I had signed up to recruit on a Wednesday night after I left the radio station. I was excited about this recruiting night because for once, I was able to recruit from my office. I liked this because I didn't have to hear other advisers actually get new students AND because it gave me a chance to check on a couple of students that had radio shows at night.
On a side note...I'll probably blog about being at Iowa Central a lot more, specifically being at the college radio station 88.1 The Point. It was one of my greatest time periods in my life. With lots of awkwardness and funny stories. Back to the our program already in progress...
I checked the clock on the computer and noticed it was time to start calling. I got online, grabbed my phone list and prepared to sell this program until my last breath! By the way--sales is not an aspect of radio I've ever been interested in. But with many things I've learned is that you never do exactly what you want to do. You'll do what you love...plus 1000 other things that aren't near as fun.
I grabbed my phone and dialed the first number. Nothing. Dialed the second number...it rang...voicemail...balls. Try the third...kid isn't home. Parents are busy. Neat. Well this is going awesome. When I call students I always have a hand over the phone so I can just click to hang up because most of the time I either don't get through or it's a quick call and then I move on.
I finally get someone at about the 6th call.
"Hi, is__________there?"
"This is."
"Oh, hello! This is Jay Black, Program Coordinator of Broadcasting at Iowa Central in Fort Dodge."
Then I get the usually response in a "OH COME ON...YOU!?" Kind of voice...
"Oh...hi."
I give him the usually speech about what the radio broadcasting program offers and then he drops the line all advisers hate...
"Well I kinda already picked a school."
Then it happened...at the worst possible time....
"Oh ok, no problem." CLICK!
Remember when I said that my hand was always over the phone so I could hang up quick and go to the next call? Well...my finger twitched and I hung up on a kid that had just told me he chose another school. My first thought?
HOLY SH**! I JUST HUNG UP ON THAT KID! I LOOK LIKE SUCH AN ***HOLE!
What do I do next, you may be wondering? I CALL BACK. BUSY....CALL BACK...BUSY....CALL BACK...BUSY. I become a full on stalker now. Then I take a deep breath, back away from my desk, and compose myself a little. I'm about one more call away from a restraining order.
Once I relax and quit thinking about how bad I just made the school look, I start calling more prospective students. I had a few good calls, you know, "maybes" and my favorite, "I'll think about it." But I just couldn't leave well enough alone...
Before I left, I decided to try one more time to call the kid that I had hung up on back. This time...it rings.
"Hello?"
"Hi is this____?
"Yeeaaaah?"
"Hi this is Jay Black again."
"what?"
"Jay Black...from Iowa Central in Fort Dodge."
"Oh...hey?"
"I just wanted you to know that earlier, when you said that you chose a different school. That I didn't hang up on you."
"I---didn't."
"Oh good! I just didn't want you to think that I was mad or anything because you decided to go to another college."
"I didn't...so.."
I wish I could say that I said goodbye and left it alone--but I did not.
"Great! No that is just awesome, I'm happy you found a school you like!"
"thanks."
"So what are you going into?" SERIOUSLY JUST HANG UP!!! I KEPT YELLING AT MYSELF! WHO GIVES A FLYING FUDGE WHAT THIS DOUCHY DOUCHEBAG OF A KID IS GOING INTO...NOT YOUR SCHOOL IS WHAT HE IS GOING INTO!
"I'm not sure yet."
"aaaah don't worry about it, sometimes it takes time. Like when I was in school..." Yep this S*** happened.
 | |
| I imagine this was the look on the person's face. Except in real life it was a boy...which is a tad creepier. |
Eventually I hung up, this time on purpose, and we never spoke again. I'm currently not employed at Iowa Central.
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