Job interviews suck even when they're awesome

It’s November and it’s my seventh month of partial unemployment. You must think I’m lying and that it’s more like ten or eleven but the definition of “unemployed” is somebody who doesn’t have a job and who is actively searching for one. See I stumbled into interview hell at the beginning of the year but didn’t really start trying again until about April.

When I got back from India, I was pretty exhausted. Not only was I jetlagged with a ten hour time difference but I was, in addition to being physically tired, psychologically drained. I had just returned from an intense trip and things had finally slowed down from one of the most intense years of my life and all I wanted to do was sleep for at least a month.

Nevertheless, the week I got back I had two phone interviews. One was a part time promotional assistant position at the company I work at now and the other a full time receptionist job at a software company. I had never experienced not having anything to do for an undetermined amount of time so getting a job RIGHTAWAY for some reason seemed like the next logical step.  I probably could have snared that receptionist job but I think the woman who interviewed me sensed my hesitance at getting a job that wouldn't really further my career. I had been doing that for years working at the library. Good money, fun people but obviously it wasn’t going to get me anywhere in the writing or media biz.  

So I did the interviews with absolutely no preparation and without really caring about the outcome. Considering the circumstances (jet lagged, not prepared, incredibly fatigued with using my brain), I think they went pretty well even though I stand before you partially jobless. I have learned however, that how well an interview goes has nothing to do with whether you’ll get the job or even a second interview. And so I didn’t get either job and then stopped looking for two months and was instead transfixed by the Vancouver Olympics, sleeping a lot and bumming around until I was sick of it.

My first REAL interview was at the end of April and for a really cool company. It was a non-profit organization that had been around for years so the office wasn’t in an old building with old chairs that make your back hurt with desks that are falling apart and no air conditioning. I have experience with other really awesome non profit organizations that do great things but sadly don't have money for luxuries.  Anyway, this particular somewhat rich non profit was so cool and the people made me feel really special! First they told me I was shortlisted with three others for an interview which is like "wow" for my first interview. Second they told me my resume was really impressive which, at the time, was amazing but I've been told that so many times since, it has lost its meaning. Third they put me through all kinds of skills testing that was fairly easy and thus made me think I had the job in the bag.

The interview itself was great. It consisted of The HR rep, the CFO, the person whose job I would be taking over and I all sitting at a round table. I was really well prepared and answered all of their questions with confidence and hopefully intelligence. It became the interview model for all subsequent interviews. And they had the common decency to let me know I didn’t get the position.

Evaluation of job interview: Communications Coordinator

Clothes: Purple dress shirt, grey pants, black pointy flat shoes.

Glasses or no glasses: Glasses. 

Morning, afternoon or evening: Morning. Ugh.

Small, medium or large firm: Small 

Number of interviewers: 3

Men or Women or Both: Both. Two women (previous Coordinator and HR rep) and a man (CFO).

Human Resources interview: Not really, even though the HR rep was there.

Length of interview: At least an hour. Possibly more.

Conference room or office: Conference room (so much better than an office).

Interview atmosphere: Relaxed and professional. Kind of perfect actually.

Office/location: Really nice, right downtown in an office building and a really nice office space.

Well prepared: Yes, times a million. I still have all the notes I wrote for this job interview in my little notebook. Strengths? Weaknesses? Where do I see myself in 5 years? Why do I want this job? I know the answers to all those questions!

Possibility of tardiness: I was very close to being late because I couldn’t find the right elevator to get to the right floor.

Stress level/likelihood of pit stains: Epic because of possible tardiness but relaxed really quickly because I wasn't late and everyone including the awesome receptionist was really nice. Sweating was at a minimum because it was fairly cool outside.

Initial vibe at office environment: I wanna work here I wanna work here I wanna work here.

Hurt chances due to slight English accent while speaking fluent French: No, because the company is mostly English.

Charmed them with quick wit and self depreciating humour: Yes, or so it seemed. I can’t remember what exactly because it was months ago. I made them laugh. They liked me. Or they were really good at faking their like of me.

Tough/weird question I’m not sure how to answer: How would you change the world? I said I’d make people more tolerant after a lot of really awkward silence. What a question. I still get nervous thinking about it. How would YOU change the world?

Desire to take back the answer to a question and replace it with something you just came up with while answering a different question: I can't remember but that almost always happens so probably.

Skills testing: Inbox exercise (they emailed it to me) testing how I would handle various high stress situations.

False sense of confidence: A billion fold. They made me feel great.

Disappointment at not getting job: Really REALLY disappointed. I probably shouldn’t have been because hardly anyone gets their first job from their first interview but I WAS SHORTLISTED! AND MY RESUME WAS IMPRESSIVE! AND THEY LIKED ME (I THINK). AND! AND... yeah.

Job status notifications: Yes. A very nice email that I didn't get the position. Not one of those annoying "I'm sure you'll find the perfect job for your qualifications and we thank you for your interest in our company" emails. A nice one. Thankfully.

It’s too bad I didn’t get the job because, now that I think about it, interviews have been going downhill from there. 

Maybe I should answer questions like this: