human resource

they move them in and process them with all the speed and precision of a south texas slaughterhouse. they aren't the butchers, only the administrators of process. they are not looking for the choicest top round, only the disease.

the more you do something, the more accustomred you become to that process. how to dress, how to speak, how to act, what to bring.
what to bring.
after searching for nine months, i've become very familiar with the 20"x30" flat case at the end of my arm. it contains samples of my best. some are labors of love, some simply of obligation, but all are representations of abilities. it is supposed to be the answer to the true test of my worthiness to be here.
you want them to accept you because you are good at what you do. they want to reject you if you don't fit into a profile that says your background is clean, your credit is good, your mentality stable, and you are who you say you are.

so you sit in the queue and wait patiently for your turn to be processed. thirty minutes past. one hour past. hoping only to get the usda stamp of approval that says you are fit for consumption. but they don't want to see your work, your pride, they only wish to size you up.

"mark, the purpose of our meeting here today is to make sure that you fit the profile of a person that might be considered to be hired by (our company). we want to verify the information on your application as true and correct. it should only take a couple of minutes."

and it does. certainly less than five. i notice her writing as i'm speaking. top right corner. 'watches what i'm writing.'
i'm asked to restate the information on my application regarding my tasks at the past several positions i've held. "um hmm, and what else did you do there? yes, anything else?"

"so what happens now, mark, is we go over this information, create a profile of your personality, run a background check,and forward that information onto the hiring center. they will determine if you are qualified for any positions with (our company) and then forward your profile onto the appropriate departments. if the department is interested in speaking with you, they will then schedule an interview with you to discuss your qualifications."

that's it? i came down here for four minutes of your time? what a waste!

"do you validate parking?"

"um, no, we used to do that, but we don't anymore. but you can use your own, um, currency to pay for parking. if you don't have your own currency you can purchase a token downstairs."

fuck that.