Internship

You know what I find funny?  How things that are done for one reason can end up having a completely different effect, or how something done for a completely selfish purpose can end up being lauded as altruistic.

I'm getting a degree in Finance at California State University, and since I knocked out all of my general education classes many times over during my stint in the military, all I have to complete are a few Pre-Business courses, and then I'll be able to start on the actual degree courses.  If all goes well, I'll graduate in 2017.  Maybe sooner if I can swing it.

Yup, I'm still in that hopeful, naive, oblivious freshman phase where I buy all the textbooks and actually study

Anyway, I'm currently in my first full semester.  During the first week of class, the accounting society at my school came into my class and asked people to join.  They said they had twice weekly meetings, and it was a great opportunity to network, and blah blah.  Truth is, I really didn't give a rat's ass about accounting, as I'm planning on becoming a financial adviser or something.  I kind of zoned out until they mentioned there'd be free food at each meeting.  The catch?  A $30 membership fee for the semester.  

A quick mental calculation told me that meant I'd be getting lunch for less than a dollar a pop for the entire semester.  Sign me up.

Believe me when I say my frugality (or being a cheap bastard, take your pick) was the ONLY reason I signed up.  But after I started going to the meetings, I found them remarkably useful.  They would have people in the industry come and talk about what they do and how to go about joining their company.

One such talk was from an energy utilities company, who discussed their internship program and invited people to submit their resume through the school jobs site.  I had mine on me, and in a moment of "what the hell, why not," I submitted it in 2 minutes, before the talk was even over, without really expecting anything to happen.  Though at that moment, I would have submitted my resume for the position of  Zoidberg if the argument were even remotely compelling.  

Indeed

Unexpectedly, yesterday, I got a call saying I had an interview the next day.  As an afterthought, right before I ended the call, I asked the caller what the attire would be.  "Business" she said.  "Like a button shirt?"  "No, at least a jacket and tie.  Nothing too fancy."  Well, since I didn't own a jacket, that  was still too fancy for me.  When I told her that, I could almost hear her eyebrows go up in surprise and disapproval, so I told her I'd go buy a suit.  Remember that one time I wrote about how I was growing up and needed to buy a suit?  (You should probably click on that link.  It's pretty decent and even opens up in a new tab.)

This is Bubbles, and he has a hoarse Canadian accent.  He likes Rush, kitties, weed and likker, and intones "de-cent" when he sees something he likes.  He also thinks the internet sorcery I used to make the link open in a new tab is swank as fuk  

Between when I wrote the article (seriously, click on it) and now, I have never actually got around to getting one.  Partly because I haven't really needed one so far, but mostly because I'm a cheap bastard and don't see the need to spend money where I don't have to.  That afternoon I went over to Joseph A Bank and spent $900 on a couple of suits.

When I showed up at the interview today, I spoke with a company rep in the lobby for about 15 minutes while the interviewers prepared for me.  She said it was commendable that I was applying for internships in my first semester in college and that most people don't think about it until a few months before graduation.  She said it was great that I was being so proactive.  I nodded and thanked her, and decided to leave out that the only reason I ended up there was because I was trying to save money on lunch.

I have no idea how the interview went, though I think it was ok.  This was my first interview ever (!), and I'll hear back from them in a couple of months if they liked me.  Then there'll be a second round, and if by some miracle I make it through the other 12 tests, I'll be interning with them for 3 months next summer, which would be chill.

As a final note, if you don't know who Bubbles is, I want you to do a couple of things for me:
1) Smack yourself.  Seriously.  Do it promptly and vigorously, so you know my displeasure
2) Go to Netflix and proceed to binge-watch all eight seasons of Trailer Park Boys.  Then follow that up with the movies and the holiday special
3) Thank me later.