H&M... online in the U.S..... next year....

There's a lot of talk about this little Swedish shop that doesn't provide online shopping in the U.S. and only exists on the East and West coasts, and in Minnesota.  (Seriously, how do you miss out on the most consumer-obsessed nation in the world?)

(Minnesota?)

Anyhow.

Michelle Obama wore a $35 H&M dress.
Natalie Portman wore a $50 H&M dress.
Kate Middleton, who's marrying some prince or something, is said to shop H&M for some of her tops.

So what is the big deal? Why are we so excited about the fact that Natalie Portman and the First Lady, and the future Queen of England shops at H&M?

Because the clothes at H&M are affordable. Because most of the clothes that stars and celebrities and First Lady's and Queen's wear make them look amazing, and cost a lot of money, more money than most of us spend.

So if our fashion icons (all three are said to be stylish, sophisticated dressers) can wear outfits that cost less than $80, well, by golly, we can too! And... and maybe we'll even look as stylish and sophisticated!

But not yet.
Because I'm not anywhere near an H&M store.
But next year, when they pop up online in the U.S, I'll be as addicted as I am to BodenUSA.

So okay I'll write a post

My hoodie, DeNice, said she wished I'd write more in my blog.
I think she said it because I talk a lot about my blog, and about how I might write in it eventually, and she said, I wish you'd write in it.

So I'm going to write about my job search, and how my personality, INTJ, is directly at odds with the personality needed to do a successful job search, mainly the E part.

Oh, I can do the charts of jobs I applied to, track which resumes are getting pings and call-backs (keep those resumes, and apply to jobs of similar nature) and force myself to go out and talk to people I don't know because we all have to be nice and network.

But I'm an INTJ.

Which essentially means I like systems and processes and order and if those things are missing, I will create them. From scratch, enthusiastically. I'll hide myself away, come out occasionally to get information from other people, and then I will scurry back into my little world, and find solutions. That's me.

The other me likes to take something new, something shiny, an idea, and help it through to it's forever home, whether it's a product, a kid (still working on my three, they have some years left before they can fly away) or an idea.

I like to talk about both, systems and processes, and shiny new things.

Enter the screening call. I write good cover letters, well, I like to think I do, anyhow. I consider any cover letter that is accompanied by a call, a good cover letter.

So I get a screening call for a job I think I want at a company I've scouted out and done some research on, because I can't apply for a job unless I know who the company is, what the product is, and then, what other people think about said company and product. I like to be thorough. The person calls me.

Before the person calls me, I think, wow, I have to talk to someone, about a job that I want.

The thought makes me nervous because I'm an I, and not an E, and that pretty much sums that up, but it's not just the talking. I can talk. Anyone who knows me knows that talking isn't the problem. It's the stop-talking bit, and the interrupting-bit, and the nervous with strangers when I'm not the one in charge of the conversation bit. And the fact that I am fairly certain this would be a good company to work for, even if it's 40 minutes away and not a 9-5'er check-in/check-out job.

So I read that walking is good while doing a phone interview, because, well, I'm not sure why, but it's supposed to be good. But I forgot that I walk fast, and then realize I sound a bit too loud, a bit too short of oxygen, and I slow down. And in the end I think, wow, I totally blew that one.

But then the person who called said they'd schedule another phone interview.

I think, for that phone interview, I will pace slowly.