Job hunt continues

Still on the job hunt.

The search is long and treacherous. While I was in Portland, I received an email asking for a phone interview for a position I applied for (and truthfully... want badly).

The morning of the interview, I was in Seattle and needed to get up extra early since the interviewer said 10:00a (and is located on the east coast), which means I had to  be up, fed and in the coffee process by 6:30a so I could be ready for the 7:00a (PST) call.

I thought the interview went well. My approach to interviews is to be myself. Basic, I know. However, I know a lot of people approach interviews rigid and nervous. Jobs like the ones I'm applying for require personality, and I feel like if I'm upfront about my personality (and abilities, too, of course), it'll make for a more genuine interaction. If they don't think I'm a good fit, then I'll feel a little better knowing that I went through the whole process as my true self.

I received an email later in the day requesting an in-person interview. That was fast! I was scheduled to go in just a few days after my return to the east coast.

The interview was awesome. I really enjoyed speaking with the interviewer. He made it easy to relax and be myself and be honest. One thing he said really put me at ease: "I like to hire for personality, train for competence" (or something like that). I was there for about 90 minutes with is definitely a good thing. Overall, I feel very positive about the experience.

However,

I do know that I'm up against someone with a great reputation and has experience in the department, So, I suppose there are really TWO "best case scenarios" here: (1) I get the job; or (2) the other candidate gets the job and I can reapply for the newly vacant position.

In the meantime, I'll stay positive and spend a lot of time at the gym so I avoid hitting the "refresh" button on my email all day.