breaking point...
Not that I particularly post very often, but I have been meaning to.
I have been vying for one of an unknown number of positions with West Metro Fire Rescue. It's a larger department (16 stations), and offers so many more opportunities (not the least of which being double my current salary, for about half the work). I am ranked 23 out of roughly 230 (of an original 1000 applicants). The hoops they have made us jump through, though, are really taking their toll. The latest set were the inevitable polygraph and psych profiles. I found the best tactic for the polygraph (modern day hoo-doo witch doctor BS that it is) was to keep my heart rate at the panic-level of about 160 beats/minute, thereby keeping my stress-response nearly undetectable ;) Seriously, I hate being interogated. Regardless of my innocence, I just don't take kindly to it.
The psych tests don't bother me though... the MMPI2 is a worthless test, but not too hard to give the right answers to (namely, that I don't listen to the voices in my head when they tell me to hurt people).
But, on top of everything else I've gone through, it has worn me down.
The real breaking point for me was a few weeks ago, while filling out their 32-page pre-employment packet, and comming across the section wherein I must list my neighbors "above, below, across, behind, and adjacent to" me, as well as five friends who "know me well enough to speak about my past". The point where I was ready to just give up was when I realized that:
a.) I DON"T KNOW, OR PARTICULAARLY WANT TO KNOW MY NEIGHBORS. I have enough friends, I don't want to meet these people I am forced to live near.
b.) I couldn't remember the last time I had seen most of my close friends.
That rapidly deteriorated into wondering if I actually had any friends, and if they remebered who I was.
Several slaps to the face later, I realized that these were correctable things, and all was good. ;)
Long story short, I am glad that the friends I have forgive my short-commings, and are the good people that they are. :)
I have been vying for one of an unknown number of positions with West Metro Fire Rescue. It's a larger department (16 stations), and offers so many more opportunities (not the least of which being double my current salary, for about half the work). I am ranked 23 out of roughly 230 (of an original 1000 applicants). The hoops they have made us jump through, though, are really taking their toll. The latest set were the inevitable polygraph and psych profiles. I found the best tactic for the polygraph (modern day hoo-doo witch doctor BS that it is) was to keep my heart rate at the panic-level of about 160 beats/minute, thereby keeping my stress-response nearly undetectable ;) Seriously, I hate being interogated. Regardless of my innocence, I just don't take kindly to it.
The psych tests don't bother me though... the MMPI2 is a worthless test, but not too hard to give the right answers to (namely, that I don't listen to the voices in my head when they tell me to hurt people).
But, on top of everything else I've gone through, it has worn me down.
The real breaking point for me was a few weeks ago, while filling out their 32-page pre-employment packet, and comming across the section wherein I must list my neighbors "above, below, across, behind, and adjacent to" me, as well as five friends who "know me well enough to speak about my past". The point where I was ready to just give up was when I realized that:
a.) I DON"T KNOW, OR PARTICULAARLY WANT TO KNOW MY NEIGHBORS. I have enough friends, I don't want to meet these people I am forced to live near.
b.) I couldn't remember the last time I had seen most of my close friends.
That rapidly deteriorated into wondering if I actually had any friends, and if they remebered who I was.
Several slaps to the face later, I realized that these were correctable things, and all was good. ;)
Long story short, I am glad that the friends I have forgive my short-commings, and are the good people that they are. :)