My interview questions

I enjoyed reading Tiburon's interview questions so much that I asked her to provide me a list of my own.  (I'd love to link to her blog, but since I email my posts from work, I can't ever get the link to work.  She's Shark Bait in my blog roll)  If anyone is interested in participating in their own interview, send me a request and I'll interview you. 

 

Some of these took lots of thought:

 

1. I know that you work - what EXACTLY do you do?

I work as a city planner for a local municipality.  To say EXACTLY what I do would take hours, but here's a brief rundown:

·       Represent the City at Planning Commission meetings - I prepare the reports, do the presentation, and answer questions.

·       Meet with the public and/or developers regarding development applications, zoning questions, new businesses, etc (ie.  If someone wants to do a subdivision, I help them through the process - start to finish)  I spend a lot of time on the phone.

·       License all the in-home businesses.

·       Make maps (love this part of my job)

·       Assign all the addresses to new subdivisions (and any associated changes)

·       Research and prepare drafts to amend the Code.

·       Work with the census to prepare updates to their maps, and provide new addresses.  This is a huge job, being that our city has tripled in size in the past 10 years.

·       Right now I am also on a regional planning group's technical advisory committee.

 

2. How did you get started running?

One thing I never was growing up, is athletic.  In fact, from about ages 10-13, I was the antithesis of athleticism:  fat and out of shape.  I had asthma and bad knees, and used that as an excuse.  I hated running more than anything else.  In gym class, I would take a doctor's note so that I didn't have to participate in the Presidential Fitness Test mile run. 

 

But then I grew up.  I found some medicine to control my asthma and I had surgery on both my knees.  Suddenly I realized that I liked physical activities.  I started backpacking, and learned to snow and waterski.  But, I was still afraid of running.

 

After I had Brynlee, I was tired of being overweight and out of shape.  One day at work I googled "beginner's running plan" and found the couch to 5k in 9 weeks plan on coolrunning dot com.  It is a simple walk/jog program that I started doing immediately.  I've stuck with it, and never looked back.  Someday after a good run, I feel like I could conquer anything.

 

3. What is your worst childhood memory?

Hmmm - this is a tough one.  I think I had a pretty great childhood.  Probably the worst thing I remember is actually related to question #2 - that dreaded Presidential Fitness Test.  They also tested our body fat with calipers, and I remember that I was the fattest girl in the 5^th grade.  In fact, I clearly remember how much I weighed that day - and it isn't much less than I weigh today.  I lost a lot of weight over that summer, and thankfully was skinny all though high school.

 

4. What is your most embarrassing moment?

I actually don't get too embarrassed (luckily too, because I'm pretty ungraceful in social situations).  Probably the worst thing I can remember also dates back to 5^th grade.  I was in a new school, after having just moved from Utah to Kentucky.  In the middle of class, I sneezed and farted at the same time (isn't that called a snart?).  At any rate, the entire class heard.  And I was new (and obviously the fattest kid).  Everyone laughed, and I wanted to crawl under my desk and die.

 

5. Did you go to college? Where? What is your degree in? (ok that is 3 questions - but they are related)

Yes,  I graduated from B*Y*U in 1998 with a degree in Planning and Resource Management (imagine that!  I actually work in the field I graduated in) and a minor in English.  My initial plan was to work for a year and then go to law school.  I had even taken the LSAT, and based upon my scores had scholarship offers.  But, in the mean time, I got an offer from the city where I'm still working, and I've been here ever since.  Eventually I would like to go back to school - either for a law degree or MPA.  Maybe someday . . .

 

This was fun.  Thanks Tib!