The Interview Game

I've been on so many interviews, it's almost become a hobby to me.  Some people play D&D.  For some its World of Warcraft.  For me, it's the Interview Game?  Yikes, I need to get a life.

I'm not the only one to make the comparison.  In fact, CBS decided the comparison was too good to resist.  Hence they decided the world needed a new elimination-style reality game show, The Job.  Just like every other elimination-style reality game show, The Job is degrading, artificially-constructed, overly-dramatized, with fake premises.  Oh, wait, interviews are like that, too (only without the horrible beating heart drama music).

Here's how The Job worked (past tense, because it appears the show was cancelled after two episodes.  You weren't missing much if you didn't catch it.):

1. Introducing the company and the interview panel.  Of course, for a TV show, the interview panel is made up of VPs, GMs, CEOs, and anyone high up in the company who thinks their sparkly blue eyes will look good on TV.  In reality, the candidate is expected to research the company on their own time, and (unless you're vying for some super high up position) you will be interviewed by supervisors, managers, maybe a director, and possibly even peers.  Sparkly blue eyes that will look good on TV are not expected in a real interview.
2. Introducing the candidates.  Everyone in reality-TV has to have some kind of back-story, which is mentioned in the voice-over as they walk onto the stage.  In the first episode candidates included the vegan, the widow, and the cancer survivor.  In real life, not only do you have no idea who you are competing against, you also would never even think about walking into a room announcing, "Hi, I'm Jann, and my husband died!"
3. Introducing the other companies.  This is supposed to be "the twist" to add TV drama.  There are representatives from three other companies sitting off to the side watching the proceedings.  One of those companies could decide they want to hire one of the candidates.  Gasp!  There could be a bidding war!  I don't need to tell you that in the real world, this is never going to happen.  Adidas and Nike are never going to sit in the same room and interview the same set of candidates for the same position.
4. The first elimination round.  Ah, yes, reality TV must have elimination rounds.  The candidates spend time in the work place, and are given "challenges" to occupy their time.  There is a version of this that can happen in some interviews.  I've been asked to provide my feedback of embroidery samples during an interview for a Color Designer position, follow the instructions for sewing the applique and flap of a handbag for a Production Sewer position, and take a series of color tests for a Color Analyst position. Thankfully, if you fail one of these interview tests, you do not have your foibles discussed on national TV, nor do you have Lisa Ling insincerely proclaiming, "Whew.  That was hard!"
5. The questions, another elimination round.  Each remaining candidate is brought up to the interview panel one-by-one and given a set of three questions related to the company, the position, or the industry.  You would NEVER get these pop-quiz questions in a real interview.  "What two ingredients go into Simple Syrup?" "In 2012, Brad Pitt became the first-ever male spokesman in ads for what classic brand of perfume?"  Really?
6. False drama time!  The company writes the name of their favorite candidate on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope.  Oooo, the suspense!
7. The Pressure Cooker Challenge, another elimination round, and another attempt at putting twist into the drama.  In the second episode, the Pressure Cooker Challenge was to point out the error on the cover of sample Cosmopolitan covers.  I'm of the opinion that the interview in and of itself is the Pressure Cooker Challenge.
8. More false drama!  The other companies are given the opportunity to try to snatch one of the candidates.  I would love to have multiple companies fighting over who gets to hire me, but in real life, this is never going to happen.
9. Now they get to the "interview" where they ask each of the two remaining candidates one question.  Since when does the interview only have one question?One important difference between reality and reality TV- apparently the producers of The Job do not need to obey hiring laws.  One of the contestants was asked if she was really prepared to relocate for the job since she is a single mother of six questions.  This question is illegal.
   
10. The Decision.  This does happen in real life, but not in front of a live studio audience. 

The whole interview routine drives me crazy, as does the popularity of reality TV (in case you haven't noticed).  The system is set up to reward those who are good actors, the best at hiding their flaws, and maximizing their assets. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a new hobby to pursue.  It's time to sign up for some acting lessons.

The Infernal Internal Candidate

There is a saying, "It's easier to find a job when you have a job."  It turns out that in today's job market, this cliche is ringing louder and clearer than ever before.

This is a huge problem for unemployed folk such as myself, and the problem is only getting worse.  {Cue doomsday music.}

One of the reasons behind this phenomenon is that employers are becoming increasingly prejudiced against unemployed candidates.  Some have even stated in the job advertisement that they will not accept applications from the unemployed no matter the reason.   (Great article on that here- the comments are a rather interesting read as well.)

Another reason, and the focus of my tirade today, is the increased reliance on the internal candidate. According to this article (which references a Wall Street Journal article that I can't find), in 2010, 47% of all new hires were internal candidates.  And this trend is only gaining in popularity. 

HR people LOVE internal candidates!  They're cheaper and easier to recruit.  They improve morale at the company.  You don't have to pay them as much.  Sounds like a win/win, doesn't it? 

Not so fast.  I've been burned by this internal candidate phenomena.  The scar tissue hasn't healed yet.  Here's my story:

While I was still employed at my last job (so being unemployed was not yet one of my problems), I saw an advertisement for a great opening-level-type position at a company whose product I am totally gaga over.  You could not fake my enthusiasm over this company and the position was really great, too.  Super extra bonus- I know someone who works there already! 

I sent my contact an email inquiring about the job.  Her response, "you would be a fantastic fit for this position."  I'm golden!  She gave me the name of the HR person, so I bypassed the generic "apply@company.com" as posted on the advertisement and went straight to the right person. 

Then came the phone interview.  I am starting to get really super extra excited about this.  Then came the in-person interview.  I am extra super encouraged.  My enthusiasm showed through.  They appeared very receptive to my answers to their questions.  It seemed like the best thing ever.  The feedback from my contact was very positive, as was the feedback from another contact who had been employed at the company for a long time and stayed in touch with them. 

I could not be more excited about this opportunity.  Everyone I talked to agreed, "oh, that is so perfect for you."  And it was... or so I thought.

Fast forward to my last week of employment.  My self-esteem was already wavering on unhealthy low levels, which is what happens when you spend two months working with the guy who stole your job and you've been steadily watching him being phased into your job while you are being not-so-gently phased out. 

It's Tuesday.  I had barely warmed up my seat that morning when I see a new email on my personal account.  It's the super fantastic company I'm super excited about working for.  It was one of those dreaded, "we decided to move forward with another candidate" emails. 

I spent a good day-and-a-half bawling my eyes out. 

I learned later from both my contacts that the position went to an internal candidate.  Both contacts told me that the intent from the start was for this internal person to get the job. 

I do not know why they advertised the position to the public if the job was intended to stay internal.  I do know that I spent a lot time, energy, excitement, and eventually tears going through the process.  The company also spent some time and energy getting to know me as a candidate.  I also know that I would have been a great employee.  They missed out on a great opportunity to hire someone who had enthusiasm and love to spare for their product line and would have showed it every day with passion for their work.

In the end, they decided the internal candidate was more valuable than the enthusiastic one.  And so here I sit, much less enthusiastic and a little more bitter... and unemployed.

Dear HR People;

Have you ever been unemployed?  Do you know what it is like to apply for a job?  Have you ever had to go through the process, and get excited about the opportunity- only to have your hopes slashed with no explanation?  Some say it's a process that you could benefit from:

From http://qualigence.com/infographic-recruiters-wake-up/

I would like to share with you a few of my experiences in hopes that you may learn how to think of the job application process from the other side of the interview table (actually, it is more accurate to say, the other side of the computer monitor).

First, if your company is large enough that it uses a recruiting software, please read my post about Taleo.  If you need more proof, look through the Google search results for "Taleo sucks."  Please note that there are a number of people, I mean "qualified candidates" in your terminology, who are saying they will not apply for a job if they have to use it.

The #1 complaint of job seekers is lack of response.  No matter the method of application, I never expect a response.  Never.  There is definitely a "keep your expectations low and you won't be disappointed" philosophy here.  I have a lot of history to support this philosophy.  I even get excited if I get a form email back, "Thank you for your recent application.  Due to the high number of applicants we will only contact you if...."  The automatic form email response should be the very least that a job applicant receives.  But there must be a better way.  There must be.

In an ideal world where there is no fear of litigation, as soon as my application has been rejected, I would receive a notification with explanation (how can I as an applicant learn how to improve without this information?).  If my application is being reviewed, I would also receive notification.  Since we're in an ideal world, this would all happen in a reasonable time frame, too.  Please don't leave us hanging.

Thank you for your consideration into these matters.  I know you want to find the right person for the job.  We're out there.  We are ready, willing, and excited to make some amazing contributions to your company.  But we're getting just a tad bit frustrated at the process because there seems to be some big cracks that we're falling through while trying to get through it.

Sincerely,

A Job Seeker

Unemployment Strikes Again

My five readers (thanks to everyone who peruses these pages!) may have noticed that it has been over a year since I have posted in this lovely blog.  There's a good reason for that.  I was working (!).  But, alas, I am no longer (?!?).  How did this turn of events come to be?

First, refresh yourself with this lovely piece from December, 2011.  No, I didn't get that job (but now I know who did!).  "Emma" eventually called me to give me the bad news.  At the same time, she asked if I was available for helping out with a couple little projects she had coming up.  A few days here, a week there.  Of course I'm available!  What else am I going to do?

My first day of work at Company I was Thursday, January 5, 2012.  I was tasked with what was described as a week-long data entry project.  One-and-a-half days later, I completed the "week-long" project.  Easy peasy.  I was a lab analyst.  I can do data entry in my sleep.

When I told Emma I was finished with the project, she found something else for me to do.  And when I finished that, she found me another thing to do.  This continued for several months.  I took notes at meetings, measured samples, all kinds of data entry, much-needed organization of stuff, unpacked samples, sent out wear test garments, and anything else I could do to help out the Product Development team.  I had not signed a contract and did not have any feedback about my staying-power.  I  just kept filling out time cards and they kept paying me.

Eventually I was assigned a desk.  Desks are good!  And then they gave me a computer for my desk.  Even better!  Then I got an email address.  Yahoo!  You don't give someone an email address unless you think they're going to be staying around for awhile and needing to use it.

Then something magical happened.  One of the Product Developers was being taken out of her normal role so that she could be a Super User for the new Product Line Management (PLM) system.  Company I started advertising for a six-month contract Product Developer.  That was the good news for me!  I didn't get too excited, though, because the advertisement required candidates to have 3-5 years experience.  Here's how the conversation went with my boss:

"I saw that you're looking for a Product Developer to take over for Lacey while she's working on PLM."

"Yes, we are.  You should apply."

"But I noticed that you were looking for someone with 3-5 years experience.  I don't have that."

"Yes, but you should apply."

I went home with a giant smiled on my face and applied for the job that night.

I honestly think the happiest day of my life was the day my boss pulled me aside to tell me that I was going to be offered the six-month Product Developer position.  She raved about the work I had been doing and my ability to build trust within the team so quickly.  She told me that they interviewed other candidates who did have the required 3-5 years experience, but she didn't think any of them would do as fabulous of a job as I could.  My insides were dancing for at least a week after that.

I put my all into that job.  I loved it.  The work was exactly what I wanted to do.  I loved the company and everyone I was working with.  Every day I went to work I walked in the door with excitement for the day.  

And then something happened that gave me a lot of hope.  Lacey, the PLM Super User (and whose job I was covering) decided to leave Company I.  I had another very promising conversation with my boss that led me to believe that there were possibly some very exciting opportunities for me within the company.  I felt like I had finally found my nitch in the world.  Finally I was doing the work I was meant to do and I loved it.

It turns out I was counting my chickens before they hatched.  It turns out they wanted to hire someone else for the permanent position, someone I had been working with- another contractor who had been working with the Product Development team on a completely different project.  He has more experience than I in one very particular thing and they decided they wanted that experience.  They do have someone on the staff who has this one very particular thing as her job, but no one else.  They decided this guy would be able to provide support for this particular thing and so they offered him the job.  Naturally he accepted.

They didn't kick me to the curb immediately, but allowed me to hang on for two more months (a contract extension) while Mr. Superior-to-Me transitioned into the new job and I could help them do data entry getting this new PLM system set up.  This was a miserable two months.

I had to work with the guy who stole my job for two months.

My last day of work was December 21, as in the Friday before the Christmas holiday.  Merry Christmas to me.  It was a horrible day.

And so now I am unemployed again.  And wondering again, why does this have to be so hard? 

How did the Interview Go?

As a job seeker, one of the questions I hate to get asked is, "How did the interview go?"  The only question I hate more is, "So, how's the job hunt going?"- but that's a story for another day.

I went on an interview yesterday!  Therefore, I've been hearing the dreaded question quite a bit.  The reason this drives me crazy is two-fold.  First of all, I must be a bad judge about interviews.  I've gotten jobs from interviews that I've only felt so-so about.  And I've had interviews that I felt really good about, but the job went to someone else.  Secondly, it's not for me to decide if the interview went well or not.  That's a decision for whomever is sitting on the other side of the table.

That being said, this is how the interview went (in summary)...

• They asked me to arrive 15 minutes early and I was exactly on the nose 15 minutes early.  Actually, I was more like 40 minutes early.  I sat in my car and read through all my notes before walking in the door exactly 15 minutes before the interview was supposed to start. 
• When I signed in at the front desk, I noticed that the person who had signed in before me had done so 2 weeks ago... and I recognized her name.  We went to school together at the Art Institute.  Is she my competition?  I start to panic because I know she's super nice and hard-working and good.  But then again- that was two weeks ago!  My mind is racing...  Calm down calm down calm down.
• I sit in the chairs by the front desk and wait and wait and wait.  The woman at the front desk can see me and I imagine that my interview has already started.  Those front desk people have a lot of power, you know.  I sit very quietly and smile when people pass and stare intently at the giant poster on the wall that gives a year-by-year synopsis of the company's successes.
• Finally!  I'm greeted by one of my interviewers and ushered into the conference room.  There are three people on the interview panel.  They introduce themselves and tell me the structure of the interview:  They talk about the job, I talk about my resume, they ask me questions.
• Their description of the job tells me that this is some place where the skills from my first career as a lab analyst may be appreciated!  That is not always the case.  I highlight my scientific and analytic skills and I get to talk about working with color.  I show my portfolio paying special attention to the color stories.
• Questions they asked- When did I disagree with a decision from a higher-up and how did I handle it?  An example of a time when I was called out on a work-realted problem and how did I handle it?  What process do I use to learn new tasks or take on new responsibilities?  What strength would I bring to the role?  For the first question in this list, I talked about a time very early on in my internship (as in the first week!) when I was asked to double-check someone's lab dip results and I disagreed with her analysis of one color.  She said the red was too dark compared to the color standard, but I found it to be a perfect match under every single light condition.  I  was very nervous about bringing it to her attention but she agreed with me, told me she didn't trust her eyes, and changed her results.  By the end of the internship, I was running lab dips without assistance.  One of my interviewers said, "That's a great example."
• At the end of the interview they gave me four diffeerent sets of embroidery samples.  Each set included three different samples with the same logo placed on the same colored fabric.  Each sample in the set had a different color scheme for the logo.  They asked me to go through each set and talk about my favorite and my decision process.  One of the sets was a pale yellow fabric.  The obvious "loser" from this set was embroidered with thread the color of baby poop.  I called it as I saw it and they laughed.
• I asked two questions, "I noticed that this organization is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the big giant parent company {Of course, I used the actual names of the companies when I asked the question.}  What does that mean in terms of culture or other differences?" and "Can you tell me how this job is evaluated and what is expected for this role in the first 30 days or 60 days?"  After I  asked the second question, the manager said, "That's a great question!"
• The interview ended exactly one hour after it started.  I was ushered out of the conference room.  When I was about halfway through the front door I remembered that I needed to sign out.  I turn around and walked up to the reception desk.  I said to the woman at the desk, "oh, I almost forgot to sign out!"  I look up to see if there's a clock but all I see is her grinning back at me with a look almost like, "Ha-ha!  They'll hear about this!  Gotcha!"  There was no clock so I had to ask her for the time.  Her silly grin greeted me in return.  She delayed the tiniest bit- just to torture me a little bit more, I'm sure- before looking at her computer and giving me the time.  I thanked her and left.

And now the crazy hair-pulling waiting process begins anew...

Lady Luck and the Job Search

A strange thing happened to me this week.  I got an interview.  For an entry-level job.  From a company that generally does not hire entry-level people.  A job I applied for the day before.
The job- a great job that I would be perfect for, that happens to come with a for-real actual salary and real-live benefits.

The company- a major player in the sportswear field where I have applied approximately 1,426,823 times before and never heard a single blip from. This time they replied mere hours after I hit that "submit" button on their Taleo site and scheduled the interview for the following day.

This turn of events is so strange and unnatural to me that I naturally came to the conclusion that some form of luck must be involved.

Luck has to be involved.  It just has to.  I have friends with fantastic jobs because their best friend worked at the company, or because they happened to intern at a company that was ready and willing to hire soon after the internship ended.  (One of the companies I interned with had a position come available, AND they were interested in hiring me... but... in the middle of the interview process it was announced that the company was moving out of state.)
Here's the rundown from a great article on The 8 Secrets of "Lucky" Job Seekers, and my analysis
1.  Truly believe you are a lucky person- I have not been thinking luck has been on my side, in fact quite the opposite.  But, as you know from my previous post, what I have been doing is working on believing in myself.  And I've taken steps to change my Debbie Downer mood:  I've been dressing the part, I've changed my weekly schedule for better organization (Friday is "blog day"), and I had lunch with my biggest networking supporter.  All of these things impacted my attitude in a positive way.
2.  The grass isn't greener on the other side- Oops.  I was doing this two paragraphs ago.  I enjoy supportive and loving family and friends, safe and comfortable shelter, and good health.  There are many people WITH good jobs who do not have these things.  And, as I know from experience, sometimes the circumstances of your job are detrimental to those good things.  Count your blessings.
3.  Don't be a Negative Nancy- It's true.  No one wants to be around a person shrouded in negativity, so why in the world would anyone want to hire someone who has a black cloud hanging over their head?  I'm no Negative Nancy.  I'm Kinetic Kristina!

4.  Embrace Spontaneity- This is one of my strengths, and the whole reason I applied for this job when I did.  I had gone to the unemployment WorkSource office that morning, because I had received a letter that my unemployment benefits had run out and I needed to apply for an extension.  When I explained why I was there, I was told, "We can't help you because we're not the unemployment office.  We're the WorkSource office.  Our job is to get you a job."  This prompted me to go on a little rant about how I was feeling unemployable- career change at the wrong time- no one will hire me for the old career because I clearly don't want to do that any more- no one will hire me for the new career because I don't have any experience- etc.  They were very kind in listening and letting me get it all out.  Then they directed me to telephones kiosks that are directly wired to the unemployment office. While I was on hold, I thought, "What the heck.  I'm right next to a computer kiosk.  I'll just lean over and do some job searching."  The rest is history.
5.  Be Prepared- Yeah, I still need to work on that elevator speech.  Why is that so hard?  But, as I have mentioned before, I do know how to be prepared for an interview!
6.  Strive to be a Connector- I know I've mentioned before that I'm a Myers-Briggs INFP personality type.  I can't think of another personality type least likely to be a "connector" according to this article.  Thankfully, they are only suggesting that lucky people strive to be connectors.  Every day I do just that- I strive!

7.  Always Think of the Glass as Half Full- I think this goes along with #2. 

Special note- while originally typing this blog entry about luck, rather ironically, my computer suddenly turned off and stopped working. How's that for luck?

8.   Keep Your Expectations in Check- The article ties this to patience and persistence.  "Lucky" people don't take all those setbacks and negative responses personally.  "It must not have been meant to be." and "Everything works out.  You didn't get this job because something better is waiting for you." are two sentiments I hear a lot.  However, as a longer-term job seeker (since May), it becomes harder and harder to see things this way when your opportunities seem to be fewer and farther between.  My expectations with this super job I'm interviewing for were low.  I've applied to approximately 1,426,823 of their job openings with no results.  I had no reason to believe that application number 1,426,824 would be any different.  Lesson learned- it may not seem like it but every job application has a chance of getting noticed.  With a little bit of "educated luck" (similar to an educated guess?) that one application could be your foot in the door to something fantastic.

And I have to add- what about expecting that your computer is going to keep working?  Huh?  I think my computer has been bad luck. 

Believing in Myself

Cul de Sac comic published 12/3/11.

I love this heart-warming reminder about the importance of believing in yourself.  This cartoon appeared in the paper at the perfect time for me.  Lately, the job hunt has had me feeling rather down.  Truth be told, I struggle with believing in myself enough as it is.  Add the demoralizing, inhumane process of looking for employment and the normal daily struggle becomes a seeming insurmountable task.  Oh, how I wish it was as easy as standing on top of a manhole cover and willing myself to believe in myself.  GRRRRRRRGHRRRRRRR! 

If you're a member of my facebook page (and please join if you haven't!), then you know I'm still waiting to here back about a job.  The waiting part is so frustrating and has led me to this current not-believing-in-myself rut.  Here's the recap of all the ups and downs:

• October 9 (two months ago!)- one of my former instructors, "Carol," asks me if I would be interested in a potential position at Company I.  One of her friends was doing some freelancing work with them and heard they might be looking for someone to come in and help with a big project.  Being the valuable networking friend she is, Carol instantly thought of my name when asked if she knew anyone who might be interested.  Yay!  I believe in myself!
• October 10- Carol sends my name and a brief recommendation to two employees at Company I who are directly involved in this big project, "Janice" and "Emma".
• October 11- Emma sends me an email.  Would I be interested in coming to their office on the 19th for a meeting?  YES!!!!  Just give me a time.  Super believing in myself!
• October 14- I'm panicking a little bit.  The believing in myself meter drops.I still don't have a time for my interview.  What do I do?  I decide to send an email to both Janice and Emma.  Emma emails me back right away- how about 4pm?  The meter is back up!
• October 18- While preparing for my interview, I realize that I had not confirmed my availability.  D'oh!  I quickly rectify that problem and attach my resume, but my believing in myself meter falls a little bit.
• October 19- Emma thanks me for confirming (meter goes up!) and mentions, "by the way, this is not an interview but an informal get-to-know-you chat."   What does that mean??!??  Is that a good or a bad thing?  The meter goes down a bit.  I think the informal-get-to-know-you chat goes well.  Emma remembers me from a previous interview for a different position at Company I, which seems to be a good thing.  But have I convinced them that I'm ready, willing, and excited about doing the kind of work that they need?  The meter wavers.
• October 20- I send a thank you email to both Janice and Emma.  And wait.  Every day of waiting causes the meter to dip a little bit further.
• November 15- Almost a month after my informal-get-to-know-you chat Jessie asks me if I would be interested in returning for a second "conversation", this time with the VP for the department, "Lydia."  I believe in myself again!  I immediately confirm my availability for the conversation.
• November 17- I meet with Lydia for about 20 minutes.  Short interviews, or conversations, always make me nervous.  On the plus side, she has a scientific degree as well, so she understands the technical-and-creative-at-the-same-time thing.  My meter wavers a bit as I relive the conversation in my head.  Lydia told me she could get the final approval very soon (as in the next day).  I send my thank-you email that night and get an auto-reply response.  Lydia is working remotely on Friday and will be out of the office the following week.
• November 18- No word.  The waiting begins.
• November 30- Still no word.  I send another email to Lydia to check on the status of the position.  And I receive another auto-reply response.  Augh!  She is working remotely for the week and may not be able to respond to emails quickly.  My hope falters with every passing day.  I feel that at this point every day of waiting lessens my chances by a little bit.  Meanwhile, due to a severe case of I-really-want-this-job-itis, I don't have any other opportunities in the pipeline.  I start to feel that this job is my last hope at employment.  I've been out of school long enough that my appeal to employers is falling rapidly.

Oh, if only it was as easy as Alice makes it seem!  At lease she was able to remind me that believing in yourself is really important.  Not only is it something I should work on improving, it is something I absolutely must work on.  Success is not possible without it.  So, without further ado, GRRRRRRRGHRRRRRRR!