Maybe I should have expected what happened, or maybe I should have been more prepared. Either way, I definitely I wasn't ready for my trip to L.A. this weekend.
I've been living in California for about two months now. After originally moving to San Fran for a job in San Jose via Michigan I made my way to East Bay for a few weeks before finding a place to stay at in San Jose.
It's cool, my job is decent but I don't learn too many new skills or concepts and I'm only getting paid minimum wage. So it only makes sense that I keep looking for a better opportunity. This weekend I thought that I had found a pretty good one down in L.A.
A digital agency in Venice Beach was looking for a Social Media Community Manager. Seemingly a pretty good fit for someone like me who was a communication studies major with a minor in media production. Plus I have professional experience shooting video and working with online communities. I was actually pretty excited about this one AND I got a call from the company for an interview the same day that I applied.
They wanted me to come in for an interview on Monday, which gave me the remainder of the weekend to figure out how to get down there without a car. I found a $25 ride on craigslist that left Sunday morning from San Jose and found a hostel in Venice Beach one block from the company's office for $43.
When I arrived in downtown L.A. I got my first surprise. Sheriffs stationed at the city's main public transit center with automatic weapons and canine units. What the hell? Is that really necessary? Is L.A. really this bad? I don't know, but it sure wasn't very pretty. Whatever, I figured it had to be nicer down by the beach so I made my way west on the bus.
When I got to Venice Beach I was a little surprised at how rundown it looked, but didn't mind too much. I found the block where my hostel was as well as the company's office, checked in and hit the boardwalk.
There were crazy people everywhere which I didn't mind too much, it was interesting. One guy had a sign that said he needed money for a penis reduction surgery, another cruised the boardwalk in his wheelchair with a sign reading "I am disabled and sell $3 roses to feed my two children." I mean I've always been aware of poverty in the U.S. but it was a new experience to see it like that. Bums everywhere and police lining the streets to keep the peace. All of this in what should have been a really nice place by the ocean.
After things got dark and police really started patrolling the area I grabbed some supplies from the market and headed back to the hostel for the night. It was chill, there were some girls from Spain playing the guitar and singing in Spanish and people from all over the world just hanging out and socializing. Interesting to say the least. I overheard a conversation about how this kid was so tired but it was okay because he worked a lot today and was really proud of himself for being able to earn some cash. He spent the day holding some signage for a beach front food shop. I was in awe once again of what some people could consider acceptable surviving. Not that I looked down on him for it, I just had a hard time seeing how he could be so happy about such a seemingly pointless job. At least he was trying, though.
The next morning I got up early to get ready for my interview. The shower water was cold and pressure was barely noticeable but that was half expected. Put on some decent clothes, made myself some breakfast and went to check out. I ended up talking to the guy at the front desk a little bit about the area to get a better feel for what it was like.
Our conversation can pretty much be summed up by one simple exchanged. After explaining why I was in the area I said, "I'm excited to see the area. I really like the idea of L.A. but I'm not so sure how much I actually like it, yet." His response wasn't too comforting. "I think you said something pretty powerful right there man. It's like, this is where those beautiful 100 million dollar films are being made, but you walk down the street and it's shanty towns and shacks. The reality is completely different. I still love it, though." On that high note, I headed out for my interview with hopes of hearing something more pleasant.
After waiting for about 15 minutes I was asked to step into the office. I walked in to shake the hand of the man that was supposed to be interviewing me and he asked "do you have two copies of your resume?" I apologized and said that I didn't and introduced myself. As I turned around to set down my bag I heard him say "thanks for coming" and I replied "no problem, thanks for having me here." When I turned around to find a seat he explained to me "no, I mean thanks for coming. You can leave now." I was stunned I think I just stood there with a confused look on my face for a few seconds. What? Why? Really? He opened his mouth again to say "First rule of business. Always have two copies."
Really? That's the first rule of business? You asked me to come in for an interview after I sent you my resume on LinkedIn and now you're going to turn me away immediately for not having two physical copies? You can't just look at it on your screen or print off a copy? I didn't actually say any of these things. Instead I just mumbled "Oh," picked up my things and walked away dazed as his personal assistant followed me out of the office and locked the door behind me.
I sat outside on the steps for a minute contemplating if I was a complete idiot for not bringing a resume or if the guy was just a dick set in his old ways. I checked my e-mail to make sure that I wasn't asked to bring any resumes. Nope, nothing mentioned. Eventually I settled on the theory that while I could have been more prepared, chances are the dude was just an unreasonable hard-ass. And maybe that's what it takes to make it in the digital world of L.A., I guess I wouldn't know.
But hell, that's not me. I try to be reasonable and accommodating, I try to be a good person and strive to push my self and others to be their best. So screw him, I don't need to work for a person like that anyways. Still, I was a little down at the missed opportunity and even more so that I didn't stick up for myself. Next time I vowed, I wouldn't be caught off-guard.
So is this really what it's like in the "real world?" Was I naive to think I didn't need a physical copy? Or was the guy right to assume that if I didn't have physical copies of my resume I wouldn't be worthy for his company? What do you think? Either way, I was reminded of the ever important lesson to always be prepared. Better luck next time, I suppose. After all, luck favors the prepared, I hear.
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