I'm currently in the process of trying to fill a vacancy at work. Trying to find a sportswriter is a bit of an unusual task. Since there are a limited number of newspapers, you attract résumés from everywhere, and I mean everywhere: places like India and South Africa. But we're looking for a specific kind of person: someone who can write well, tolerate our remote location, and live on a salary that would outrage a teacher. It's not easy. Yesterday I thought I had a good candidate lined up: his cover letter mentioned collecting baseball cards as a kid!! His writing seemed crisp, he didn't let off any weird vibes in his email communications and he knew the area. But when I called him, he seemed bored out of his skull. I don't know if eight media companies are knocking down his door, but it was quite off-putting. And, I hate to get personal in situations like this, but it was especially off-putting knowing that he collects -- or at least collected -- baseball ...
Up all hours talking baseball, cardboard & collecting