Pr3++yG33kyTh1ng

Today has me back in the role of AgentX on the account I'm not allowed to have anything to do with. Using top secret (technically double super L33+-style secret) access methods, I gathered the requested data and sent it from the dummy email account.
I've fallen into the mindset that I'm just following orders - like the people in the experiment who think they are electrocuting people and continue to do it because the researchers tell them to.
Even though the whole thing is unethical and the correct solution would be for my company to hire another resource to actually do this work. Or, most effectively just be honest and tell these people they can't pick who they work with.
An unfortunate side effect of the current arrangement is that the customer thinks their new resource is much better than I was.
The guy is prompt with emails (only one customer ever emails him) and is too busy to answer the phone ever. Obviously, he is an overachiever. I hate that guy.

In other news, my next job interview is Monday the 13th. I've been learning about the company and the product line and other assorted general technological stuff.
I've made it through two technical interviews but somehow feel underqualified.
This whole I.T. thing started almost a decade ago pretty much as my first professional acting job. As long as I can act technically competent, I'm good. Any questions can be answered with a Google search.
Of course, I've actually had to learn this stuff over the course of a bunch of consulting jobs. Eventually you have to deliver an honest actual technical solution, but the interview is all about stuff I learned getting a theatre degree.
1. Stage presence - Make them forget other people are interviewing. And don't fidget.
2. Confidence - You can fake it to a certain extent, but true confidence comes from being totally honest during the interview process. I've never not gotten a job from an interview where I laughed at a question and said I didn't know.

Interviewer : What do you do if an application that communicates on Port 80 isn't working suddenly?
Me - Choice A : Reverse engineer the application and determine why it is failing.
Me - Choice B : Log into the firewall and note the changes made since the last software update.
Me - Choice C : Conduct a series of test establishing the exact break point for the application as seen by people in different Active Directory Organizational Units and document these.
Me - Honest Answer : Call the firewall team and ask what is going on with Port 80. After all, it isn't like I broke the damn application. I was probably surfing Ebay or completely out of the building getting coffee. Hell, I don't even know or care what the application does. Why would I waste time breaking it?
3. Improv work - There are technical questions, which usually aren't technical. Either I know these or not. Then there are lifestyle questions I have to answer off the cuff. Here are a few, with my responses:

Interviewer : How do you feel about being on call?
Me : I hate it. That said, I've never been not on call. It is part of working in technology.

Interviewer : What are your feelings on being part of a team?
Me : That depends on the team. Are they fun?

Interviewer : What one word would you use to describe yourself?
Me : Unable to follow directions.

There is one other question that I try to get them to ask BEFORE I go in, if they intend to ask it.
That question is the dreaded, "What do you need in terms of pay to survive?"
I haven't gotten that question in a while, but if I get it in an interview the answer is always, "Thanks for your time, can I get my parking validated?"
It isn't that I don't understand their need to maintain profitability. I do.
I just don't want to be asked what my minimum price is. Once that question is answered, you can pretty much count on being offered slightly below that. A company that just wants its employees to survive is not a place I want to work.

4. It is a cliche for a reason - If anyone ever asks about my degree (and sometimes they do, but it is VERY rare) I reply that my degree is in Theatre and that I have found it valuable for a number of reasons. First, my communication skills are better than average. I'm fluent in both English and "Geek." Secondly, years of working with no budget have honed my problem-solving skills. Not only can I think "outside the box", for years I couldn't even afford a box. Finally, there is a well-known work ethic associated with Theatre-types. "The show must go on." This is easily expanded to include I.T. trauma and it usually seems to make the interviewer feel good, like when he or she was in that Christopher Columbus play in second grade.

So, anyway, I'll be unleashing my mad interview skillz Monday somewhere. Whether I get the job or not, it will be a good time.