Competition

I've never really thought of myself as a competitive person - but I guess I sort of am...

Today I'm interviewing for a new consulting placement. I don't really want the placement that badly as it is downtown Milwaukee and the traffic is really terrible right now because they are reconstructing major portions of the freeway system in and around the city. Also I have a friend who just came off a placement there and did not have a good experience working for this particular company. The manager she was under was a big jerk - they tell me I'll be working for someone different, but it is hard to know how much of that kind of treatment is company culture and how much is one guy being a jerk.

The competition comes in when I find out another writer at my consulting firm is also interviewing for the same position. I've only known this woman since I started here in early Feb. and she seems very nice. We have similiar qualifications and I think either one of us would do well in the role. Suddenly, now that I know she is also being submitted for the same placement I feel I have to beat her out. I don't really get this about myself as I don't really even want the "prize" as it were. I guess I just don't want to be seen by our managers and coworkers as the weaker candidate or the one who lost out. I feel I'm already fighting a secretarial type stereotype at times, and I don't need my bottom-rung status confirmed by being beat out of a placement. I wish they had just submitted her and not me, but I cannot really request that without a more legitimate gripe. *sigh*