The best job search story of the day goes to this one, by far

While I'm talking to the ladies in the Human Resources office of the school district I used to work for (and still do in another capacity, really) I express concern that my layoff letter came three months late and I'm worried that schools are not seeing that I'm actually not working in a school right now and would like to be, as my countless applications for teaching assistant positions have implied.

Said receptionist lady behind the desk points out that the best thing for me to do would be to call the schools themselves and let them know that I am looking and I have applied for positions at that school. She then hands me a five-page list of all of the schools in said district. Granted, I know this information and have been doing this from day one. The list is online and I've been following up.

So out of pure paranoia this afternoon while waiting for my second interview of the day, I decide to start calling some of the high schools in the district to see if they got my application materials. Of course, I get a voice mail. I leave a message explaining who I am and what I'm looking for and my contact information.

Low and behold, after completing said second interview I have voice mail waiting on my phone from principal at said high school I left a voice mail with. (This is another of my favorite activities of the job hunt. I don't think I've talked to so many recording devices in my life, and might actually have to start investing in the recording machine industry in the near future, but that is another post all together.)

The voice mail says the following, and a kid you not. "Hello, my name is so and so and I'm the principal at said high school. If you are inquiring about a position you really need to call human resources. They handle the whole process from beginning to end and make all hiring decisions."

Talk about running in a hamster wheel! I swear didn't I just get the opposite response from Human Resources? Does one not know what the other is doing? Is it laziness on the part of either the district office or the school hiring staff? Why oh why does hiring have to be so complicated? It seems to me, you find the right person for the job, one that matches the workplace personalities, and you hire them. Pay them to do a job that suits their skills. I don't get it. Can someone please explain it to me? Why must I get this run around.

That is all. I just had to get that out. End of story.