I Have a Job Interview!!!! - Now what

That's right, one of my resumés has finally exited the electronic blackhole I have been throwing them into, it has been seen by a real live human being, who has deemed it interesting enough to warrant me getting an interview. (Actually this resumé wasn't sent electronically, so I guess it skipped the whole blackhole step.)

After the initial jumping around saying "I have an interview, I actually have an interview!!" I have finally come back down to earth and started preparing. I was told I will be tested on animal/plant ID and my computer skills so I went to the library to get some books to brush up on my id skills and I will review what computer skills I said I had to see what they could possibly test me on. Check and Check

Now I have one problem- What do I Wear???

It felt weird just saying that.
I am not usually a person who obsesses over my appearance. In highschool I normally got dressed in the dark while half-asleep. "Light...hurts... eyes... want more sleep!...zzzz..." As long as my clothes weren't inside out or backwards I figured I was doing all right. Also due to my lack of fashion sense/self-esteem issues my wardrobe mainly consisted of jeans, over-sized t-shirts and hoodies. 
It is a well known fact that if I have an outfit/article of clothing that looks good or quasi-fashionable, chances are my sister or my university roommate picked it out for me. My skills are seriously lacking in the fashion department.

Past interviews have been conducted over the phone and I haven't had to worry about this dilemma. The interviewer's impression was limited to the sound of my voice and my answers to their questions. They had no idea I was sitting in my basement, in my pyjamas and staring at the hanging head of a forgotten tortured Halloween lawn ornament. (true story)

It is common knowledge that you should dress to impress for a job interview- first impressions are important. But the type of job I am applying for complicates matters. I have had similar positions before and I know that dressing up to wildlife biologists frequently means wearing clean clothes. Normal dress code for the position would likely be similar to my old highschool uniform of over-sized T's and jeans. However I doubt this outfit would be interview appropriate.

But what would be interview appropriate?
What kind of clothes say :
"I am an intelligent, competent and professional individual."

while also saying 

"I am willing to stand in the rain, wade through mud,

tear out invasive species, or wrangle pheasants, 

and can build a boardwalk if you need it?" 

I don't want to go too professional and risk having them think I am too academic and not capable of performing the field/maintenance work. Nor do I want to go too casual and risk making a bad impression- like I don't care about the interview, or risk looking like an inexperienced highschool student. Internet so far hasn't been very helpful, most articles suggesting interview attire are for indoor office/customer service positions and recommend wearing a pant or skirt suit. I really think that would be overkill for this position but there really isn't much advice for female field biologists out there.

Ugh! I am annoyed that I am obsessing so much about clothes, but the interview is kind of a big deal to me.  My typical fashion advisers are rather far away - Alberta and South Korea. And we already determined I am no good at this on my own. All this outfit-obsessing kinda makes me want to put on an oversized t-shirt and sweat pants and slip into some socks and sandals- or maybe just roll around in some mud. (kidding!) But seriously any suggestions/insight would be welcome.

Endangered Encounters

My mom and I at the trail head

I recently went hiking with my Mom in Bruce Peninsula National Park.
We had a great time!
We hiked in from the Crane Lake Rd. entrance and spent the night at one of their interior sites at High Dump. The hike in took us a little under 2 1/2 hours and was fairly easy. The hike is described as Moderate-Difficult but for the most part I found the terrain rather easy. For the most part it seemed like we were following an old ATV track and were able to walk side by side. There was only one steep section at the end of the trail, and if it wasn't for my heavy backpack I think I could have probably done the trail in flip flops. It is definitely a great location for a beginning hiker who wants a gentle introduction into backcountry camping.

Bruce Peninsula National Park is gorgeous and Georgian bay was nicely warmed up for a refreshing swim, while still being cool enough for a refreshing drink of water.

The View from our Beach

 We even had an interesting visitor along the path to our site. While we were walking I heard a strange rattling sound that sounded somewhere between a very loud cicada and an angry chipmunk. I was just about to comment on it when I looked down and saw this guy.

Massasauga Rattlesnake: Sistrurus catenatus

Yep a Massasauga Rattler, the only poisonous snake in Ontario happens to have a thriving population in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Since this was my first encounter with one of these gorgeous beauties I wasn't 100% sure of it's identity but a little research when I got home definitely confirmed it. Massasauga's may be Ontario's only venomous snake but there really isn't anything to worry about these precious creatures. They warn you with their rattle if they feel you are too close and then if you give them some space they slowly slink away - just at the right speed to allow you to catch a few glamour shots of these magnificent creatures.
The Massasauga is listed as a Threatened species under the Ontario Endangered Species Act with its main threats coming from habitat fragmentation, road mortality and human persecution. However during our short trip my mother and I saw 3 Massasauga's so at least the local population within the park seems to be doing well. I always find it fascinating and consider myself to be quite fortunate when I get to see a rare or threatened species. We truly had nothing to fear from these gentle beauties and I am glad I got to see 3 of them up close. However my mom was a bit more timid of these creatures (probably because she can't hear their warning rattle) and had me on the lookout for her.

Mom, hiking

In all I had a great time. I saw amazing creatures, I enjoyed a good hike, I enjoyed a good trip and I enjoyed having some time with just me and my Mom. I definitely plan on doing it again!

Contrasts

My Dad often reads the news online, I often read over his shoulder.
In a newspaper articles are separated by topic. Sports, Entertainment, world events, local events etc. are all given their own section in a news paper. The sections themselves are like tiny separate newspapers and you can choose which news to read. Online news is entirely different in that sense, although articles are still sorted they all appear on one browser page.

There is something surreal about having all your news on one browser page.

Sometimes the contrasts are convicting.

Like today for example:

An article for a new Doughnut cheeseburger and an article about the famine in Somalia appeared close together.
I already feel guilty for needing to spend time in the gym several days a week just to prevent too much of my food from sticking to my stomach and thighs. All the while knowing there are people struggling to receive enough calories to survive.
Items like the Doughnut cheeseburger or KFC's Double Down disgust me. No one in North America needs that amount of calories in one meal. Nor do either of these food items provide any real nutritional or taste benefit. (I have heard the Double Down is gross, and assume the doughnut cheeseburger would be similarly so.) These items only exist as a novelty- a "hey look at this disgustingly unhealthy thing I am eating" sort of food. They scream of a culture that has forgotten how incredible of a blessing it is to actually have our daily bread.

I'm not saying that we can't enjoy the occasional ridiculously unhealthy high calorie meal, or that we should try and ship a bunch of Doughnut cheeseburgers or Double Downs to Somalia. I am just saying that perhaps we should be more intentional and grateful for the food on our plates. Bon Appétit!

Ponderings

Repetitive tasks, although mind numbing always provide a good opportunity to think and plan. They provide you with an opportunity to turn off your brain and focus it on something for awhile. I do some of my best thinking while driving. Often while driving down the freeway belting out the lyrics to whatever song I am listening to at the time I will contemplate what I am doing, where I want my life to go, what steps I will take to start a career or how develop more meaningful relationships.

The other day while kayaking I spent the better part of an hour thinking about kayaking across Lake Huron to raise money for coastal conservation. I thought about the training I would need to do, the people I would need to get involved, how I would raise funds and involve the community. For the most part this one was just wild speculation, aside from the actual paddling I lack many of the skills required to make such a venture possible. Although if someone would be willing to do all the planning and organizing and behind the scenes stuff I would be willing to train to do the actual paddle.

Another thing I frequently ponder about is my desire to work for a Christian conservation group called A Rocha. I previously spent a summer interning there and loved the work and what the organization did. However their regular employees fundraise their wages much the same as missionaries.With my large student loans and limited networking abilities I am not sure that would go over well. Also I would have to be certain that my skills were actually required by their organization. I have actually spent entire days going over scenarios and thinking of ways to make it work. Could I get a part-time job so that my fundraising needs wouldn't be so much? Could I stay in my home area and do work for A Rocha here, perhaps partnering with local organization. I often find myself contemplating and thinking.... maybe someday.....

Other things I regularly ponder are things such as :

• my living situation
• my relationships with friends, and my lack of romantic relationships
• where, when and if to apply to grad school- potential advisors and schools
• my family life
• random academicy/ current events issues that get me riled up and thinking (often these turn into blog posts, stay tuned I am working on a few right now)

Before I send out a resume for any job I often do alot of pondering. What are the employers looking for in a potential employee? Do I have the right skills for the job? Do I want the job? Where is the job and what will I be doing? Where will I live or go to church?  Often the background thinking required before I even start my cover-letter or resumé can paralyze me into not applying for a potential position.

Thinking and pondering can be good- a good way to make decisions, way pros and cons etc. However when the pondering becomes paralyzing that is when you need to take a step forward and remember to be a person of action. Thinking of exercising and dieting does not help you loose weight if you don't actually follow through. Similarly I need to learn to not just think about certain things but to take some tentative steps to see if some of my dreams can actually become reality.