Facing the Interview

Where should I begin? Well, I think I should start with the standard apology for taking so long between posts; I've been traveling and just came home. I'll get better at this, and in return you guys can keep reading. I think it's a fair trade.

Since there is a lot to update on, this post will only feature the happenings of the past two weeks. I will have a follow up post either tomorrow, or on Tuesday, which will touch on an important realization that is starting to set in 2-3 months in the search. 

As I just mentioned, I spent the last two weeks traveling across North America via LONG bus rides, airplanes, subways, trains, and cars. Lots of amazing times, but I'm definitely excited to not have another 10 hour bus ride on the horizon. I'll focus on the latter half of the trip (Toronto), as I can't imagine you guys are overly interested in Sushi dinners with my family.

A whirlwind of a trip, which was scheduled due a second interview with one of the companies that I interviewed with in November. When I first spoke to this company, I casually mentioned that sometime in January I'd be visiting Toronto (with no solid plans to actually do so), as I thought it could possibly better my chances, even if just by a minuscule amount. A week after the first interview, I got an email saying they wanted to see me in Toronto the first week of this month. With the help of my family, we did everything possible to get me to the interview (see: two 10 hour overnight bus rides).

I prepared by reviewing pages upon pages of strategic planning notes, reading other blogs on the topic, and having conversations with people who knew a lot on the topic. Even though I felt very prepared on the day of the interview, my nerves started kicking in, starting with (don't judge), what I was going to wear. I arrived at the building 45 minutes early, and decided to stroll in 15-20 minutes early. I don't know if any of these factors (how early you arrive, tie/no tie, carrying a notebook or not, etc.) really matter in the long run, but for some reason they seemed important. I decided to bring a small notebook, which definitely helped as I was able to take some notes on the position, and make some small reminders of things I wanted to touch on.  The interview was pretty standard, although, I was barely able to bring up any of the topics that I had spent the week prior learning, and understanding. This was slightly frustrating, as I really think it would have helped my chances if I had the opportunity to talk about them. The silver lining is even though I didn't get to use the knowledge this time, it may come up in the future, and I'll be happy that I'm familiar with it. The toughest question in the interview was surprisingly a question that I had been practicing and rehearsing for since I started interviewing. I don't know why it fazed me as much as it did, but I've never been asked it point blank like that. The million dollar question: "Why should we hire you?" So simple, but so complex at the same time. In past interviews, I've been asked similar, easier questions, such as "what are your strengths?" or "what makes you good for this position?" 'Why should we hire you' brings up other factors like comparing you to your competitors. Either way, they couldn't have asked another question that I was more prepared for, and that caused me the most difficulty. After a few interviews now (my very modest experience), I've come to the conclusion that the questions you ask at the end is one of the most important aspects of the interviews. They have the ability to leave a lasting impression, and also start some really good discussions about the organization. I left feeling pretty good about the whole experience, and they advised me that I'll know whether or not I got the job this upcoming week. In the meantime, it's back to the grind, looking for new opportunities and new contacts. Comparing my first interview to now, there has been a drastic change in how comfortable I feel. Conclusion: people are right, the more you do the easier they become. I think it's impossible to completely calm your nerves, but knowing what to expect makes things 100% percent easier.

Another highlight in Toronto was my first informational interview. In one of the first posts, I mentioned how I was briefed on the importance of 'informational interviews'. I was told that if you wanted an effective way of expanding your network, you should contact employees at companies you were interested in, and ask them for some time to sit down and converse about their careers, what they do on a daily basis, and how they got a job at the company. I have to admit, I'm still not 100% on the strategy of these meetings, as I've been told that you're not supposed to ask for a job at these meetings, only more contacts. I decided that my time in Toronto would be best served by arranging a few of these meetings. The most beneficial interview I had was over the phone with an owner of a consulting firm. She advised me that I had 15 minutes, so I dove straight into a list of questions that I had prepared. Reflecting on the experience, I'm not sure if our 15 minutes got me any closer to getting a job, but I definitely got to listen to someone who really knew her stuff, and gave me some new material that I may be able to bring up in a future interview.

Toronto was a great learning experience, and I'm starting to make some important decisions (if I don't get this job), which I'll touch on in the next few posts. Again, the more interviews that come and go, the better I feel I perform. Hopefully, I get some good news this week, but if not, I just have to make sure that I don't get too discouraged, and just keep moving forward.

Thanks for listening,
Rob Baral