My Boutique Experience -- Getting Hired

It all started on a blustery winter day in February. Dressed as fashionably as I could given the frigged weather I approached a unique looking building attached to a local cafe. Smoothing down my newly cut bob I took a deep breath and opened the door to the boutique. Greeted by all things sequenced and flashy I immediately felt intrigued. What was a couture boutique doing in this little old town? And to think it had been here for a couple decades and only a select few locals know of it! From what I had heard most of the clientele was upper class fashionista's who came from out of town.

This interview was a long shot, and I knew it. I had submitted my resume and it wasn't until I called and basically forced myself in did the owner agree to meet with me. R (as I will call her) was about 80 years old and extremely hesitant to hire me due to the fact I was only 24 years old. To me, that didn't seem all that young but in her experience she preferred her employees to be mature and that meant at least 30. This was the first  of many "unwritten rules according to R" I would become privy to. She had her quirks, but I was determined to work through them for a chance to be employed at this fabulous boutique.

S, a well dressed, eclectic, middle aged stylist lead me back to R's office. She seemed like someone I'd get along with. She was the only person (besides myself) I'd ever seen in this dull little town that wore huge earrings and stacked her bracelets up her arm. She even donned a scarf with silver flex which I immediately admired, being a fan of artsy scarves myself.

R's office was quite the sight! Piled high with fashion catalogs, invoices, time cards, and racks of high end dresses, I could barley see her beyond the cutter. As she emerged I noted that she looked shockingly young for 80. She was dressed nicely, in a colorful cable knit sweater and black slacks. Of course she was dripping with jewelry equally as fantastic as S. I remember glancing at her turquoise sphere earrings when I would get a bit nervous. They had an odd calming effect, I felt like I was at home.

Details of the interview is an absolute blur. I know that it lasted over and hour and I recall being asked several questions my college career professor would have labeled "illegal". But I must have said or did something to win this spit fire boss over because near the end of my stay we began scheduling me for training.

Later that evening when my husband asked me how the interview went I wasn't sure what to say. "I think it went well, I was scheduled for training...but she never officially told me I was hired and I didn't fill out any paper work or sign any documents." Despite the uncertainty I was willing to quit my current job and leave all my "dead end" experiences in the past to pin my hopes on this little boutique. I was ready to move on, I was ready to utilize my creativity. Things were going to change, I could feel it.