Among the Plebians

What we do defines us. A dentist is defined by her expertise with teeth and gums. A firefighter by his strength and his knowledge of fire. A basketball player by her skills with a ball, a team, and a hoop. And I, as a teacher, have been defined by my years in the classroom creating lesson plans and motivating children to learn.

When I sat down last night at the "meet and greet" hiring event at REI I had that odd feeling of being out of place -- a square teacher in a round business.

As a business, it's universally agreed that REI is progressive. They offer health care to all employees. They build "green" stores. They promote and fund stewardship and education. They encourage their employees to play as much as work. And they pay just enough above the minimum wage to earn themselves a spot on Fortune Magazine's Top 100 Best Places to Work.

But they are a business, not a school, and navigating through the brief and rather uninformative "meet and greet" interview I felt out of my league. A Bachelors Degree, two Masters Degrees, and 22 years of teaching experience and I felt out of my league. Could I cashier? Of course...how difficult could it be? Could I stock shelves? Why not! Could I put clothes on a rack and shoes on display? No problem.

Yet here was one of the "managers" telling me that getting hired at REI is quite difficult and that, in fact, they wouldn't be hiring anyone until mid-August or perhaps September. I should return. I should remind them that I'd already applied and if my application "fit" in with their needs, I would be called back for a full interview.

Okay. I didn't want a job until August and can afford to not get one until September, but what was it about my application that did not stand out above the rest?

"Have you had any experience in sales?" the very young interviewer asked me.

"I have been a teacher for 22 years," I smiled politely, "Every day was a sales job."

"Well," he smirked, "perhaps Customer Relations, but not actual sales."

I found myself saying, "When was the last time you were in the classroom?" I wanted to tag on "young man" but I held my tongue.

He laughed, thankfully, but I'm not certain he understood that I was serious.

I don't want to be a snob. I don't want to be someone who thinks any minimum wage job is beneath me, but yesterday I felt like a commoner in many ways. My qualifications felt bulky and outdated. I felt old in a room of 20-somethings (only one other applicant was close to my age) and I felt as if I needed to grovel to prove my worth.

One young man was a master of the grovel. He arrived early. He provided a resume. He wore a casual suit and a tie. He introduced himself to every REI employee in the room. His "brief" interview was longer than everyone else's. He asked questions and gave long, expansive answers. He carried a briefcase.

In contrast, the young man who sat to my right carried his skateboard into the room. His tennis shoes were worn and tattered. His pants hung low and he wore an old hat slanted on his head. His t-shirt sleeves were too short to cover up his detailed and plentiful tattoos, colorful designs over each bicep.

Where did I fit in?

It's not that I've never had that feeling before. I felt it often during my 22 years of teaching. I was a different teacher in many ways, but my difference helped me carve a niche for myself. I was considered "creative" and an "out-of-the-box" visionary. I earned a reputation for innovative teaching methods and original projects that engaged students and met state standards.

If applying for another teaching position I'd know exactly what to say, what to ask, how to present myself. I'd know the jargon and the key points that needed to be made to get the interviewers attention. But I'm not sure what knowledge I need to display in order to work a cash register or re-rack clothes or lace up shoes on a customer's foot. That's a whole different body of water in which I found myself swimming last night.

I didn't drown. They raced through each of the interviews because they weren't actually hiring. In the world of business, it appears, you just keep showing up and eventually they'll be a spot that might match your qualifications.

I can wait. If anything 22 years of teaching has taught me it's how to be patient. In the meantime, though, I think I'll apply to a few other places --Whole Foods perhaps or maybe even the UW bookstore or Elliott Bay Books -- just to cover all contingencies. Besides it will be good practice -- shoving my square peg into more round holes.