This IT pilot fish has been laid off and is in the thick of his job hunt when he comes across a posting from a small engineering firm that’s looking for a software developer.

“The company’s location was about 100 miles away, beyond my commuting range,” says fish. “But it was a small firm, 20 to 30 people, in a beautiful area with lots of lakes and resorts — and where IT jobs were rare.

“My skills and experience matched their requirements well, so I thought, ‘Why not? Nothing to lose’ and submitted my resume.”

A week later, fish gets a call from a woman who identifies herself as the HR person — as well as receptionist and general administrative assistant — for the firm. She tells fish they’d like to do a phone interview, and they settle on Wednesday at 2 p.m. as the time.

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