Jobhunting again

It's that time again.... time to stop being a slug and find a job in Tokyo. Although I am thoroughly enjoying my summer break, summer is coming to a close, and is making me feel vaguely guilty about my unemployment.

Strange fact: I have been waking up earlier during my vacation than I ever did when working in New York. Probably because we have shoji screens instead of curtains in the bedroom, so it's bright and hot at about 8 and I can't sleep. Case in point: on a rainy cool day, I slept in until 10:30. Ah, delicious.

Fortunately (or not so), I had become accustomed to a nice fat paycheck from my job in New York. I signed up with a few recruiting companies, and when they took one look at my salary history, said:
'ah, you're looking for work in the Finance industry then'. me: '...finance? like banking and all that? I don't know the first thing about it!' them: 'time to learn then!'
Fair enough, I suppose. As long as I get to write code I'll be happy anywhere.

My first interview was at an appropriately intimidating enormous banking corporation, where they have their own gym in the building (not that anyone has time to use it). I was cramming fundamentals of programming to try to prepare for the interview, and looking nervous, when Takeshi started playing with my straightened hair.
"Don't worry, you have nice hair. Maybe they'll hire you just for that!"
heh.

Perhaps that was the trick, because I was called back for a second and then a third interview, meeting with people higher and higher in the company, and trying (and failing miserably) not to be intimidated when I was called into a beautiful honey-colored conference room overlooking most of Tokyo.

The recruiting company helping coordinate these interviews has been very helpful, so much so that I can't help feeling a bit like a peice of bait on a line, there to get the recruiters a big tasty fish. But hey, I would like to work for that huge company, with a big fat paycheck and a glittering brand name on my resume. Bling bling!

The only thing is, the interview process gets a little rediculous after the third time, because mostly they have asked you everything they could possibly want to know at that point, and so have you. So the recruiters have told me to prepare for 'trick ' questions, there soley for the purpose of psyching you out and throwing you off.

My favorite prep question: "Why *wouldn't* we hire you?"
Um. So what, you're supposed to think of a reason they shouldn't hire you that is secretly a good thing...and thus a reason they *should* hire you? I call B.S.!!

I was posing this problem to Takeshi, and his proposed answers were enlightening.
1) "Because you're A-holes"
(right, I'm really gonna say that.)
2) "Because I'm.... I'm..."(starts dancing)
"I'm ... too sexy for this work! So sexy it hurts!"

Hey, That's as good an answer as any I can think of. ;)