dear god

Well. I had an interview today.

I'd like to categorically state that I can make anything a disaster: a simple interview crashed by getting a claustrophobic fit when stepping into the elevator.

So, she *walked me up to the fourth floor*.

I almsot asked if she just wanted to end the interview now, as when you start off with making your interviewer walk up *four flights of stairs*, well, this can't go well. So let's just scratch that one off. Though weirdly, at the end of the interview, she gave me her phone number in case I had any more questions about hte job.

Okay, is there *surgery* for this? That entire getting-used-to-it thing I tried once and ended up throwing up outside an elevator that made the mistake of moving too slowly and I overdrived into panic in three and a half floors. The only two times in the last four years I've used an elevator:

New York: People quoted *porn* at me while going up and I kept my eyes closed.

Minnesota: glass.

*falls down on chair*

I give *up*.

Comments

[crownglass39.livejournal.com]

People quoted porn at you?!
Just when I have no faith left in humanity...

Look at it this way, when you go for an interview, the interviewer is always wondering why kind of strageness lies beneath the surface.
This way, you got that out at the beginning, and I give you kudos for being forthright about it. It shows fortitude...or something like that.

ps. I'm clausterphobic too. HATE elevators. Not as much as you, but I can relate

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*nods solemnly* Fangirls are the best. People. Ever.

This way, you got that out at the beginning, and I give you kudos for being forthright about it. It shows fortitude...or something like that.

I thought throwing up on her shoes would probably make a worse impression. *grins*.

Elevators are of the devil. *nods* Yes.

[thecaelum.livejournal.com]

*big hugs*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*slumps into you* God. Bad day.

[justabi.livejournal.com]

That just sucks. *pets*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

It was definitely a moment for a guidebook on how *not* to make a first impression.

[kernezelda]

*readies a sheaf of porn for my purse, in case we should ever ride an elevator together*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*g* It was funny, but it *worked*. cjandre is telling me QaF porn and I'm all, pretty thoughts pretty thoughts I am reading porn not in an evil elevator.....

[kernezelda]

Do not ever ride elevators in the Hyatt/Marriott complex on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. I like elevators, and they made me a bit dizzy.

[decarnin.livejournal.com]

I have comparatively mild fears of disasters in such situations and I learned in a ride under the San Francisco Bay on BART that being able to watch a superlatively sexy boy all the way was a fantastic antidote! Since then I have a theory that fear and sex can't coexist. :-) Kind of like the idea of music at the dentist.

[lastscorpion.livejournal.com]

There, there. *hug*

Good luck about the job. Maybe they won't care about the elevator.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

God, I hope so. *crosses fingers*

[suzvoy.livejournal.com]

Dude, she gave you a phone number. That's a great sign!

[phoiniks.livejournal.com]

pets you *hugs*

[nebulist.livejournal.com]

That's hardly the worst thing you can do in an interview. You didn't show up drunk and throw up on the desk.

I'm sure it was fine. Good luck!

[brancher.livejournal.com]

Aw, sweetie. That is a nightmare.
Cognitive therapy has a high result rate, so you might try it again. Hypnosis might help. But it's not *that* big a deal - I've worked with people who had phobias before. One was afraid of caterpillars, one couldn't abide cats, and one of them couldn't drive outside a certain radius. All of these things were serious, full-blown phobias, and more professional, capable women you'll never meet in your life. If I were your interviewer I'd keep that in mind ...

[ephemera-pop.livejournal.com]

apologies if this is out of order for a drive-by comment, but Cognative Behavioural Therapy has a really good record with anxiety / phobia type problems.

And there are far far *far* worse things to do in an interview than confess to a phobia. Seriously.

[freakily-sticky.livejournal.com]

i don't think there's anything wrong with being afraid of elevators. it's pretty common. my dad can't use an elevator. and when i was a toddler, we lived on the 25th floor of a building in manhattan, and he would walk up and down 25 flights every day. some people are really committed to the fear. but there's really nothing wrong with it, i don't think. like, you save yourself from being late to work, because you got stuck in your building's elevator on monday morning for half an hour. i think a healthy dose of fear is worth avoiding *that*.

and, anyway, i'm sure a LOT of people are afraid of elevators. come to think of it, my sister is too. so we're either a crazy family or fearing elevators isn't uncommon. um. don't answer that.

[akacat]

I'm guessing the glass elevator wasn't too bad, since you could see beyond it?

I wouldn't worry, chances are the interviewer has a phobia or two of her own.

Now, if you'd balked at using the stairs also, *that* might have been a problem.

[decarnin.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor thing. I'm not sure you can do the "getting used to it" treatment on your own, I think you need someone to guide you through, as in a good therapist who knows that stuff. So I take it the stairs aren't easy either? I mean to do by yourself? Definitely a problem, for jobs. What a predicament.

Many wishes for you to find a workaround! [[[hug]]]

[fyrdrakken]

The phone number was a good sign, and as noted elsewhere a phobia isn't a major turnoff in interviews. (Especially since you in fact did not throw up on her shoes.) Fourth floor isn't bad as stairs to climb go -- enough to get some daily exercise, not enough to be cripplingly exhausting.