Five Candidates, Two Callbacks & One Guy Who Actually Wore a Suit

Things are heating up on this week's Laughing Through the Uncomfortable! 🎙️

Jeff is in the middle of the most exciting chapter of his job hunt yet — two companies are looking at him at the same time and he walked into his dream job interview as the only candidate who actually showed up in a suit 👔 We get into the callback from the California brand he has been chasing for four years, the New Jersey recruiter who keeps it completely unfiltered, the question that caught him off guard and why name dropping his old mentor may have been the smartest move he made 😂

Plus — a listener reached out with a game changing suggestion for reading with dyslexia, we finally dig into the inner voice conversation and what the book Jeff has been reading says about the different voices in our heads 🧠

Oh and the dating apps are back 😂 because of course they are

And the analogy of the episode — interviewing is exactly like dating There is ghosting, there are callbacks, and there are a whole lot of no's before you find the one 🎯

Stay tuned because next week we find out if he makes it to the final round 🔥

New episodes every two weeks. Follow us on Spotify, iHeart, and Apple Podcasts!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello, this is uh welcome to Laughing Through the Uncomfortable with Julie and Yay! Okay, so there's several things that we need to touch back on. Number one, from several episodes ago, that I was reminded by one of my friends that listens to the podcast, and that is your voice in your head, right? That inner, that inner talk, that inner chat.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Yeah, the inner thought.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

That inner chat that you hear. We all hear.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Yeah, that we just shut up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Yeah. Okay. So, and then a a listener messaged us. If this listener had this question, then other listeners probably have the same question.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

And then also your job, what's going on? It's gonna be you got a callback, so we need to talk about that. Okay, so first. Okay, so first. Last episode or an episode before, we were talking about reading with you and with your dyslexia. And sometimes when you don't stay on your reading, you when you go back to read, it's kind of a difficult difficult thing for you to get back into reading. Yeah. Right. Well, this listener, whom we appreciate very much, sent us a message and suggested that you listen to audiobooks, which I think was is an amazing suggestion because this listener had said that she does that. And some a lot of her friends like to listen to the audio way they read along with the book. So, Jeff, you a very young age, diagnosed with dyslexia. We don't talk about diagnoses, but because you had said your dyslexia irritates you, I guess we can talk. And a lot of people are dyslexic in the world, so there's no need to be, you know, hiding it. But since you were probably third grade when you were officially diagnosed with dyslexia, third or fourth grade, I think they were thinking about it. That's when you fourth grade was when you started to go see your reading therapist, correct? I think so. And that was one of his tools that he did for you. Yeah. Was the audiobooks.

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Yeah, especially the listening to of the audiobooks. I honestly, well, unfortunately, like I do I have dyslexia, but I have also ADHD too at the same fucking time when I look at the book.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

I do not have ADHD.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

I have oh my god, when I read a page, when I listen, my brain wanders. Okay. Like, oh, okay, I'm listening, but my brain doesn't want to do this. I can't read it. I'm listening, but my brain wanders like, oh, squirrel. I am oh my god, I am overstimulated three fucking times as a kid. Holy shit.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Okay, but what I'm saying is you're not ADHD because you're not hyperactive.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

But I get distracted because I don't want to fucking read.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

But that doesn't mean you're ADHD. So attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The H is a hyperactivity. If anything, you're ADD, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:43

I'm ADD. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

And I'm telling, I mean, I you're undiagnosed. I don't know. Have you ever been diagnosed? Have you ever gone?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

I don't think we ever the school didn't have it. School didn't have the budget.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Well, I'm telling you, okay, so I'm not gonna specify, I'm not gonna say, okay, so I was in a doctor's office with somebody. I'm not gonna say who. And we were in there, and I was like, okay, we need to make sure that we need to see if you know this person is ADD. I knew this person wasn't ADHD because this person wasn't hyperactive. So the doctor had him do, you know, take a test and it was 20 questions. And at the time I was talking to the physician, and he's like, Well, have you taken this kind of a test? And I'm thinking, no, I'm self-diagnosed ADD. I, you know, I supplement with coffee, as in 20 cups of coffee a day is my caffeine. And so he had me take the test too. So I I'm officially diagnosed with ADD. And this person that was I was in the doctor's office with is also diagnosed with ADD. So I have no doubt that you have ADD. Undiagnosed.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Anyway, anyway, the point being isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Someone has someone has to have dyslexia. Grandpa probably has dyslexia, dad probably has dyslexia, but he's probably undiagnosed.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

No, dad does not have dyslexia. It doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

But grandma and grandpa were probably like shit.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Okay, back to your reading therapist.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

So yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Your reading therapist suggested audio books and you read along as you listen to it, which helped you with the words and understanding all that. And the other thing that we did was part of your education plan when you're in elementary school and high school, they were required to give your English books as well as all the novels that you read in audio, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

So anyway, that is a great tool.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

You know what? They actually did it. They didn't do that. They didn't fucking do that. Okay, but they should have.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

They should have. They didn't. Okay, we're not talking about that. We're not talking, we're not we okay. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Another thing.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Let's get back on track. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Okay, necessarily.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

The point being is we're not here to bash the school system. Okay. So what I'm saying is that's a wonderful suggestion that our listener asked us. And yes, that is one of the tools that Jeff uses. And yeah, so thank you very much. I we really appreciate that. And if anybody else has any questions for us, and we can discuss it on the next podcast, you can always email us at laughingthroughuncomfortable at gmail.com. We are also found on Facebook, Laughing Through the Uncomfortable on Facebook, as well as Instagram, Laughing Through the Uncomfortable on Instagram. So you can always message us or, you know, if you have any questions on podcasts or anything that we talk about, if you want us to circle back around to talk about it more or find out, we will always, you know, answer that question. So there you go. So the other thing that we talked about a couple episodes ago that we have not uh touched on was your inner voice. Everybody has the inner voice, and most people's inner voices are negative about things, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

I mean, is that what you were talking about with your inner voice?

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Your little friend?

SPEAKER_00 5:39

My little friend, my little friend in my head. The multiples personalities. No. Uh it's it's the book that I was reading that's about the end and the voice. Like there's the monster, there's the cheerleader, there's this other fucking stupid shit, and entity bull crap, psychology crap. But the voice in my head is a cheerleader. Like, you can do it, don't give up. It's more of like a stern voice. Like, get your shit together. It's a mixture of a mixture of different things. Like, stop being a pussy and get your shit started. And it's like at the same time, it's like, hey, it's okay. It's okay, shit happens. Who gives a shit? Walk away. Like every time I'm in conflict, the voice appears. Walk away. Walk away. I know he's being a fucking idiot. Just walk away. It's who cares? Then you can find a haircut.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

So this book that you're reading, are they saying that people have several voices, or usually it's either a cheerleader or it's a a bully or what?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

It's a different uh variant. It depends on the person. It's a case-by-case subjective crap.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

That's what I'm saying. So you have a cheerleader, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

It's more like a it's more like an older brother, right? I know I'm the older brother. It's like I have an older brother, or like it's like Dean from Oh yeah, it's Dean from Supernatural. Yeah, that that's the that's my top of voice that kind of motivates me to get my shit together.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Okay. Well, that's good. All right. So that's okay, so there you go. So and your voice obviously and your head's helped you because you got the you got your professional coach. Speaking of, so you had that one interview and and you had said that they had already filled it, but then they had another position and there was a callback. So you had another interview.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Okay, what what happened?

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Okay, so currently, for some context, there's two companies that uh they're looking at me right now.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

There's the company that I want to be in California, and there's another one in the East Coast. I'd rather have the one in California because it's closer to you guys, and it's the same, same thing, but more more work. Because they said, We're a family, and I said, fuck. But I want to be close to my family. But there's one in the East Coast that the parent parent of the parent company that owns my current brand that I want to work for. And that one's much harder because they again, more context. Are you sure you want to come work for us? It's a big transition from California to East Coast. I'm like, I'm like, yeah, I want to fucking work for you. I'm like, no paperwork. So either way, the first interview was great. I had to I had to literally net net my entire thing. I I emailed like five recruiters within the same company as me. Because no one knows anything because everyone has different umbrellas. So I did that. And then I got a referral from that recruiter who emailed the phone to the recruiter who was in charge of merchandising. And that recruiter, we met up, met up for like 15 to 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

And that one, that's the one that went good, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Yeah, that one was good. That we talked about.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Yeah, that's the one we talked about. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

So she liked me and she basically told me for just for specific reasons, the one that you applied for already has two finalists. And it's for women, it's like for like women woven's merchandising. Are you okay with women's fashion and stuff like that? I'm like, I'm I'll diversify, no problem. It's the same shit. You need to be. So you also worked whatever.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

But you've also worked for brands that have male and female. Yes when you were in the city. Yeah, I told them that. So you've done that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Yeah, I told them that. And I think the hiring manager, the high obviously the recruiter just like told the other assistant other associate merchant I was interviewing with the first time. Say, just give them a try, see what's going on. And not a day later, that associate merchant emailed me and saying, like, hey, we're gonna meet at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. I'm like, okay, no problem. See you at 2 p.m. But the thing is, I'm like, my first round interview with the recruiter was at Pacific Standard Time. So we had she was there at five o'clock, I was here at round two o'clock. Perfect, right? She apparently the recruit uh apparently the merchant didn't understand that I was on the East Coast. And I'm like, why you were on the West Coast.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

You're on the West Coast, she's on the East.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I'm on the West Coast, and then she's on the East Coast. I'm like, all right, cool. I'm just driving by, I'm driving to get my uh my alterations, my hundred dollar alterations of pants. Basically, I outgrew a lot of my pants, so basically I got more of that. I'm driving down and I got a text, I got an email saying, Hey, sorry for the confusion exclamation mark. I think we got the time zones wrong. I'm like, I was driving, I'm just so angry. I'm like, motherfucker. I got my pants, immediately rushed it, salvaged the thing. Like, hey, let's do this at 11 45. I only got I only got 15 minutes to talk with this girl. Okay. Yeah. 15 fucking minutes. So when you went back to the original three fucking questions.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Okay, wait, but when you went back to the original Levite, does she have Pacific or Eastern or her time zone? No. No, I Because usually when you do Zoom, you can say, you know, what time zone? And or usually the Zoom. You didn't send me in about either if you set the Zoom up, if I I don't use Zoom all the time. I'm I'm a team.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

But we use Google Meet.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Okay, well, okay. I don't even know Google Meet. Yeah, it's but you can set time zones up, like you can set like set to their time zone or whatever time zone, and it automatically adjusts the time for whatever time zone they're in.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

Yeah, but that didn't happen.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

I wonder why. That's weird.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Well, I feel like I got sabotaged in that generally. I felt I felt like I got sabotaged purposely.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

So you think she's like, you know, he's on the West Coast. There's no way I'm not gonna set I'm just gonna do this and I'm just gonna do it on purpose.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

I firmly, because they told me that they work efficiently, they rather have get shit started. I'm like, obviously, like they probably hired, they probably hired other girls from their fucking sorority fucking college in uh whatever state that the company's in. I'm like, God damn it. I already knew I was gonna get I knew I didn't get that job because there's other two fucking furnaces.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

So she spent 15 minutes with you though.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yeah. And I'm like, she was just like blah, blah, blah. I I fucking got everything correct. I answered all the questions correct. And it's like, oh, you don't want me because I'm a man. No, because I'm a man doing women's things. I might do your job better.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

But oh God, but no, but did you get you got something else though? The the and the recruiter emailed you again, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Yeah, yeah. So that's good. So the recruiter must like you. Yeah. So so here's the thing. So there this is okay, okay, okay. So apparently, instead of like we, instead of the email, instead of saying we decided to move through other candidates, she said a the name of the associate ministrant said she went through another recruiter. She went through another candidate. I'm like, why didn't you mention her name in the email? Are you throwing her under the bus?

SPEAKER_01 12:34

Well, no, because she's the one who makes a hiring decision.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

I know, but it's more like HR shit. It's saying like we instead of the first person.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Oh, well, maybe. Or maybe she maybe they don't get along. Who knows?

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Maybe. Like either way, so maybe she forgot to edit her name out. Probably. Either way, on that Wednesday, I got the rejection email. I'm like, ugh, whatever. But you knew it. I knew I knew, but I'm like, you know, I'm hopelessly hoping, right? I'm like, oh my God, flowers. Oh no, they're all dead. Either way, she sh the recruiter emailed me again and she basically told me, like, hey, I know this didn't work out, but I have another application for you. And she, and then that's the same time when she's I got the reminder of an assistant merchant role still opening up and in the menswear department. And she immediately told me that, hey, this is for you. Let's get this ball rolling. Perfect. I sent her my email, I sent her everything, and then the merchant. So, so basically the the parent company company that I work for, they have a whole merchant department. So basically, there's no like buyers that you're working under, it's all merchants. So that's that's really cool. I I I want that. But when I got this other email from this other merchant, so she's gonna be like the head of all menswear of the parent company that's that I work for. I'm like, that's that's fucking fantastic. And then that's when I put through quotations like awesome. All we'll meet at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at 10 a.m. on my time. Perfect. Can't wait to talk. So she'll probably respond to me on Monday or Tuesday because you put it in quotes? No, the apprentices.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Oh, okay, okay, okay. Apprentices. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Yeah, 10 a.m. Yeah. You said quote apprentices. Okay. Apprentices.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

And she said a virtual conversation. I'm like, okay. So I'm like, I was a bit confused. Are you talking about a video chat or a phone chat? Because to me, I I was confused by that virtual conversation. I'm like, is this chat?

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Yeah, that could be a yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

I didn't understand. Because I mean like is it video or is it a chat? Right. I'm like, be specific, please. Because I if do I need do I need to put on a dress shirt and a blazer?

unknown 14:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Or do I have to just answer the fucking phone and not do my hair on that person?

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Yeah, it could be in your pajamas. Right. Literally.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

That's what I did on my last. And then and then holy shit, last week? Yeah. Holy fucking shit.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

That was like a couple days after this interview, the other interview. Oh, yeah. So you have a callback for this coming week.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yes. And I have another callback.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

So this route, okay. The brand that I want to work for California finally reached me, finally reached out. The recruiter that I've been persistently nagging on for a year and a half. I wouldn't say nagging. I wouldn't say nagging. I would say that you have consistently nagging.

SPEAKER_01 15:13

I would say you prefer you're consistently trying to, you know, I wouldn't say nagging. That nagging's like a negative, horrible thing.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

You know, I was pursuing this career, whatever. Either way, she reached out to me at an old ass fucking email thread back in 2025. And then she reached out, and then she was so, she was so casual about it. Like, hey, dot dot dot. Are you still on your master's dot dot dot? If so, please contact me, TBD, or let me know. Dot dot dot. I'm like, oh shit, I've never seen this from a recruiter before. Like, this is so casual. And she basically, okay, I had the amazing conversation with this recruiter. She had the thickest New Jersey accent.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

New Jersey or New York?

SPEAKER_00 15:56

New Jersey. New Yorker, probably, but should the Well no, you can't confuse the two.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

You can't confuse that. Okay, no, no. Somebody from New Jersey would get offended if they say, Yeah, are you from New York?

SPEAKER_00 16:08

And no, just we're having laughing. She's like, hey, like, hey, Jeff, I'm telling you, like, hey, if I tell you the hiring managers are being fucking idiots, I'm I'm telling you the truth. Because again, we kept this relationship. And honestly, like, hey, she asked me, like, hey, do you have any questions for me? And I'm like, yeah, I have several. And like, uh, she straight up, no filter, said, Jeff, I don't know that question. I'm not gonna know this question. I'm like, oh shit, I'm sorry. I'm like, no, no, no, don't apologize. Ask that question to the recruiter. My assistant will reach out to you. I'm like, oh shit. Not even like, hey, are you available? Like, are you available Wednesday or Thursday? I'm available Thursday. Let's fucking go. Boom, boom, boom. Five. Okay, so apparently they're rushing to fill this position in. Five candidates. And when I was interviewing with one of the merch, with a senior buyer for uh for the parent company of California, by the way, they're all menswear.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

All menswear. Which is good. That's where you want to be.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

That's what I want to do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

And I told them I I taught I did it. Tell me about my tell tell me about yourself, why you're interested in working here, and is there any things that you known and stuff like that? I name dropped a few people and like I like, I'm like an assistant buyer and the assistant what wait a minute, you know that guy? I'm like, yeah, he was my mentor at this other place too for like a year and a half. Like, oh, that could be dangerous though.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

If you dream job, well, no, no. I mean, if you if you're not, if you truly aren't, if you're if you're friends with them or you work for them and they truly are your mentor, that is like a really good thing. But if you just like are kind of like, I don't know, he's just like my friend. We're just connected on LinkedIn, but I've never really talked to him and whatever. That's what I'm saying. No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

No, no. I like I said like at the brand that I'm currently working at at the old location, the guy that I mentioned was my senior manager at the time before I got promoted to my current position manager.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

He was he was the one who was mentoring you.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

Yes. Yeah. But before he had before he was at the age, he was like 56 or like 66.

SPEAKER_01 18:13

Hey, hey, hey, watch out with the watch out with the age.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

56 is not old. No, no, it's not old. But he was like 66. Either way, he had to he had to be forced out because they had to be a forced retirement. And he told me all these stories about the brand that he he used, he was a VP of merchandising at the brand that I'm interviewing now.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Yeah, and apparently the assistant buyer worked alongside him for 11 years. And the guy pulled her about, hey, you want to be a buyer? I'm like, oh my God, yeah. Her eyes lit up.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

That is so cool. Okay, so you did that, and so you did that, and that's good. So are you waiting for a callback? When are you expecting that?

SPEAKER_00 18:48

She immediately told me, they immediately told me that I will hear back next week. And she even told me, like, if you don't hear anything from us, please uh poke the recruiter. Po uh poke the recruiter so that way you tell her that I told you to do that. I'm like, really? I'm like, yeah, so there's five candidates. I was number four. So apparently this is what I did was I didn't have the recruit I didn't have the senior buyer's email, right? I only had the recruiter's email. So I'm like, you know what? I hook it up. I'm like, can I actually have the recruiter send a thank you?

SPEAKER_01 19:20

No, you don't want to email, you don't want to email the unless the recruiter gives you the person that you're supposed to interview with, you don't want to interview them outside of what the recruiter said, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:29

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 19:29

When she said, when she said, if you don't hear from us in a week, poke the bear. I'm not going to do that.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

No, no, no. I didn't do that. I'm just saying is that since I didn't have the senior buyer's email to say thank you for her time, I immediately sent it to the recruiter saying, hi, so-and-so. I had a great conversation with the senior buyer about everything that we talked about. Since I didn't have her email, can you please send this thank you note from everything that was nice talked about? Yeah. Can you do that? And she did. It was very okay. She's okay, she's a New Yorker, right? She gets very specific. I have I have it right here.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

No, but that's really cool that she did that. That you did that. Can you please pass that on?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

In my mind, I thought I'm like, okay, I think I'm the only one who did this.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Probably.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

Because I think no one thought of it.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

I don't think people do that anymore.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

No, it's like obviously it's for protection and stuff. But so what's really cool is during the interview, it was like 20 minutes. It was like this crazy 20 minutes thing. I was, I had like, as we were talking after I was telling, like, tell me about myself and stuff like that. I had a list of questions I was so eager to ask. Because this is like the moment where I like I learned this in school, but an actual buyer in the actual industry, not some, not some old ass fucking professor that used to be in the industry. This is exciting for me, mom. So I took every type of chance I got. I got three awesome questions. I actually have the questions right here. I can actually read you one. No, you don't okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Read me one. Read me one question.

SPEAKER_00 20:59

Okay, I've after I tell you. So she basically like, I, oh, you have questions? You want tell me them now. Like, right now? Like, yeah, right now. Give me the questions. I'm like, oh shit. Okay. I was so surprised. I was really excited. I told her, okay. So one of the questions was what does a typical week look like for the team in terms of managing purchase orders and pricing updates?

SPEAKER_01 21:19

Wow. Yeah. I bet you, yeah, I bet you they were like, oh, wow, okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Yeah. That sounds like that. And she even told me, like, I'm like, hey, Jeff, I'm gonna say thank you so much because you're the only guy that actually came here wearing a suit. And yet the position is for suiting. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

I'm like, wait, wait, you're the only one that they interviewed that actually put a suit on?

SPEAKER_00 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

You know what? That is crazy. No, no, it's true. No, no. And you know what? I don't know what this is, but when I interviewed people at this other position I had, they people dress so casual. I'm like, this is an interview. This is an interview for a mid-management level position that I'm going to hire you for. Could you put I mean, at least, you know, don't wear your Birken stocks for crying out loud, right? Like, that's crazy that you are the only one in a merchandise in a men's fashion. Now, here's the thing. I mean, even if you're even if you're interviewing for like, I don't know, Viore that is mainly like a s you know, sportswear.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

It's sportswear and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

You would still wear a suit.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Yeah, I still do it. The one question that caught me off guard.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

I wonder what they wore.

SPEAKER_00 22:26

I I wonder too. I I I style men. Like, you know, it's weird. It's like, what the fuck's going on? So the last question that got me off surprise, it was like, but my mind, like, hey, what did you think about the assortment of this collection? I'm like, huh. Well, the thing is, I already I previously I didn't visit the store because it was all the way in another town, almost like two hours away. Yeah. And I had to look online. I was like, okay, this assortment online for the menswear brand that that she that she does was absolutely amazing. So I most likely just did like, okay, a blazer. There's a lot of different types of silhouettes. There's a lot of stuff that was on sale already. Because I know I I know I I didn't answer that question fully because I never got asked that before.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Well, maybe they want to see what you think about, you know, what your opinion is on certain things and what you think about that.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

And I obviously I'm not gonna get docked for that, but hopefully I don't. Either way, I'm really excited hearing the news for tomorrow because I really want to get that final round interview. Because she told me she was like, she told me strictly like, hey, we're gonna we're gonna choose two people because there's one for her team and there's two, there's another one for the other senior buyer that I'm going to be viewing, interviewing with her next week, potentially. So I'm like, okay, so there's two, they're both menswear brands, right? For those senior buyers. But the thing is, I kind of want to work for this person that I am, I want to kind of work for because she immediately told me, I'm looking for someone who's hungry who will dethrone me. And I'm like, all right, I like that energy, right? I don't want you like I like she strictly, I don't want you, like after she asked me the question, like, hey, what's your five-year plan? I want to be a buyer. I want to be a buyer. That's oh, good.

SPEAKER_01 24:11

You didn't say you wanted to have your own label.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

I have a little label. I learned that lesson, okay? I learned that lesson. And that's when I name dropped the person from my old job that that used to work as a VP because he actually told me about everything. Yeah. And I actually spoke about history from the from the brand. So it's like I have brand knowledge, I have brand history, brand stuff, all this. And I just told her, I want to be a buyer. I'm like, really? I said, yeah. And she basically told me that I don't want someone on my team that wants to stay as an assistant merchant. I want someone who's willing to go to go and beyond and who wants to be promoted to like assistant buyer and potentially dethroning me. And she told me, like, oh, they're doing the yeah, well, let me ask you a question.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

Yeah. For our podcast people, because uh you spent a lot of time talking about your interviews, which is great. Your interview processing questions, which is great. So you also talked to a professional coach a couple weeks ago. Yeah. And she gave you some advice. And the advice was to practice in a mirror and just practice, practice. And also record yourself while you did it. Yes. Right? So did that help?

SPEAKER_00 25:19

Yes. And definitely just like resur uh regurgitating some of the answers. It's not memorizing, but just practice the the questions and just how would you and her thought was for you to be comfortable talking about yourself, right? Yeah, basically. And now I'm comfortable as I'm doing multiple interviews with different companies, and I'm just like, yeah, mastered out like that. Definitely just tell me about myself and my salary expectations and my weakness strength and stuff. Just the basics, but other stuff I have.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

But some people are way too comfortable talking about themselves, you know? I mean, so there's like there's either an A or a B. I don't know. I haven't ever met anybody who was like, oh yeah, this is who I do, and that's it, and like whatever. It's either, oh well, you know, and people are also uncomfortable getting some people are uncomfortable getting compliments, right? So I think that's good. So your professional coach helped you out. Are you going to talk to her again? Are you just gonna wait to see where this goes?

SPEAKER_00 26:16

I'm gonna wait until this goes because I want I'm I was planning on meeting with her only like once a month because it is a little expensive. Yeah. It's if it I at this point, yes, I want a new job. I'm doing this to grow my career. But at the same time, if if if this is like God's way of showing me of just like learn from this experience, and then so then so be it, and then go back to her and told her told her what I learned and just keep practicing. It's basically, I don't really I want to see her again, but honestly, I think she's just gonna tell me like just practice, just keep on practicing. Talk to people, talk to people on the street, practice being comfortable, right? Be confident. But yeah, I am gonna see her probably probably in July.

SPEAKER_01 26:59

Hopefully you'll hear from them this next week and you will get booted to the next round of interviews, which would be great.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Yeah, really, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Yeah, awesome. And just as a recap, no dating apps.

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Actually, I re-downloaded it because I was bored.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

That is so good.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

Yeah, and uh, I kind of used AI for two images, so I'm gonna send you shortly.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

You used AI for what?

SPEAKER_00 27:24

I used AI for an image of me looking really cool. Yeah. I used another AI image uh for my it wasn't the one that I sent you that didn't look anything. No, why would I why would I use that image that you fucking birch in my face and the fuck?

SPEAKER_01 27:40

It wasn't me, it was a computer. It was so funny. I was like, oh look at the channel. Check my LinkedIn.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

That image is genius, Mom. Oh my god. I will look. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

I didn't see, I'll look. I haven't seen any change. I'll look. Okay, so next time we're gonna have to talk about your dating app and your profile and what you did and all that stuff. That sounds good. Right. Okay, so for everybody out there, maybe those of you who are struggling out there for getting a job, I know that a lot of people are struggling with actually getting in the door and getting interviews. Jeff has been, you've been trying the last two years, right? A year and a half, I would say that since you started your master's, and you turned out there was a lot of no's, right? Yeah, yeah, tons of no's, lots of interviews with recruiters. Yeah. I guess my point being is don't give up, right? No, you can't do that. You continue to you continue to you continue to network, continue to keep those recruiters in your network through LinkedIn, you know, and you continue to look at the job boards for openings and you continue to reach out and you can c constantly talk to them, right? That's what you did. Right. And I know it's hard out there for everybody. I I know it's hard. So I'm just congratulations, hopefully. You know, you'll give us a good update next week, next time we talk. And then I want to know about your dating app next time and what you're doing. Maybe you'll go on a date.

SPEAKER_00 28:55

Yeah. Actually, right now, a little uh a little uh spoiler. I actually kind of manifested my career. I said, I'm a fashion merchandiser. I'm not a system manager, I'm a fashion merchandiser. I kind of like I'm kind of manifesting this like, yeah, I'm a merchant. What's up? Well, everybody swears by visual boards, man. Right. I can't wait to have that title, you know, just to tell people like, yes, I'm a merchant for a fashion brand. Go fuck yourself.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

No, well, you've been working hard at it.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

I I want that fucking title, mom.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

I know. Oprah swears by it. Oprah swears by the visual board, the you know, your visual boards on where you want your.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

I have one. Yeah. Yeah. I look at it every fucking day.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

That's good. Okay, everybody, if you have any questions about what we talked about on this episode or any other episode, you could always email us at laughingthroughuncomfortable at gmail.com or reach out and on Facebook. So thank you for joining us and going through the last two weeks with Jeff and his uh hiring, I don't know, hiring uh experiences with all of his interviews. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

Interviews are like dating. There's ghosting. There's I'll tell you about it later. You know what?

SPEAKER_01 30:09

That is a great analogy. Interviewing is like dating. Yes. All right. Well, thank you for joining us on this week's Laughing Through the Uncomfortable. This is Julie and Jeff. Until next time. Talk to you later.