I had a 2.5 hour interview today (in San Francisco so with commute the total project time was close to seven hours), & I’m just thankful it’s over.
It’s for a job I’m eminently capable of doing well (product marketing for research services) in an industry I’m familiar with (& interested in), so I should have done well. But each of them (two VPs & a senior director of various marketing disciplines) asked me a question (different ones) that I didn’t know the answer to. & I felt like a dope.
Additionally, one asked for the three words I’d use to describe myself, & naturally I went blank. Then he asked for the three words a conclave of friends & colleagues would come up with to describe me & I also tanked. (I’ll have to add snappy thoughts on those topics to my collection of “tell me about a time you failed miserably & what you learned from it/would do differently” answers. Which was asked today.)
I guess I should be thankful that he didn’t ask what kind of tree I would choose to be. Because today it would be one in a forest fire assured of a swift death.
It's not surprising to come up blank to a question that's probably based on a seminar on 'How to Interview'. They probably wouldn't know how evaluate the answer, as they didn't have time for the after lunch portion of the seminar.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite interview experience was being asked a question about a process that hadn't been done in my organization in years. It was just a buzz word that someone submitted to fill a request from his or her boss.