My Experience with the Job Hunt: Part 2

The fateful day of the final interview, it was pouring rain, of course. To save my direction-clueless self the trouble of navigating the city, I opted for a cab, which skidded on the flooding roads too many times for comfort. But when I arrived, dripping from head to toe, I immediately relaxed. A hiring coordinator—who I had met through Skype last week—greeted me and gave me a tour of their brightly-walled offices, featuring sprawling couches, a fitness center, and the latest modern décor.

I first spoke with a department head, who asked me to expand on my resume, explain how I measure “marketing success”, and show how I’d contribute to the firm’s campaigns. I then met with a human resources manager, who mainly asked about my background, including my abroad experience and hobbies, even touching on my long-forgotten piano days. Finally, I met once more with the hiring coordinator, who encouraged me to ask any additional questions before she led me out.

Ahhh, the questions. I’d have to say this was my one stumbling-block. I met with this same coordinator in-between each round, who encouraged me to ask any and all questions I had about the company. I’d already fired away my long question list on Skype the week before, when we had a similar question-answer session. I struggled to come up with something—anything---to ask her about, hoping to reinforce my interest. I wondered if I was being too repetitive, or if it was better to keep picking her brain rather than admit I was all set.

As it turns out, I still don’t have the answer. But what I did learn is that the tricky question-game isn’t so black and white; we just have to somehow strive to find that good balance. It’s important to have some intelligent questions on-hand, as well as follow-up with questions specific to the conversation. But at the same time, don’t force it. If you feel like you’re asking just to add to your precious question-count, your employer might sense it, too.

The hiring coordinator told me that she would have a decision for me by the following Monday. Turns out, I didn’t hear until that Wednesday afternoon, leading me to frantically check my phone each day until then, my heart racing as I saw the familiar red-blink in the corner---only to realize it was spam mail, or a friendly email from my grandpa.

As it turns out, I didn’t get the position. The hiring coordinator politely informed me that the company had decided to move forward with other candidates. She reinforced that it was a highly competitive program, and that I should continue to check out any available job openings on their website.

Predictably, I was bummed. But I had prepped myself for this likely possibility, and I bounced back fairly quickly. And of course, my friends and family helped. They told me something that should help all of us combat the feeling of rejection: if we don’t get the job, it probably wasn’t meant for us. Yes, we’re awesome, talented, intelligent, and totally competent. But, not every job is for us. If we get rejected, it’s not because we’re unqualified or unsuitable but because, for some reason or other, a hiring manager thought another candidate would be a better match. The dreaded rejection says nothing about us as job-competitors.

And, most importantly, these experiences---yes, even the rejections---are incredible learning experiences. The jittery nerves, the tricky questions, those awkward pauses—they all help in the long-run. Every experience pushes us to sharpen our interview skills and gain confidence in our professional interactions. And the more we practice, the better we get. We’ll look back on these rejections as necessary stepping stones in the job hunt, critical to landing the job truly right for us.