Measuring Up

24

Just a quick shot on the cutting board after a loud and overly social after work event.

I had been asked to attend a job fair after work; no, I’m not looking for a new job, I was asked to be part of the SEP contingent to meet prospective applicants.

I waffled and was noncommittal until the last moment, and then figured that, since I’m being very vocal lately about needing some additional support in our group, I should probably make an effort to talk with people to help make sure we don’t end up with a poor fit.

If you are going to complain about a problem, make yourself a part of the solution rather than abandon the situation completely.

But that meant being social. And I’m just….not. I can put on a mask when it’s needed, but it’s painful sometimes.

There was a booth, but it was too crowded and hot, so I stood apart from the rest of the group and, oddly, that garnered some really good conversations with people. Turned out that a lot of applicants also were frustrated by the lines and crush at the various program tables and seeing someone with a red tag (applicants had blue ones) away from the crowd made for an easy conversation entry point. I met some really great people and, though there were relatively few that would really be that great fit, I was able to find out what many were interested in and direct them to opportunities and specific people in other programs that might be a better fit.

Turns out that it wasn’t as painful as I’d imagined it would be.

Three students at another university; two just graduated and one just finishing up, all have been or are currently being taught by a former labmate.

Two other former labmates were there (one a hiring manager, one looking for a position).

And a woman introduced herself to me and was surprised when I told her that we’d already met, more than 20 years ago, at a research facility feeding baby sea lions that were in quarantine before going to an aquarium for research purposes. She was a former roommate of another one of my old labmates.

She was surprised to realize that we had a common friend.

So then I proceeded to add to things by telling her that I assumed she knew another guy I used to work at the pet store with over 20 years ago.

And then I really blew her mind by telling her that, since she knew Mark, she probably also knew Eric…..and when she wiped the surprise off her face and asked how I knew him, I said, “Oh, we went to high school together, please say hello to him the next time you see him.”

The world really is a tiny place, and you just never know who knows who. The connections are really pretty cool.

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