Can I kick it?
Yes I can.
How much does that lyric date me? A lot. Tribe Called Quest, represent, represent.
That’s me, so very white and getting older all the time, and yet still so attached to outdated urban lingo.
Aaaaanyway, my point is, I can hang. I met with that recruiter today and though it took me a few minutes to get back into my own head, professionally speaking, I was relaxed and confident. Damn, it felt good to get dressed for work and walk through the city with my looks-like-it-was-tailored-for-me-although-it’s-from-a-discount-shop overcoat swirling around my trousered legs. Good day for it, too, the weather just stopped being horrendous this morning. I did end up referring to Bean and Huz within the context of discussing my flexible scheduling/teleworking needs. I could tell within minutes that she got me, that this was not a person who would make assumptions about anything beyond the fact that my skills and experience will get the job done.
It’s just one more avenue, just a feeler, to be hooked up with her. She seems to realize it is worth investing time and energy in finding a flexible, part-time job for me now, rare as they are, because in another year or two when I am ready to go back full-time, I will have already proven myself to her and built relationships with her clients. Amazing how rare that realization seems to be in recruiters; one at Aquent very curtly informed me a few months ago that they “don’t do those kinds of placements” after I told her what I was looking for. She made it clear that I was asking for something she found ridiculous, like how dare I want flexible, part-time work! Who did I think I was to ask for it? I wanted so badly to shoot back with “as a matter of fact, I know it’s possible, because I hired your temp workers when I was a project manager at Bigtime XYZ Corp., and my colleagues and I did allow them to telework with occasional face-time as needed, so bite me you self-righteous a-hole, I hope you one day give birth to triplets and need flexible, part-time work yourself”. I didn’t. Not worth it. One day she’ll see the light, and I don’t feel the need to be the one shining it into her eyeballs.
It felt good, no, it felt FANTASTIC, to be back in the swing of things, even just for a few hours. This new recruiter contact may lead to nothing solid for months or more, but I’ve got someone looking around for the right fit on my behalf, who sees that I am worth looking around for. That is a good thing, indeed.
I love women who get other women, who see all that women can offer, who see benefits, not barriers. Yay for our team!
