Opportunity Seat

When I first moved to San Francisco, I scrambled to affordably furnish my new apartment through postings on Craig’s List. Since I was solely funding the furnishing of my entire apartment and finances were tight, I had to be excessively frugal in making my purchases. I’ve always had expensive taste, so securing an amorous marriage between taste and affordability was a severe negotiation. But, after a few days I finally found a Pottery Barn love seat in good shape right in my price range. While picking up my new seating, I noticed tennis rackets tossed over the previous owner’s roommate’s bed. After some prying, I learned that her roommate, like me, was an avid tennis player. Having a running total of zero friends in my new home, I boldly asked for his contact information and sent him a Facebook message asking to get together to play tennis, a convenient façade that concealed my true message that read, “Hi, can you please be my friend?”

Flash forward to a couple months ago when I first moved into the Commune, I posted many of my old items on Craig’s List for purchase. When a fellow east coast transplant came to retrieve the same Pottery Barn love seat, I riddled her with questions about her relocation and job. Turns out, Charlotte’s company was in a hiring frenzy and she had been abruptly relocated, explaining why she was now doing the same mad dash to furnish her apartment I had done a year prior. I had several friends en route to my place for a dinner party, and she also was in a rush, so our conversation was brief.

A few days went by from when I helped shove the loveseat into the back hatch of her car, when I started to wonder if perhaps Charlotte’s company would be something that interested me. I harvested through old emails and found her company’s name imbedded in her signature. After checking out the Web site, I was enticed, and sent a message to her asking if they were still hiring and if I could pass along my resume. (True message: “Hi, will you please hire me?”)

Turns out, they did hire me and I put in my two week’s notice yesterday. While I appreciate the value of networking events, I think everyone should invest in a little Craig’s List shopping. From my original purchase, I also collected a friend/tennis partner and a new job.