I’m at our neighbourhood coffee shop one day, glued to my laptop as I do a bit of market research for a client who’s launching a new vegan recipe blog, when an alert for an email from a P&T address pops up on myscreen.
I try to calm my already thumping heart and brace myself for another let down before opening themessage.
Dear Ms.Dominguez,
Thank you for getting in touch. I was hoping I would hear more from you. We were all very impressed with yourwork.
As you may remember me mentioning, we’re currently working on a campaign for a women’s fashion line. Specifically, the project will be designed to market a new line of swimwear. The ads you featured in for your showcase project were both refreshing and engaging, and that’s just what our clientwants.
I would love to speak with you more about your potential involvement in theproject.
Sincerely,
JimSanders
I read over the email three times before I actually digest what it says. Palmer & Turquot, one of the most prestigious firms around, wants to talk to me about working on aproject.
I look around the coffee shop, amazed that everyone can be sitting still when something so life changing has just happened. I keep blinking into the mid-morning light streaming through the windows before dropping my eyes to my laptop again and letting my fingers fly across the screen, pounding out a response saying how thrilled I am at the offer. I read it over and make a few adjustments so I don’t sound too eager before sending itoff.
Staying focused on my freelance work after that is next to impossible, so I pack up my stuff and head home. By the time I get there, a new email from Jim Sanders hasarrived.
Ms.Dominguez,
That’s excellent news. To answer your question about what the role would consist of, right now we’re considering you as a brand representative. I do remember you saying that modelling isn’t the focus of your career, but this role would consist of much more thanthat.
As a brand rep, you’d be one of the faces of the campaign. You would feature in all the ad materials, and be asked to maintain social media accounts that use your personal image to promote the brand. This would involve development of creative advertising strategies on your part, and from what I’ve seen of your work, you’d be more than capable of doing thejob.
I can schedule you for an interview on Wednesday attwo.
Sincerely,
JimSanders
An interview. I’m actually being offered an interview by a major advertisingfirm.
I try not to let the dubious job description dull my excitement. It’s clear that despite me saying I had no interest in modelling, they still want me to pose for ads. If they were only interested in my ability to look good in a swimsuit, though, why would they bother with me? Plenty of girls can put on a bikini and flirt with a camera, probably way better than I can. They had to have seen something of value in my advertising work, and if that’s the case, maybe I can talk them out of the modellingaspect.
With the word ‘interview’ still dancing before my eyes, I whip out my phone and pause when I find myself punching in Aaron’snumber.
My first thought when I read through the email was, ‘I have to tell Aaron.’ Not Alice. Not my parents. Aaron. I didn’t stop to think about what that meant, and I decide that I’m not going to now. I hit the call button and wait for him to pickup.
“Well look whose calling. To what do I owe the pleasure, PrincessPeach?”
I hesitate, suddenly doubting myself. ‘An exciting thing happened to me and I just wanted to tell you about it,’ isn’t really something you say to your archenemy with whom you just happen to be having casualsex.
“I, uh, just wanted to gloat. I figured you might want the opportunity to bask in mysuperiority.”
“Bask in your superiority? That sounds like something I wouldsay.”
“Yeah, actually, it does. I’m spending too much time with you. It’s rubbing off. Anyways, just wanted to let you know that I was right and you were wrong. P&T were clearly impressed with more than my boobs. They offered me aninterview.”
“Seriously?” he asks. “At P&T?”
“Yep. The day aftertomorrow.”
“Okay I’ll admit it, Dominguez. I’m impressed. What position is itfor?”
“It’s kind of weird,” I admit. “I’m hoping to just use the interview as an in to talk about doing something else, but they mentioned considering me as a brandrepresentative.”
