Dara writes:
Everyone knows how the publishing industry has become increasingly corporate. Put in a call to the main numbers of the major houses and you will not reach a live person, but a labyrinthine voice mail data bank. Apply for a job, and you will be rudely telephoned after office hours by a person who does not clearly state her last name or her reason for calling. This happened to me yesterday.
At 6:15pm, I received a breathless call by a woman who gave only her first name and the house from which she was calling. She mumbled quickly that she wanted to call me in to interview for an Editorial Assistant position. She did not say for whom--only, "someone who just got here"--nor did she state her last name. I was put off by her unprofessional manner, and as a result, was unable to say that I would love to come in for an interview, even if this position were not exactly right.
When I asked her who had forwarded my resume to her, she could not tell me, as she "sources" resumes from so many different locations. The exchange caught me off guard and left a bad taste in my mouth.