candy-canes and unicorns. The end.
(photo soon to come)