Suzie’s House 341 : The Latest Interview Technique

Suzie had always found people with a certain hang-dog expression repulsive. The droopy eyes, heavy jowls and general air of depression annoyed her. She knew better than to take it seriously, but still found it hard muster a smile at her next potential employer.

“About your references….” The woman pursed her lips and frowned.

Suzie cringed. Nothing good could be said about her references. She had only two – Vin and Miranda. Neither could be considered strictly legitimate. After all, they were both friends. If her potential employers knew that, they would discount the references immediately. So obviously they would probe.

“How well do you know Miranda?”

“Um…. fairly well. Why? What did she say?” Knowing Miranda, it could be anything. Especially since neither Miranda nor Vin wanted Suzie to take an outside job. They’d both offered to increase the amount of money they gave her in room rental instead.

“I didn’t call her.” The woman waved her hand dismissively, setting a pile of bracelets clacking. “I didn’t need to.”

“You… didn’t need to?”

“I know her quite well, and I wouldn’t believe a word she says.”

“Really?” Suzie doubted this woman knew Miranda particularly well. After all, Miranda shared everything with Suzie, and had never once mentioned her.

“Yes. We used her advertising agency once. Now how is it that you have done accounting work for her? I didn’t think she was in charge of that department” The woman smiled and leaned forward in what she probably intended to be a friendly manner, but there was a hint of malevolence in her eye.

“It has nothing to do with the advertising agency,” Suzie said.

It occurred to her that even if this woman offered her a job, she wouldn’t take it. She couldn’t really put her finger on it, but couldn’t shake the feeling this job would be as bad or worse than her previous one.

“Really? She needs an accountant on the side?”

Suzie clamped her mouth shut. There was nothing she could say that would be any use. She wondered briefly is she could get away with simply walking out the door right now.

But stuff like that had a way of haunting you. No doubt if she did anything rude, this woman would talk about it, and maybe an employer Suzie actually wanted would refrain from calling her in for an interview at all.

“Well, never mind that.” The woman slapped her hands on the conference table, then pushed herself to her feet. “The main thing is the test anyway.”

“Test?”

“Yes. I know you took one at Job Service, but those don’t always tell the truth, now, do they? So I want to see you in action.”

Suzie stood slowly. She was getting a bad feeling about this.

“This way.” The woman’s voice became positively sing-song.

Suzie couldn’t help wonder if this wasn’t some kind of trap. She followed the potential employer with a great deal of misgiving.

“All you have to do is enter some invoices.”

“Payables ore receivables?”

“Oh! I have no idea.”

The woman stopped in front of a desk so small it could barely hold both the desktop and the pile of papers next to the keyboard. The computer was already on and displayed the opening screen for a version of Quickbooks that Suzie barely recognized.

“Well?” She gestured at the chair. “Go ahead. Show me what you got.”

If you enjoy Suzie’s House and would like to see more, please leave a comment. Suzie’s House is powered by its readers.