don’t expect reason in the Interview Process
This is a follow-up to the Reflections on Strategy Discussions post. A further reflection on interviewing now that I have some actual feedback.
Think: No reason or rhyme.
So. If you think about interviews too much your head will explode. That is about the best advice I can give you about interviewing. A couple of things now that I have actually put my resume into the ocean of other resumes in the marketplace.
First. A fresh resume is like fresh meat.
Think of it like sharks smelling fresh blood. Regardless of the current economy there are a lot of companies looking for people out there. In addition there are the executive search people (I read somewhere think in The Economist that total searches are down but most companies’ profitability is up) who make their living off placing people. A new resume on the market is something they all seem to look at (or at least it feels that way with the sheer number of questions and resume ‘hits’ I received in week one alone and while week 2 wasn’t as high it still was higher than I thought it would be).
Having been a business development director I know at this stage you cannot have the attitude of “you know I am not feeling like I am a good fit for what you are asking me” when you get a contact (even though in your wildest imagination you cannot figure out why they would be interested in you for that particular opportunity) but rather “well, here is the honest answer and maybe also think about this.”
At this stage I can’t think about it as interviewing but rather “educating the gatekeeper community” so I can get in the consideration set at some point if the right opportunity appears. The best advice I give most people here is don’t get too anxious for fighting for a face-to-face (or an interview) but rather give as much relevant information as you possibly can so they understand you are qualified.
This part seems reasonable to me. But. Here is where reason gets thrown a curveball.
Second. The face to face.
Wow. No reason to the rhyme. Over past couple of weeks I have talked to two companies about basically the same position (had the same title and basic responsibilities). They were basically the same (same industry, one was a little larger in organization size then the other, pretty much the same philosophically and culture type). Met face to face with both. Said pretty much the same to both (it is actually kind of amazing how often people ask the same types of questions and want to discuss similar things if you are talking about similar responsibilities). And I have already written about how I didn’t feel like it went particularly well (the discussions) with either.
So the net result?
The slightly smaller organization suggested I wasn’t qualified enough for the opportunity (saying that there were several other candidates that were very qualified they were interested in more than me) and the slightly larger organization suggesting I was over qualified for the opportunity (basically saying just that). And these conversations (one by email and one by phone) happened in a 48 hour span. And let’s be clear, I did not meet enough people to even be able to assess from my own perspective the chemistry aspect of the overall organization with me. (so I would be hesitant to suggest they would know for sure).
So. The one I would have guessed I was overqualified for thought I was not qualified enough and the vice versa on the other (which makes me wish I had more vices to help me think my way through it).
Once again. Your head will explode if you try and figure out the logic behind the interviewing process.
I have walked out of interviews in my life feeling like I have nailed it and received the “sorry, loved you but don’t love you enough” as well as I have walked out feeling like my follow-up would have to be Mensalike to get back in the game and received a “loved you and lets show you how much we love you.” It’s a wacky thing this whole interviewing thing. Not a lot of reason to it. But lots of reasons to drink.
Hello!!, my name is Ana Lopez I am a Mexican that lives here in SF, I really like your post, I am in an interview process too, and I would like to share my experience, but before I would like to make a comment of what you wrote…
I think there is a lot of logic of what you lived in your interviews, the small companies normally want to hire a person that has experience in some other things than the requirements of the position , because they don’ t have so many people working there and you would have to be able to manage some extra things at the same time, while the big company has there positions and their responsibilities quite specialized, so, you will just have to do what they are asking you to do and if they feel you know a little bit more they think you could be over qualifies for the position and you would like to jump very fast for the next level , so they don’t want that either… So, yes you are right you never know but if you think about it there’s always a reason behind weird things like that!!
So about my experience, I really enjoy how Americans do their interview process, it’s totally different that in Mexico, here you have to arrive to you interview very well prepared knowing everything about the company, and their competitors, their brands, etc, if you don’t have idea of what they produce or advertise you are totally out of focus, you will loose any opportunity for looking bright during the interview!!
I finished my third round of interviews with the same company, a very good company in the beer industry, and my third interview was a very good experience, they make a panel of tree directors for interviewing me, and thanks good I was well prepared because each one had his list of questions and situations already prepared for me!! Wish me luck I will make another comment if everything goes Ok with my process!!
In brief, we don’t have to loose any hope, we just have to arrive the best prepared we can , and be ourselves, don’t sell yourself too high, just be yourself and be the smartest you can be.. Good luck to everyone that is in this same situation!!
I have to update my comment of my interview process. Well, finally after two panel interviews and one Mexican concert I got the job , I just signed all the papers, let me tell you that I was impressed by the economic proposal (for me “as a Mexican” it was way tooo good” I was expecting less money and less benefits).
So I am very happy with my new job , I will start in 1 month because I don’t have my permission papers for working, so they will wait for me 1 whole month so I can receive my papers and have my social security number, driving license, car insurance, etc.
One of the things of the process that I found really different was the drug test, they receive you in a small room and they ask you to pee in a little cup without washing your hands or flushing the toilet, that’s the only exam that they make as part of the pre employment requisite. In Mexico they examine everything for entering to a new job, blood test, radios, sight, audition, pee and poop test of course, that is considered illegal in the USA right?
So after all this tests, phone calls, faxing information about my background etc, I think I am totally in this new company!! I have a great challenge ahead me, wish me luck !!
Félicitation pour la signature de ton contrat.Je suis content de voir que tu as bien réussi ds ta vie professionnelle.
De la par d’un ami français.