Tomorrow I’ll give you an update on last week’s progress. Until then, I have a pool related story that I must share. As I mentioned in my post from December 9, my current employer is shutting down manufacturing operations and my last day of work will be Friday, December 25. As such, I started looking for another job a few weeks ago. I work in the medical device industry, and I’ve been somewhat fortunate in that job openings in the medical device industry seem to be picking up. I recently had the opportunity to interview with a small growing medical device company near where I live. I’m sure you are wondering: “What in the world does a job interview have to do with pool?” Let me explain.
On the morning of the interview, I arrived a few minutes early. While waiting in the reception area, I reviewed in my mind the materials I had prepared; you know, major talking points from my resume, key questions to ask about the position, key questions about the company, etc. I was scheduled to speak to six or seven employees, and I wanted to be prepared. The hiring manager met me in the lobby and welcomed me to the company. He showed me to his office and we were off and running. At one point in the process, I was taken on a tour of the facility. We walked through several key areas of the building, including the warehouse, incoming inspection area, prototype production area, QA, R&D, etc. At one point, we entered a very large employee break room / recreation area. One section of the room had been partitioned to create a gym which contained various cardio and weight machines. Another part of the room contained a small lunch table with a couple chairs; a nice quiet place to enjoy lunch. The majority of the room was wide open, no furniture, no support beams, no clutter. I think you know where this story is headed. YES! Right smack in the middle of the employee break room was a pool table!! YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! The table was hidden beneath a flexible opaque protective cover. As we passed the table, I pointed nonchalantly and asked my host, “Hey, what’s that? A pool table?” (Heh, heh, heh!) “Yes, it’s a pretty nice one too!” He turned his head and kept moving past the table. As I passed behind him, I lifted the edge of the cover and stole a quick glance. I was not able to ascertain the brand, but it appeared to be well constructed and in great condition. It was an eight foot table with carved legs and felt pretty solid when I pushed against it. OH BOY!!! We kept moving and finished the facility tour.
Fast forward: At the end of the four hour interview the hiring manger asked me, “So, what questions do you have for me?” I had prepared many questions to help me gauge the strength of the company, their vision, mission, objectives, growth plans, opportunities for improvement, etc. I paused for a second, and briefly contemplated a whole new set of questions, such as:
- What brand of table is it?
- Is the slate ¾ inch or 1 inch thick?
- Are the rails bolted directly into the slate or into the wooden frame?
- Any chance you could recover it with Simonis 860 cloth?
- How tight are the pockets?
But alas, the rational part of my brain took over, and I proceeded to only ask the questions that I had prepared. How much fun would it be to work for a company that keeps a pool table in their break room?! 😉
Angle of Reflection 