[Madison]

Thanks, everyone, for your help. I think you may have saved me from undervaluing myself.

I heard back today from the company that placed the Help Wanted advertisement looking for a draftsperson. We had an interview, I guess, on the phone.

It's a small company, and when I mentioned $20/hr, they laughed at me and offered $12. Seeing as I don't have any job at all, $12/hr is better than nothing right now.

I told them I'd beeing working as a volunteer and mentor for the past several years using AutoCAD 2000, 2002, and Autodesk Inventor. They seemed satisfied and mentioned nothing at all about seeing the work I've done in the past.

My responsibility would be to create floorplans of commercial buildings and then overlay fire alarms and protection systems, security systems, etc. They said I'd have to familiarize myself with local firecode and that there was a chance I might have to go out on site to take measurements or make changes to the plans. Whatever plans I made would be shown to an architect and a fire marshall for building approval. I felt a bit uncomfortable about being the last leg in the process to getting approval for installation. That seems like a lot of responsibility to put upon a part-time employee that you've never met.

Then, the "interview" got really strange. They asked me for my height and weight, and whether I had any body piercings or tatoos. They asked about the length of my hair, too. My hair was too long for their standards, apparently, and they said I'd have to have it cut shorter before they'd hire me.

Now, I understand that companies might have a dress code, and even grooming standards. Asking someone their height and weight is, to my knowledge, illegal. My mother works in human resources and agrees.

They asked me if I'd cut my hair. I told them that I'd have to think it over. (I like my hair, and it has no effect whatsoever on my ability to move a mouse.) I've had a few hours to think this over now, and it doesn't seem like things here are kosher or entirely on the up and up.

They're expecting me to call them back on Monday with a decision.