Meltdown

Interviewing is definitely a skill. I would be worried if I was good at it. It just isn't natural to be "on" all of the time. It's like a corporate version of blind dating...and who is ever good on a blind date?

You want to put your best foot forward and let the hiring folks see the red carpet scrubbed version of you. But if you actually get a job there, that version of you will last for about three months before you lose the will to care. I mean...it's called work for a reason.

It's the same as putting on make up for a date when you never wear lipstick in real life. Last weekend, I came across 4 tubes that had been purchased in the early 21st century. Does that stuff go bad?

Because I had almost a week to fret over this phone interview, I tried to cram lots of annual report information into my brain. Used the evil internet to get refreshers on what the hell CAPM means. I even attempted to do product research and came across websites called adultlove.com and lonelycheatingwives.com. WHAT?! I just typed in an innocent search term...

Then, I spent hours thinking about answers to those age old questions such as: what is your biggest achievement? why do you want to work here? what three words would your colleagues use to describe you? I don't know...nothing seems all that brillant in the light of day. I work hard and consider myself smart, but I don't sit around reflecting on "achievements." Isn't making choices in life enough of an achievement? Do I have to be superwoman on top of that?

Clearly the guy on the other side of the phone is an overachiever. One of the scariest kind. The kind of person who doesn't come across as trying to impress. It's not big thing that he built a team of 35 in some other country, he had to come back to the US and do it again! Oh yeah, he also helps orphans while pursuing Olympic gold in relay races (teamwork of course). By the way, the guy is my age.

Leading up to the call, I just said...Fuck it. If I'm not what they want, then it's not the right place for me. It shouldn't be this hard, right? Of course there was a knot in my stomach the entire time. But in the end, I got through it ok.

Now the question is, do I go through with the next phone interview they want to schedule?