Living the classic nightmare
This whole job search thing is getting to me. Big time. Today I had an interview that I was really excited about - a company I’d love to work for, and the position would basically allow me to transition my past experience into a whole digital realm. A big opportunity for sure.
I was nervous this morning and cancelled my lunch with my good friend Tim so I could focus. I went on a nice walk (3 miles - nothing too crazy) to clear my head and I did some research, enough to feel confident that I had a clue what these folks really did. Then the phone rang, and it was the HR manager from my interview last week, the one that I didn’t want but was plenty qualified for. Get this: They don’t want me. I’m not even making it to Round 2. So that’s a confidence buster, when someone in your own industry (different area but definitely related) says “yeah, you’re not it.”
So I regroup, and I put on my new suit. I note that it fits perfectly and looks great and I felt all smart again. When I bought it, I didn’t have it hemmed at the time because I really felt I needed some SPANX for it to fit perfectly and now I don’t need the SPANX. My tummy looks considerably flat - considering it’s not - in the pants. I head downtown leaving plenty of time and arrive in plenty of time. I even have time to write down a few more questions and notes about what I had read in the morning.
The HR person greeted me and was definitely cordial, although not nearly as over-the-top friendly as she was when we chatted on the phone. They put me in a small, hot, glass conference room and my first of two interviewers came in. He told me a lot about the company, about the opportunity, and asked a few tough questions - about as tough as I like them. Borderline on a bit over-the-top tough but I held my own. When he left, I thought to myself, well that didn’t go perfectly but I did my best. I stood up and stretched my legs, and notice Interviewer 1 talking to someone in the hallway.
Who turned out to be Interviewer 2, the hiring manager. She came in all smiles. She asked me very few questions about me and my experiences - I brought them in as best I could on my own which is what I needed to do. But ultimately our meeting felt like a classic bad dream. I was at an oral final exam that I hadn’t studied for and pretty much had never been to class. And then suddenly I’m naked - power suit? Hardly. She spoke quickly and used foreign vocabulary. I couldn’t keep up. And then the meeting closes. She’s cordial, because that’s what you do, but she’s completely uninterested in me as a candidate. I suspect after the fact that what Interviewer 1 did was tell her where he thought I was potentially weak and her gig was to go for the jugular. Mission accomplished - I have bled out.
I wandered around Nordstrom afterwards to see if I could find something to buy so I could validate my expensive city parking. It took me about 45 minutes to find a necklace to go with my power suit. That’s where I started, although I hit 3 other departments on 2 other floors before I went back to the beginning. Then I rescued my car and drove home in the height of rush hour pondering whether or not I have any skills or experiences that would make me employable.
This has been a long long
XML Feed
I am so sorry. That is such a bad experience. It feels like you have wasted your time. Everything happens for a reason…When one door closes another one will open
Oooh, that was hard. But try to regroup and refocus. You are plenty qualified and when you find the next job, you’ll probably realize and understand why you weren’t hired at these other places. There’s a reason why you weren’t the right fit there.
good things come to those who wait. Something good is right around the corner for you. I can feel it. Doors will open soon.
Zina, you said something very important. Yes, the right things will feel right and you will know in your heart that it’s for you.
Ellen,
Right now say good bye to this day and make it history. That is safely forgotten. Thank God for short-term memory that only keeps very, very recent events in mind.
Hugs to you my walking buddy,
Tatiana
OUCH! Chalk it up as another interview experience and I hope you had a good drink afterwards. (calories and all). All of this is just leading you up to where you’re supposed to be. I do believe that. Besides…you know what MICK would say…You don’t always get what you want but you get what you need. You obviously needed a new necklace.
Sending good thoughts your way.
Cindy
I know you are feeling down about the whole thing but the only thing you can do right now is regroup. Look at that interview and the last interview and figure out what happened and ask yourself if you had a second chance what would you do different. Find the right answers for all those questions so that you are more confident when another interview comes around. Maybe even do some research on some interviewing techniques. I remember having a discussion with an HR friend of mine about a certain interview question that I always found hard to answer and she showed me a different way of answering that question in a more postive tone. All is not lost. Finding a job can be hard but if you keep at it eventually you’ll get a bite. Good luck girl. It will get better.
That sounds rough. Don’t worry, something better and more fitting will come along. You’ll see.