.

So, it turns out that that job I had referenced before was not with the actual New York Philharmonic… but with the Friends of the New York Philharmonic. The job entailed hanging around in a closet in the Lincoln Center basement with about 13 total strangers (some of whom scared the shit out of me) calling patrons of the arts begging them for donations totaling in the mid-thousands range. On the bright side, I was offered the job — ending my streak of unemployment. On the negative side, it pays ever-so-slightly over minimum wage (excluding commissions). Additionally, I know I have to give the job up in two weeks when Company starts, as it conflicts with my class schedule.

It was a bittersweet victory, as I knew that going to Lincoln Center every day would be something I enjoy… but that job certainly wouldn’t. I’d tried commission-based sales at the Hard Rock Cafe last year, and I wasn’t that good at it. In fact, I don’t think I ever made more than 2 sales in one single week (of the one product in the store that operated on commission compensation) — and the quota was for one sale a shift. Oh, well.

What does one do in such a situation? Keep looking, I guess… and that was my mindset when I woke up this morning. Before I had a chance to leave Brooklyn, I got a call from my mom telling me about a job offer with FAO Schwartz. It was through HotJobs, so one must post their resume online before getting a response. This was a bit discouraging, because my experience with Craigslist over the past few weeks has shown that virtual job applicaitons get little to no attention. After sending out my resume, I left the apartment and hopped on the R-Train to Union Square.

Once there, I realized that I had received a voicemail while underground. The call was from FAO Schwartz, calling to schedule an interview for later this week. At this point, I’m stoked, because the possibility of playing with toys all day and getting paid for it is now very real. I use my mojo to attend the Max Brenner Open House event.

Thirty minutes later, I leave the brand-new store in Union Square as an employee of Max Brenner. The place looks like it’s going to be really cool when it opens next month, it’s a restaurant whose central focus is chocolate. They’ve had restaurants in Australia and Israel, and this is allegedly the first of three hundred stores to open in America… and I’m a part of that.

Better yet, I think I might be able to live off the cash from just this one job… and I’ll get tips, free meals, and free chocolate. Who can argue with free chocolate?

I’ve still got an interview with FAO Schwartz. We’ll see if I can fit both into my schedule. I’m excited! Things have really turned around for me.

The difference that 24 hours can make is absolutely crazy.
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My Company financing woes were also ended this weekend. I won’t go into much detail about it, but I really want to thank my parents from the bottom of my heart for helping me find a solution. The amount of effort you guys have put in in the past just to try and get me on track is absolutely astonishing. I would have never made it where I am without you, and I’d never get where I’m going without you.

I love you both.

Thank you.