Interview minefield tests faith
In less than two hours, dressed
in black pumps and a borrowed
Anne Klein blazer, I will navigate a
minefield.
I have a job interview.
I’ve held my share of jobs, mind
you, but most of them had only two
major requirements: the ability to
make change and the willingness to
wear a hairnet.
I also spent five years attempt
ing to raise children, a job that had
no formal requirements but should
have.
Now, after several years at this
fine institution, I’m ready for
something more; but I simply don’t
have the clothes or confidence to
do it.
so to prepare ror mis monumen
tal event, 1 have taken a few steps:
First, I called my sister begging for
advice and 1990s era clothing.
“Do you need shoes, too?” she
asked.
I checked my feet: Birkenstocks;
I checked my closet: Nikes.
“Yes, please,” I answered
humbly.
Next I checked out a couple of
books, “Image Impact,” “Sweaty
Palms,” and “Knock ‘Em Dead.”
Alas, the books only served to
confuse me.
They said I needed to be eager
— but not too eager.
Confident but not overbearing,
assertive without being aggressive,
attractive but not sexy.
I should exude confidence in my
body language, professionalism in
my dress, honesty and resoluteness
in my demeanor.
I need to make my defects sound
like assets and my assets sound
better than they actually are.
I need to be a team player, as
well as someone who works well
independently.
Be prepared, the books advised,
to answer questions about your
goals (stattksn* ste get through
the interview without fainting),
I’ve held my share of jobs, mind you,
but most of them had only two major
requirements: the ability to make
change and the willingness to wear a
hairnet.
interests (writing and food — not
necessarily in that order), strengths,
weaknesses (chocolate), expecta
tions, challenges, motivations (lack
of money) and accomplishments.
My husband said to “wear
makeup." My daughter, age 10,
offered me hers.
My son said I shouldn’t take the
job unless they’d let me off at 3
p.m., so I could be home when he
got out of school.
My parents said they would pray
for me. Thanks, I’ll need it.
Oh, and above all, everyone said
I should act naturally and just “be
myself.”
How, I ask you, can I “be
myself,” in clothing I’ve usurped
from my sister, pantyhose that have
cut off the circulation to my lower
torso and shoes with an inch of
Kleenex stuck in the toes?
I feel like a contestant on “To
Tell The Truth.”
“Will the real Cindy Lange
Kubick please stand up?”
It isn’t easy, but hey, I’m
willing to go to any lengths.
And all of the advice friends,
family and interview experts have
given me is indeed important,
albeit confusing. (Ask about
vacation time; don’t ask. Offer to
shake hands; don’t offer.)
But there are a few things I
intuitively knew ahead of time.
One thing is certain: I need to be
sure that I show up with dry palms,
flossed teeth and a.snot-free nose.
(Nothing will ruin my chance
for gainful employment faster than
clammy hands, postnasal drip and
popcorn particles between my front
teeth.)
Right now I feel fairly calm. I
can walk in the pumps, — well
almost — my palms are dry, my
mind is clear — not empty, clear
— and I’m starting to feel at home
in the borrowed clothes.
If only I could do something
about the inevitable, enormous
before-all-important-events-in-my
life red zit on my chin.
If I try to hide it with makeup, it
will look like I’m trying to hide it
with makeup. But, if I leave it
alone, the interviewer’s eyes will
fixate on it, and the words of
wisdom spewing from my mouth
will be lost forever.
It's a dilemma indeed.
But, like the books say, accentu
ate the positive. After all, having
acne at 34 could be, in the eyes of
my potential employer, a olus — a
sign of youthfulness.
It is part of the “real” me. The
person that still exists underneath
the shoulder pads, the “peach
blossom” lipstick and the sheer,
leg-hugging hosiery.
I hope the two “me”s can stick
together long enough for the
interview.
Wish us luck.
Lange-KaMck Is a senior news-editorial
and tocology major-and a Drill Nekcaakan
In politics, image is everything
As a foreigner, I have no interest
in the upcoming elections. Well,
actually, I have a different kind of
interest than if I were to vote.
I am curious to see a new facet
of American culture. After all,
America is the oldest democracy in
the world.
It is enlightening to see how the
campaigns are handled from a
public relations standpoint and to
view what the preferred TV ads
look like. What comes across is a
very different concept of democ
racy from the one applied in most
European countries.
Political campaigns in the
United States are played purely on
image, relegating real issues to the
role of catchy but empty slogans.
The primary asset a candidate
needs is a photogenic appearance.
That alone seems to guarantee
sympathy and votes.
This precedent was set by J.F.
Kennedy in his debates with Nixon.
Since then, television has become
the single most important tool in
politics. Politicians today must
come in an attractive package with
a memorable tag line and catchy
advertising copy. Advertising is
what ultimately makes or breaks a
candidate.
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as being particularly rough. The
candidates have spent most of their
funds on commercials that show
their opponents’ defects instead of
ones that highlight their own assets.
The emphasis is on ruining the
opponent’s credibility and reputa
tion, without creating a real
political platform.
My impression is that this kind
of campaigning has the sole effect
of disgusting the public. This is
probably why the voter turnout for
elections is so low. Furthermore,
the electorate is faced with choos
ing between two bad candidates;
they only have to figure out which
-
Instead, (candidates) spend most of
their time convincing us that they
never smoked pot or had premarital
sex. Who cares? They are running for
J Congress, not the Vatican.
is bad and which is worse.
The negative image of politics is
responsible for today’s disenchant
ment with it. Long gone are the
days when people would die for
their political beliefs. Today, the
terms “politics” and “politician”
are to be avoided like the plague.
Being labeled a politician is the
kiss of death for any candidate.
Sadly, the result of all this will be
that Congress will be filled with
amateur politicians who will either
be eaten alive by the system or
adapt to become part of the
monster.
It’s like the parable of the knight
who kills the dragon and then
becomes the dragon until the next
knight slays him and takes his
place.
The dream of having a politi
cian-free Congress is what spurs
the public to vote for business
people and doctors. This is all done
in the hope that Congress will
someday stop being a detached
entity, and will be reflective of
society.
Oliver North’s main prerogative
is that he ignored the rules of
Congress when he was at its
service. Colin Powell’s talked
about presidential candidacy might
turn successful only in light of his
distancing himself from politics.
In the 1980s, the same disgust
about politics was the prevalent
feeling among Italians, so we
elected a pom star to sit in the
I
parliament. Her election was a sign
of protest, and it reflected people’s
frustration. Also, her political
rallies were a lot more interesting.
Something of that sort is
unthinkable in the United States,
where adultery charges destroy a
politician’s career. In America,
people are too caught up in
political correctness and false
Puritanism.
Americans will vote for presi
dent Ronald Reagan, who was an
informer during the McCarthy era
and ruined the lives of countless
colleagues just to advance his
career. But on the other hand, in
the name of puritan ideals, Ameri
cans will min Gary Hart because of
an arrair.
This reflects on local cam
paigns. Candidates don’t tell us
their plans to improve the
economy, the standard of living or
minorities’ conditions. Instead,
they spend most of their time
convincing us they never smoked
pot or had premarital sex. Who
cares? They are running for
Congress, not the Vatican.
Tlie problem should not be
whether a candidate was clean in
high school. The importance should
be taken away from appearances
and placed unon person’s ability,
regardless or the skeletons in his/
her cupboard.
Uveranl la ■ Junior advertising major
and a Dally Nebraskan columnist
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