Interview #2, pathology lab

Today's interview was checking out my practical skills. Pipetting, organization, following verbal directions, etc. I breezed through most of that alright. I did make one small mistake, spreading the bacteria around the first quadrant with the swab rather than the loop (I swear we did this regularly in micro class, maybe for lack of supplies)... and the woman who was checking my skills said she probably just forgot to say it. She told me I had done great at the end. I kept expecting there to be a trick in there somewhere, like a mis-match in labels or something that I was supposed to catch. But there wasn't anything like that. They had me talk to the lab manager afterward. He was already the main guy that I had spoken with during a phone interview for the same position last summer. He told me that the only reason they didn't ask me for a second interview then was because I was still out of state at the time. I really think I am going to get this one. He did say that my "salary requirements" (from my application) were higher than they usually pay new hires, but that maybe he could compromise some since I have an M.S. and most new hires do not. He said they usually pay new hires $15 per hour. From what I have heard, that is about the same as day-shift monitor techs make, so if he's going to come a little higher then there's no reason to complete the cardiac arrhythmia training right now. I do think that phlebotomists make more, which is a little disconcerting since the position I'm applying for *requires* a bachelors degree in science, while a phlebotomist might have only one semester at community college. Community college teaching would have been much better pay, but didn't work out this time. I hope hope hope I can get this job.

When I got home from the interview, which lasted about 2 hours (!), I had lunch, helped my dad with some home repair type stuff for a couple of hours, and then watched some online t.v. and took a nap. Since I've been up again I've been fairly antsy and industrious, getting all sorts of chores done. I think it is nervous energy.