Newfound Neighbors

by FrostTheWolf

22- LFW

To say that it had been some time since the last time we did anything too crazy would be a great understatement. Especially when you have neighbors and friends that are just as unpredictable as life itself. One day, things might seem normal and calm… then, the next thing you know, your neighbor bursts into the center of your living room to talk with you about something urgent or just stop by to say hi. When Gizmo and her friends first moved in, I thought such things were just an annoyance. But over time, I’ve actually learned a lot about them and am actually happy to see them stop by. Because to me, that meant a change of pace.

Of course, today was… a bit different. Because unlike what I was usually doing, I was trying to do something important.

For the last few years, I had been focusing my efforts on school and trying to learn new skills to apply to the workforce. While that sounds like a good thing, it was only recently that I came to a realization. Despite all my years of studying and learning, I’ve never actually had any experience applying those skills at an actual job. So, today I had to dust off my old resume, make some changes and start job hunting.

Then, my neighbor happened to stop by. And that’s when things started to be difficult.

“What do you mean you’re having trouble finding a job? Don’t you have the right talent for it?”

The moment that question was asked, I had to do a obligatory double take, look up from my laptop and give my neighbor the most puzzled expression she’s ever seen. “I’m sorry, what? Talent?”

“Yeah, talent. It’s what an employer looks for when hiring somepony. And our cutie marks represent what we are best talented at, so…” As soon as she finished, Gizmo paused, tilted her head and looked at me, “Is that not how it works here?”

In all this time that I’ve known Gizmo, it didn’t quite click as to what cutie marks meant until right now. Then again, that’s on me for not asking about it.

“Not… exactly,” I regretfully told her, before another question surfaced in my head, “So wait, you’re saying that whether or not you get hired at a job in Equestria depends on if you have the talent for it?”

“Well, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“There are some other factors, but they’re minor in comparison,” she explained to me, “You know, like education and such? Over in Equestria, your talent represents not exactly what you’re good at, but what you’re passionate about, so to speak. Like, you’ve seen mine and know that I’m good with tinkering and creating new things.”

I… was a bit torn at that. For one, what Gizmo was telling me sort of made sense. But I couldn’t shake the feeling about what if somepony got a cutie mark for something they didn’t want. Like, if somepony was working at a job they didn’t like to make ends meet, only to have the logo of the company they were working for magically appear on their flank.

Thinking about such things isn’t going to help me right now. Maybe it would be better to catch Gizmo up to speed, “Well, when it comes to finding work here, you need to know whether or not someone’s hiring, what they’re looking for and if what you happen to have fits the job. Stuff like education, prior experience and the like are very important, as well as a handful of other things. It’s a whole process and not as easy as yours, from the sounds of it.”

“Well, there may be some things that I left out…” the unicorn nervously said, “But I’m pretty sure they’re common with the hiring process. You know, interviews, background checks, medical screening, lie detector tests…”

Wait, what was that last one-?

“So, what jobs are you looking at?” I heard Gizmo say right next to me, before realizing that she teleported next to me to peek at what I had on my Laptop. No matter how many times she does it, I never get used to it and it startles the crap out of me every time. “What the-? Nothing on here is… the same-? Intern? Retail Clerk? Office Assistant-”

“Gizmo, you’re looking at my resume.”

“I am?” She blinked, this time being the one doing a double take as she looked back to the top of the Microsoft Word document I had open. “Oh, I am… wait a minute. Something’s missing.”

Now I’m the one doing the double take again, “Missing? Gizmo, I just finished editing this a few minutes ago-”

“That ‘summary of skills’ portion at the top. I don’t see any mention of the things that you do with us. Shouldn’t that be important for something?”

I wish. Then again, I doubt any company would want to hire someone who lists Dungeon Master of two DND campaigns, organizes game nights with friends, neighbor to a bunch of ponies that are more than likely on some kind of equestrian watch list and the so called ‘Princess Whisperer’ on social media under their list of notable skills. If anything, they might think I’m insane.

“And all these places you’ve worked at before… they’re all so different. None of them are even close to being the same. Why is that?”

That is… something that even I honestly did not know the answer to. For most people, they would find an interest or a career path of some sort and just stick with it all the way through. Me though? That’s… not me. I have multiple interests, some even getting in the way of others and just bouncing around in my head. Nothing on my resume, or anything I’ve done, has ever been consistent.

But the more I think about it, the more that I realize there’s… one thing that’s similar. It’s less of an interest and more like what Gizmo was saying earlier. A talent, perhaps.

“Because there’s one thing that is the same with each job I’ve worked at,” I said, before giving her a reassuring smile, “I like to help others. It’s… that drive to make people’s day a little bit better and knowing that I helped them accomplish that encourages me to work harder. Heck, if I lived over in Equestria, my cutie mark might be based on that.”

That had Gizmo just look at me, a bit taken aback by the things I’ve said. But it was as I closed the document I had open and the internet tabs I had out that she asked me a different question. One that I honestly wasn’t expecting for her to say.

“Is that… all you want? Just that?”

If I have to be honest, I didn’t really have an answer for her. Because the question itself wasn’t quite a simple one, if you think about it. Sure, there were things I personally would like to have, but that doesn’t quite relate to what she was asking me. This was about the job, not about anything material or anything else.

“If my hard work can help make the days of other people who are not as fortunate as I am a little better, then I wouldn’t want it any other way,” I told her, reassuringly as I close my laptop to look at her directly, “I like making other people happy and helping them with things that they need. It’s the same thing I do with you and your friends all the time, just more in a professional manner, so to speak.”

Now though, I felt like it would be better to shift topics. After all, this whole conversation took a turn that I don’t think either of us wanted. Besides, I can just worry about the job search later.

Though, I can’t help but shake the feeling that this conversation had a few gears turn in Gizmo’s head.

---

PoV- Gizmo (Several hours later)

---

“I want to help Sam.”

The moment that the unicorn said those words out loud as she came through the door, Brisk and Azure couldn’t help but give her a puzzled look as they sat at the dining room table for lunch, “Gizmo, I think we’re lacking context. What’s this about?”

“Sam’s trying to find a job, and I want to help her. But getting one here is much more difficult than I thought,” she honestly replied, “Also, did you know that lie detectors aren’t mandatory to the hiring process?”

“Okay, that helps a bit,” Azure said, ignoring the last part of what she said as he took a bite out of a sandwich with a couple gems inside, “But how are we supposed to help?”

“Well, she told me that through every job she’s had, which is a bit varied in case you’re wondering, she does it because she likes helping others,” the unicorn explained, “That kind of sounds similar to what she does with us on a daily basis-”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not as simple, Gizzy, but I see what you mean,” Brisk added.

“If you’re thinking about trying to hire her, then let me remind you that we don’t exactly have any businesses or anything here. After all the stuff we’ve gone through and the agreement that we all had with Celestia, we’re pretty much living an early retirement,” the dragon pointed out.

The unicorn, however, just shrugged it off. “I wasn’t going to say that we should hire her. I was going to ask if there was anypony we know that could be looking for somepony to hire.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s that simple, Gizmo,” Brisk straightened himself up in the chair he was sitting as the earth pony looked back at his marefriend, “Outside of the pegasi that Swift reached out to for the stunt we did on Heart’s Warming, Mistral Step and fluffing Princess Luna, then I’m not sure if we have that many-”

However, it was as he looked back at Gizmo did he realize the same thing that Sam noticed when she visited. For the gears in her head started turning once more… and an idea was beginning to take form.

“That’s PERFECT!! Thanks, Brisky! I knew you would help give me some great ideas!”

Before either of them could say anything, the unicorn darted down the hall and slammed the door to her workshop as a long awkward silence drifted throughout the small living room.

Only to be broken by Azure asking a simple question, “What just happened?”

“Personally, I think it’s better if we don’t know.”

---

Author's Note:

Been a long while, but I think this is a good way to get back to it.

Like Sam right now, I am in the process of trying to get work (And might start working by the beginning of next month), so I think a chapter centered around that is a good idea.

Might do a part 2 to this at a later point, but I thought it would be a good idea to write this up with some spare time I had. And in case anyone asks, LFW is 'Looking for Work'.

Until next time
-Frost

Comments

[Labpony]

So does that mean hiatus is over now?
Or do you have eaven less time now and finishing this story is eaven less likely now?

[FrostTheWolf]

11806186
It's more like if I am going to write, it will be at my own pace. It may be tricky, but I will find time to work on it.

[Ryshinki]

Very nice chapter.

[Movingtarget Productions]

Thank god there was a new chapter of this, Fimfiction's getting boring

[Airy Words]

Yay! Is it strange that my mind flashed back to the parking lot I was driving through the last time I did a text to speech listen through this story?

I guess your story is deeply embedded in my skull now!

Great to get another chapter.

[FrostTheWolf]

11806785
That was... something I didn't expect, but I'm glad to hear. I'm happy you enjoyed it

[Dan]

Gonna ask Luna to give her a job?

Great idea!