[Closed] Job Search!

[redarm]

WHO: Noah Campbell & Minako Arisato
WHERE: The Confectionary
WHEN: Early April?
WHAT: Applying for Work??
WARNINGS: PASTRIES AND DRESSES, OH MY.

[If there was one thing to be said about Noah, it was that he was a pretty determined person when he had a goal in mind. Currently, his goal in mind was to find a job that paid well enough so he could start supporting himself. He knew it was only a matter of time before his "aunt" found a way to cut him off, and he wasn't interested in living on their money anyway.

And so, he found himself following the leads that Prompto gave him. One of them being to a bakery called the Confectionery, where Prompto knew someone that worked there. He wasn't completely sure why Prompto was trying so hard to help him out, but he wasn't going to complain about some job leads either. Especially when the bakery in particular seemed to pay pretty decent wages.

Thus he heads into the Confectionery with his resume, dressed in the best business casual clothes he had - clothes proper for a job interview but also clearly male clothing. Which sure causes him to pause when he steps into the store and sees the staff wearing ... very, very girly dresses.

Did he have...the right place? Was there some kind of mistake?

Well, only one way to find out. He spots a staff member and approaches, clearing his throat]

Uh..Excuse me? You Minako?

Comments

[complementing]

That's me! Give me one sec-- [She snaps the lid onto a coffee cup with relish, handing it to a waiting customer before she turns to the newcomer with a bright, friendly smile. The ruffles of her very girly, very pink dress bounce with each movement she makes.] Hi! Sorry about that. Are you Prompto's friend?

[redarm]

[That sure is a lot of ruffles........what kind of place is this....

Oh, right. Focus. He's not sure he'd call Prompto a friend since he's only talked to the guy a few times, but...]

Yeah. I'm Noah.

He said that you guys might be hiring. That true?

[complementing]

Nice to meet you, Noah. And yes, we are! I'm glad he sent you our way, we've been kind of hurting for more part-timers for a while now. [She gestures to some of the dainty looking two-person tables next to the wall.] Take a seat and we can get started.

[redarm]

Really? Okay then...

[Still not sure, but maybe it's a weird theme day that's making for all the ruffles? Who knows. He moves to sit down at the table, glancing around at the place as he does so]

I'll be honest, he didn't say much about the place beyond it's a bakery.

[complementing]

And you didn't research us? Is that something you should be saying to your interviewer? [Because...yes, she's interviewing him, even though she's just a part-timer herself. They're really short staffed, okay. Minako says it all laughingly, though, so he probably won't get dinged points.] Well, it's a cupcake bakery, for one! And for another, it's the boss' baby. This storefront is what she got set up after winning a famous cupcake competition. She expects a lot from her employees, but treats us really well, so it's not a bad job to have.

[redarm]

Huh? [oh, shit] N-No, I did some research! It's just, I only had the school computer for so long and...well, the cupcake pictures looked really good...

[Okay, so he went and got distracted by all the baked good pictures. Noah's greatest weakness is food okay. ]

Okay, so in another words, it's a lot of work and with really high expectations? [He nods, straightening up a little. Hard work never really scared him] I can handle that.

[complementing]

[She'd make another playful jab about how that might be an indicator that he's easily distracted, but 1) saying so would be absolutely hypocritical of her, and 2) she likes how he straightens up once she mentions the hard work. Minako smiles faintly.] Can I see your resume? And tell me about the skills you'd bring the Confectionary if you started working here. What's your biggest strength?

[redarm]

[He gives her a nod and hands over his resume. Surprisingly, there's a good number of jobs here, given his age. Most of them seem to be entertainment oriented, such as circus performances and theater events. But there's a number of odd jobs on there as well as he got older - seasonal retail, summer jobs. Nothing on the list indicates he was fired either from the jobs, just that it was temporary work.

He clears his throat as he talks]

Well, first of all, I'm good with money. I can run a register really well and I wouldn't come up short. I really like food, so I'd be honest when I sell things to customers. I even know how to smile if I'm on the clock.

[Okay so that one was half a joke, but still. If there's money involved, he can fake cheerfulness he's sure]

My biggest strength though is...I'm very determined. I want a chance to support myself, so I'll do whatever your boss wants for her shop. You won't get any trouble from me. [He's sincere about that. No matter how much this boss expects, there's no way she could be worse than what he's already dealt with]

[complementing]

[Her eyes flick up from the resume to him as he speaks, nodding along with his side of the conversation. Wanting autonomy is definitely a big motivator for young part-timers, but he actually has a long record of many kinds of customer service jobs to back up any claims of inexperience. Her boss would want to hire him for that alone, honestly. Something he mentioned gives her an idea for a test, though. Minako gets up and gestures for him to stay seated, ducking behind the counter and returning with one of the chocolate raspberry cupcakes.] Here! This is the store specialty. I want you to try it and then sell it to me like I'm a customer.

[redarm]

Okay. [He lifts the cupcake up and looks at it carefully before taking a bite. His eyes shut for a moment and he makes a happy "mmm" sound, because it really is good and he wasn't kidding about loving food. After chewing and swallowing, he pauses, thinking how he should do this. Thinks back about how his father would do it. Finally, he opens his eyes again. Doing his best to impersonate his father, he gives a friendly and polite smile. His tone is chipper, friendly. He's a good actor.] Hello! You look like you could use something special today! Would you like one of our raspberry chocolate cupcakes? It's our specialty, and it's perfect for this lovely spring day!

[complementing]

[Minako leans in, brow furrowed and lips twisting with hesitation. She's not too bad of an actor herself!] Raspberry chocolate? That sounds kind of decadent. It's not too heavy, is it? I'm on a diet.

[redarm]

[He shakes his head]

No, it's not that heavy. It's made of fresh fruit and ingredients! And it's in a small cupcake size, so just think of it as a small way to treat yourself today!

[complementing]

[Minako leans back and nods approvingly, taking a couple of notes from a notepad she seems to whip out of nowhere. Time to throw him some open ended questions!] Okay, next. We do deliveries to a lot of the nearby cafes and restaurants. What would you do if you discovered that the delivery your coworker filled out for you is short two dozen cupcakes, and the cafe owner needs the cupcakes right now this instant why don't you have this order for me on time?!

[redarm]

[He goes back to his regular more neutral face expression when the roleplay scenario seems to be over. Thank goodness, that hurt his face]

Uh...

[He thinks]

Apologise, offer a discount or another type of cupcake, and try to make that other batch of cupcakes up as quick as possible.

Then probably talk to my coworker about making sure orders are filled for next time?

[complementing]

Mmhm, okay. [More notes scribbled down, and then she taps her pen against her chin.] Just a couple more questions-- since we're on the subject of coworkers, and I notice on your resume that you had some entertainment focused jobs in the past, tell me about a time where you had to deal with a coworker who you didn't necessarily agree with. It could be anything, but I'd like to know how you resolved it. [A crooked smile.] You'll have to be working with pretty headstrong people like me if you get the job, after all.

[redarm]

Other coworkers?

[He thinks...]

Well, I'm not sure I have a good example, since a lot of them were animal trainers with access to lions? So...I usually let them get their own way.

But I guess you talk it out, or try to understand their point of view before trying to come up with a solution? [Truthfully, he didn't have a lot of experience with people. But that seemed like an answer that'd be wanted]

[complementing]

[The quip about animal tamers gets a giggle out of her, until it smooths away to something more thoughtful.] So you'd say compromise is your solution? Okay. [She hums in a way that doesn't denote agreeing or disagreeing, making a note on her paper. This is the one place she kind of wanted him to elaborate more. He might be able to fake a smile, but in the kitchen, team work is important! Oh well. It seems like he's pretty good otherwise. He'll have to come in again to speak with the boss, anyways, since she makes the final decision in the end. That only leaves one last question.] So. How do you feel about the color pink?

[redarm]

[Yeah sorry Minako, the teamwork category is never one Noah is going to score high in off the bat. He'll at least try not to cause problems since he wants to get paid, but being an expert on how to work in a team? Nope.

He shrugs.]

I dunno, it's just a colour? I don't think about it much. [Wasn't his favorite, but he never got into the "pink is for girls" stuff.] Is pink the uniform?

[complementing]

Yup! We don't get a lot of guys applying for jobs here so if the boss approves of you, we'd have to order a new suit for you. [She tilts her head.] I mean, unless you prefer the dress.

[redarm]

[There's a brief pause from Noah. Does he want to wear a dress? No. He's never felt the urge to wear a dress. He was a guy and he felt at home in male clothing.

But on the other hand, it wasn't like he was insecure about his masculinity either. That required caring more about other people's opinions than he actually did. And if the boss had to order a suit just for him to start working...it might send a bad impression, or set higher expectation because it meant he was starting off the job owing the boss something.

...He hated being in debt]

Tch, it's...whatever. I had to dress up as a clown when I helped my dad's work, so a dress's not any worse. [He shrugs] I'll wear the dress if it's easier. I don't care.

[complementing]

Wait, really? [Minako's eyes go saucer wide before she breaks out into a grin.] Okay, breaking professional code here-- that's amazing and I'm pretty impressed. I'll let the boss know for you. You'll have to come back again to do a second interview with her, but I think she's going to like you a lot.

[redarm]

Uh, Sure. Really. Pretty sure I could fit into it.

[Sure he was a bit tall, but he was a pretty lean built guy. He shrugs a little, feeling a bit embarrassed by her reaction.]

But great, thanks. [He gives a little nod] I promise I won't let you guys down.

[complementing]

[It's silly to be envious of a teenage boy for who can say that so easily, but Minako is, just a little bit. She stands up and offers her hand to him with a warm smile.] Thank you for applying, Noah. I hope I'll be able to see you in the store again soon.

[redarm]

[He stands up as well, doing his best to give a polite smile as he gives a handshake with his good arm.]

Thanks for interviewing me. Really. I hope I hear back from you guys.