Monday, July 17, 2006

Job Interview!


"How about a little fire, scarecrow?" "How about a little interview handshake, Tiara?"

OK, so maybe I overdramatize this sweaty palm thing sometimes. (-:

I have a job interview this week. The position looks like it might be something I would enjoy, though my current job is fine too. I'll be meeting about eight different people in three hours, including some with Very Important Titles. Thankfully, handshaking is nowhere near as scary to me as was fire to the scarecrow.

Nevertheless, I'm trying to decide whether to start applying Drysol and risk having the accompanying itchy, icky skin texture. Or should I live with the sweat and hope The People With Very Important Titles don't care? The sweat and anxiety have greatly dissipated in recent years, but sometimes those extra-sweaty days creep up on me without warning. Plus it's supposed to be 100 degrees that day. Do I need to change this thing about myself in order to get the job? Help me out here, folks!

One comforting thought: If a Wicked Witch interviews me, my handshake might make her melt away! Or maybe I'll meet Glinda the Good Witch, wearing her poofy gown and tiara. If that's the case, I'll take the job...and the ruby slippers!

<<"I'm melting! Damn you, Tiara! I'll never make it to VP!"

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your blog is fantastic - it is like reading the thoughts in my own head.

I have had HH since I was 14 ( I'm now 39) and I've lost count of the things I've done to hide it from everyone - like you, i have a great partner, oodles of friends, I am healthy, fit and attractive but, my god, how I would love to be rid of HH.

You are so right - instead of focussing n the content of an interview and whether I can do the job, I obsess as to the handshaking - I have even cancelled interviews with some ridiculous excuse if the day looks to be too hot. Amazingly, there are friends who have known me all my life who have no idea and actually laugh when I tell them -however, it is actually more the interaction of strangers ( an interview, a networking session, a dance class, trying on shoes in a shoe shop) that is the greatest hurdle for fellow 'sufferers'. Like you, I oscillate between feeling guilty at obsessing over something like this when there are world tragedies out there but, at the same time, there are times when I cannot even function when my hands and feet are sweating so much.

Summer and sandals is the nearest to hell for a female HH sufferer - I too look longingly at the pretty sandals the women out and about are wearing and then set about the task of finding some shoes with absorbent or suede insoles.
(actually Summersoles are a boon - see their website)

Have just got a letter confirming I have HH from my doctor ( as if I dont' know!)and am going to buy a portable iontopheris machine so will let you know how it goes.

Your blog is great because it's so personal and we can all really relate - I have 5 pairs of shoes in my car to 'rotate' plus I can only wear trainers to drive in or my feet slip of the pedals - nice!

Anyway, keep it up, it's really good.

Tiara said...

Hi Cathy, thanks for your response and for the Summersoles suggestion. Let me know how the iontopheris machine works out for you. Will you use it on your hands and feet? Is it expensive?

I really appreciate your feedback, and please feel free to comment some more ... I think the comments make the blog so much more useful and interesting! (-:

--Tiara

Anonymous said...

UGH I totally HATE handshakes. So embarrasing. Ugh it's hard to meet new people too.

Wet hands ;) said...

I've had the same problem forever. Now I'm 24 and still have it. Right at this time my hands are sweating so much! What I usually do when I have a job interview is that I say that I have a hand condition and that I can't shake hands, some people had looked at me as if I'm crazy but I don't care. I'd rather do that than shaking my sweaty hand. Let me know what do you think about my solution.

Mike L. said...

First off, I have to laugh so hard at the Wizard of Oz reference. Not only is it funny, but I remember watching it as a kid and thought the exact same thing! She would stay away from me in fear of melting. Anyway, about the job interviews. I've actually gone so far as to arrive 15 minutes early and change into my suit, that way the white shirt with tie was sweat free (for the beginning of the interview at least) and then the shaking of hands part arrived. I've done tricks of having a handkerchief in my pocket and rub on that to get the sweat off before shaking hands, but didn't work all that much. So, instead, I went so far as to do the fist bump and say that I was a little bit of a germaphob instead of my HH. Embarrassing, I know. At least, with celebrities like Howie Mandell (spelling?) it is becoming more acceptable I guess.