Habemus Personalityam

I imagine that finally getting a job offer will feel like I just walked out onto a balcony under which tens of thousands of people are waiting and cheering for me, their anticipation growing from the wait, each one of them extremely excited, emotional, and happy to be sharing in the glorious moment. I now know for SURE that this job will not be the papacy (Go Francis!)… I am still, however, waiting for the white smoke to rise for me instead of all the black stuff that has been plaguing me for the past months. The anticipation just keeps on growing doesn’t it!

Lately as part of applying and interviewing for a few jobs I have had to take tests. Skills tests and personality tests. I’ve done these before but they have been particularly relevant recently. The skills test I took I don’t even want to talk about because it made me feel like an idiot. I took the personality test for a different position after completing a phone interview with the hiring manager. She said “Great, well the next step is for you to take a personality test and if that goes well we will contact you about an in-person interview.”  She said something along the lines of how I shouldn’t be concerned about the personality test and she was sure it would not be a problem for me. I should hope not!

I’ve sensed a pattern of people really stressing “personality” when they are describing their ideal candidate. I’ve heard several people say, “We don’t really care about your experience as long as you have a good personality.” I don’t even know what that means. To me that can sound like they’re looking for a new best friend or significant other. I interviewed with the vice president of marketing at one company and he immediately told me that he hadn’t really looked at my resume yet (interesting), that he likes to judge based on personality. He proceeded to ask me where I would tell him to go if he wanted to go out somewhere on my college’s campus… I understand that a person’s personality is important to know in order to see if they will do a good job, if they will fit in with the culture of the company, etc. In the test I took I could tell by the questions that they want to know how much you like to work on your own or with people, how detail-oriented you are, how you handle stress, blahblahblah.

But unless you are given one of these standardized tests the personality that hiring people see is just you sitting in front of them. You need to be charming, enthusiastic, articulate, convincing and seemingly just the greatest person they have ever met! In reality ya just gotta be yourself. Because trying to put on a different persona will just get you in trouble later. And if they give you a personality test they will REALLY know who you are. If you are trying to hide that you are a crazy person that test will figure it out people! Just kidding. It’s not that big of a deal.

I’ve heard people on the news saying that the first impression that they got from Pope Francis as he walked onto the balcony at Saint Peter’s was that he was old and seemed shy. Why didn’t they pick a younger man or someone who did a cartwheel onto that balcony and told a few jokes?? Because that’s not what it is all about. By looking into his background you will see that he is a strong, compassionate leader and the “shyness” people may have seen in him is HUMILITY. Also, I’m sure that it’s pretty nerve-wracking to just suddenly become the POPE.

So my point is that yes, personality is a good indication for how someone will perform at a job, but so are the actions that a person takes to reflect their character. So please, look at my resume before you interview me. I would be happy to tell you the best bar near campus or whatever but also about what experiences—life or work or education or otherwise—that I have that may be a better indication of whether I will do a good job!

What are you waiting for?

Gotta love quotes! I know I do.

“The longer you wait for something the more you appreciate it when you get it, because anything worth having is definitely worth waiting for.”

I have no idea where the above quote originally comes from but I came across it the other day when I was in a particular state of anxiousness and it made me feel better. When I finally get a job I know I will appreciate it so much more than I would have if I were offered one before even graduating, and I guess that is a gift. “Good things come to those who wait”…but good things are also handed to people without them having to wait at all… I think God really wants me to learn a whole lot of patience. But in reality, some of the best and most meaningful things in life come along very rarely, ultimately making them the best and most meaningful.

Frankly, I’m tired of talking about “being unemployed” (and about simply BEING unemployed). So let’s talk about some other things that in my experience are usually worth the wait.

1. The next Hunger Games movie

It isn’t even here yet but I already know once it arrives it will be SO EXCITING. HOW ACCURATE WILL IT BE COMPARED TO THE BOOK?? We don’t know yet!

2. Christmas

If it were Christmas more than once a year then I would be fat from eating too many cookies and I would not appreciate the jolly mood that Christmas music always puts me in.

3. Love!

Family love, Friendship-y love, ROMANTIC love…it’s not grown on trees, people. Whether it lasts awhile or seems not to, it is something special not only because it is rare but also because it’s a very special and lovely feeling to have people/ a person who make you a better person and who ya just can’t get enough of.

4. The next Coldplay album

So I know there are Coldplay haters out there saying Coldplay was soooo 7 years ago but they don’t come out with new albums as often as Rihanna which is probably (one reason) why I like them a lot more than her.

5. The next episode of your favorite TV show

I don’t really understand television schedules. Shows are supposed to be on once a week but sometimes there are a lot of weeks between episodes, maybe leaving you on a cliffhanger.  But how exciting will it be when you find out whether that person from that one show DIED of being shot or was just injured??

6. Getting what I want in general

I don’t always get what I want. Most people don’t. Having to wait for things that I want, like a job, is wonderful and terrible practice in patience. This is something that in the Hren household we call “building character.”

Well this is obviously a VERY short list of things worth waiting for. But it’s a good reminder for me that although waiting can be excruciating and frustrating, it can lead to beautiful things. So HOLD ON.

“I wanna see the world, drive nice cars…”

We have a home video from when I was about 7, casually sitting in a Fisher Price car with my legs on the dashboard, sporting some neon sunglasses, Beauty and the Beast shirt, and looking pretty cool when my dad asked me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My response, “Nothing,” probably resulted from the chillaxed attitude I was in at that moment—or else I was one of those 7–year-olds with no drive or ambition—OR 7-year-olds shouldn’t have to give definitive answers to that question!

The way that 22-and-a-half-year-olds answer, however, can be very important. I was asked this question at an informational interview yesterday. It’s basically just a more laid back version of the popular interview question, “What are your long term career goals?” Thankfully, I have learned some things and have gotten to know myself better since I was 7, making my answer a little more clear.

When I’m asked this question during interviews, it’s difficult to respond to because the answer needs to somehow reflect the job that I’m interviewing for. If I answer that one of my long term goals is to be Beyoncé during an interview for a Marketing Coordinator position that just wouldn’t make sense. I do usually give different versions of the same answer, though. I want to work abroad or in an environment that involves constant interaction with people from around the world. (“Long term I also want to be in a company where I have grown and have been able to advance my career to a place where I’m using my talents & passions to benefit the company. At a company like [insert company I’m interviewing with here].”) It’s all the truth! I’m a really terrible liar, so all my responses during an interview are going to be honest. Also, I think that B.S. is very easy to see through, especially during an interview if you’re clearly trying too hard to appear a certain way to get the job, but that’s a discussion for a different day.

Obviously this question is still one that recent graduates like myself are asking ourselves. We have degrees that hopefully reflect our interests and that will help us to reach our “long term goals.” But right now I personally am finding that it’s hard to see how this dream of mine is going to come to fruition. What job can I get right now that is the first step to me being able to work abroad/apply marketing to a very international setting/travel everywhere for a living?? I don’t know. It’s very possible that this first step may not be so obviously on track with that dream. But in the meantime I have been doing things myself that I hope will be beneficial to achieving this dream eventually. Keeping up with my French, keeping track of world news, learning a new language for the past few months, applying to jobs in Switzerland, France, other places just to see what happens…little things that one day may lead me to some big things. So at this very moment I may not have a job that is helping me to get there, but it’s my own responsibility to make it happen.

I’m glad my 7 year old self was not worrying too much about what I wanted to be when I grew up, because it’s stressful. I think that my biggest concern around that time was when was the next time I was going to be able to eat macaroni and cheese. I mean now I can eat it whenever I want, but that’s beside the point. My point is that I can still be whatever I want when I grow up if I take on the responsibility myself and stay committed to it. I think my personal hopes are more realistic for me than these girls’ aspirations, but who knows.

The Hiring Games

One major lesson I have learned so far in the job search process is how competitive the job market currently is. Well, duh. But now that this competitiveness is very directly affecting me I can’t ignore it. For example, on LinkedIn some job postings show how many people have applied for a job or clicked on the “apply” link.  The number of applicants ranges from low—like 5-10—to WAY TOO MANY PEOPLE APPLYING FOR ONE JOB. Interestingly enough, many of these jobs are the ones that specifically call for entry-level candidates and recent college graduates. Once I see a job that LinkedIn calls “On Fire!” because 50, 100, 200 sometimes 300+ people have applied to or have clicked on I click the back button on my internet browser so fast you wouldn’t believe it.

As someone who is applying for all these jobs and not hiring for them, I have no idea what it would take to really stand out among a group of resumes that huge. Probably having the same name as someone famous and successful or having a resume that makes a 3D version of yourself show up on the screen. So I don’t know for sure what ways are the absolute best to stand out in today’s competitive job market while sending out resumes and interviewing, but I do have a couple ideas based on my experience so far.

Writing a cover letter is a good way to stand out because it gives hiring people a better idea of you and your background. Taking the time to write a customized cover letter for the company and the position is especially exceptional of you. I have a folder on my computer full of a million cover letters. It is pretty tedious to re-write them over and over but it’s good for you, people. Not only are you improving your chances of being noticed as an applicant but you are also improving your letter-writing skills which is SO important to help the US Postal Service stay in business… It also would not hurt to mention your grandma in your cover letter. I say this because the last time I did that I got an internship! Not that this was the only reason I got the job, but mentioning that my grandma had worked at the company back in the day gave the letter a nice little touch of sentiment. And sometimes being a human and having feelings is beneficial for getting a job.

Interviews are really your chance to shine. If you get an interview, the hiring people really like you on paper, but it’s time for you to bring out your personality and SHOW them that in real life you’re even better. This can be a little tricky because you need to balance being professional with showing your personality. Enthusiasm and positivity will really make you stand out. Smile! I have made a point to really be positive and enthusiastic during interviews because people like that. However, sometimes after not getting a job after interviewing for it I can’t help but wonder if a Miss America pageant candidate also interviewed for the position and got the job because she was good at making up stories or maybe she played the flute or did a dance for the hiring managers.

Actually, I have NICELY AND PROFESSIONALLY (that’s important, because you don’t want to act like a jerk because you were rejected) asked hiring managers to give me feedback about my interviews after not getting hired, and they have only said that it was a matter of someone having more experience than me for the position. In that case, in my position there’s not so much I can do about that unless I go back to school or get a job. But wait, I need more job experience to get a job…

Anyways, those are just a couple small ways I have found to stand out among the billion people also looking for jobs right now. It’s kind of like the Hunger Games—everyone is just competing to be the last one standing with the job except to get it you don’t kill the other people (yikes), you just have to be the most enthusiastic and have relevant job experience. Thank goodness no companies have Hunger Games-like hiring processes because that would cause LOTS of lawsuits and I don’t know how to use a bow and arrow.

The Missy Awards

So the big news of the day is that the Grammys were yesterday. Just kidding—the Pope is resigning. That’s bigger. But for now I’m focusing on the Grammys. After discovering that I have no talent for predicting who will win those awards, I decided to take things into my own hands. I have invented the Missy Awards, a prestigious honor for those talented enough to be on the list of winners. Please be warned that I am no musical pioneer and the list highly favors strong female vocalists.

Best Song to Motivate You After Being Rejected from a Job: This is War, Ingrid Michaelson

Last week I found out that I did not get the job that I really was anticipating being hired for which was a huge, huge bummer. I checked my e-mail from my phone one morning before even getting out of bed and was greeted with a nice rejection e-mail for a job that for many reasons I was confident I would get.  After reading the e-mail I contemplated never leaving my bed again but that would be pathetic. This is War is a good motivator of a song, with lyrics like “I won’t surrender” and “Someone’s got to lose/it’s not gonna be this girl this time.” Woo! That got me out of bed eager to apply to even MORE jobs and beat out all the other candidates applying for the same jobs. Look out, people.

Best Pre-Interview Song: Call Your Girlfriend, Robyn

This is a fabulous song to dance away any pre-interview nervousness. Please watch the music video and be inspired by Robyn’s dance moves. My roommates from last year can attest to the fact that she makes it look easy to dance like that but you can still try to dance like her and enjoy it.

Best Post-Really Great Interview Song: All I Do is Win, DJ Khaled feat. Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain & Snoop Dogg

Alright, don’t judge. The only lyrics I actually know from this song are “All I do is win,” but those should be enough to convince yourself after a perfect interview that you are going to get the job. So far in terms of jobs all I do is lose, but one of these days this song will be more relevant.

Best Song to Listen to While Watching Netflix at 2pm on a Weekday: I Was Here, Beyoncé

Being without a job leaves me with a lot of free time, and also times when I really don’t know what to do with myself. These times when I don’t know what to do with myself are when I feel most anxious for a job, to feel like I am contributing more to society. These sentiments are well-expressed by my girl Beyoncé. Even though she SEEMS to be more successful than I am so far this song is a good example that you don’t have to be a famous celebrity to leave a significant mark on the world.

Best Blogging Song: JOY, Ellie Goulding

I’m currently listening to this song.  It makes me feel like I’m doing something really important and epic instead of sitting in a coffee shop at my computer.

Best Love Song You’ve Ever Heard in Your Life: Best Love Song, T-Pain 

Obviously. Please try to ignore the fact that Chris Brown is a part of this song.

Best Nostalgic in a Good Way, Hopeful, Everything is Going to be Lovely Song: Sweet Disposition, The Temper Trap

This is just my favorite song so it automatically made the list.

Best Anthems to Make You Feel All Around Resilient: Strip Me, Natasha Bedingfield; Titanium, David Guetta feat. Sia; Club Can’t Handle Me, Flo Rida feat. David Guetta

These are songs that I would describe as “My Jams.” They can be yours too because they’re exciting and make you feel good.

So there you have it! The first winners of the Missys. An eclectic group, certainly not necessarily the most noteworthy or artistically brilliant but songs that make me feel like I could be a pop star and that properly exemplify the current soundtrack of my life.

I’m going to take Beyonce’s job

The past few days I have had a very strong urge to run away. Not to the house a couple doors down like when I was little but AWAY. Yesterday at mass the priest said that we are all called to be prophets, speaking the truth to people with love and charity. Well here’s the truth. To be honest, having a positive attitude sometimes is exhausting, and although I still await the results of my most recent interview, I am just tired of it. Literally, I have been losing sleep. And the nightmares have been getting weird, people. The other night some weirdo was looking for me and wanted to set me on FIRE. That can only be the dream of an anxious mind such as my own.

The time between a job interview and the dreaded/anticipated e-mail or phone call with a rejection or an offer is just the worst. Like I’ve said, I am not a very patient person. I can wait an extra hour for takeoff because of plane maintenance (because if I don’t that probably means it will fall apart during my flight), I can also wait in line behind difficult customers at Target who give the cashier 29384 coupons (because they’re just trying to save money and it usually doesn’t take weeks).But waiting to hear whether I am the chosen one for a job I really want is almost unbearable. More than likely, for the hiring managers the decision doesn’t hold as much weight. It probably isn’t the first thing on their mind when they wake up in the morning. For me, however, I wake up to no job and wonder when the time will come again when I have to be somewhere by 8am every day (I actually miss that). These hiring managers have got the powa to give me a job, and I really don’t like that it’s in their hands at this point. I’ve been thinking of sending kind, intimidating e-mails saying that they really should hire me, what are they waiting for, but I haven’t gone completely crazy yet, also I’m a PROFESSIONAL.

I’m just really anxious to get to the next step. Maybe it’s irrational to think that until I find a job, I am just stuck. But getting a job is my top priority, and until I find a way to finance my life without a job I need one really bad. Not to mention I would just love to put these GREAT ideas of mine to work. Did anyone see that Audi commercial during the Super Bowl yesterday where this boy walks right into prom and kisses someone else’s date just because he’s feeling all confident and empowered?? I want to walk into someplace and take a job just like that. I think the boy ends up with a black eye but the point is I am tired of waiting and really want to take matters into my own hands.

In conclusion, the world does not revolve around me. And even though I never thought of myself as the type of person who thinks that, this unemployment game is just a nice little reminder. Now ain’t that the truth.

(Speaking of the Super Bowl, if anyone knows how I can pursue a career of being Beyoncé that is also something I would like to do and might be good at.)

Post-Interview Stress Disorder, AKA Impatience

Shortness of breath, constantly hearing your phone ring in your head, inability to concentrate, obsessively checking e-mails, nightmares…If you insert these symptoms into WebMD’s symptom checker the diagnosis will probably be concerning—you have a fatal disease. Don’t panic. I’m not a doctor, but I’m currently suffering from these things and am fairly certain that I have a case of waiting to hear back from a job interview. I had a job interview last week for a position that I REALLY want. Paranoia that writing a blog post about a job interview will jinx your chances of getting the job is also something I am currently experiencing. I’ll chance it.

So this job interview I had went very well. I felt great during it and left with confidence.  And that is where I lost control. It’s no longer in my hands, and I don’t like it. As someone who HATES waiting (You don’t want to be with me while stuck in traffic, I can get pretty sassy) (Also, I already looked up who won this season of The Bachelor) (don’t judge), I am being put to the test. This has happened before with other job interviews I have had, but the anxiety this time around seems to be at a high. The other night I had a nightmare that I got the job, but I arrived late to my first day due to participating in a winter marathon—I don’t know why. It was horrifying.

I have had three major jobs before this crazy pursuit of a post-college career. This means I had three successful interviews. I don’t think that the way in which they were carried out prepared me for this waiting game I am now playing because the stakes are higher this time around. My first job was at a grocery store where now all of my siblings and I have worked. I was about 15 when I began, and when I walked into the interview there was a uniform shirt and name tag with my name on it at the table. The interview proceeded like any other, but at the end I was immediately given the job. I have been hoping that this would happen to me in the past six months, but I don’t think that’s normal.

My next job was at the café on Marquette’s campus. My interview was scheduled for immediately after my final class on a gross, rainy day. I was torn about what to wear that morning, as it was pouring and I remembered other days like this walking to class and ending up being splashed by cars driving through giant puddles on Wisconsin Avenue. I knew that I wouldn’t have time to change between class and the interview, but I made the decision to wear my yellow rain boots. This resulted in spending the day regretting this choice, wondering why I thought someone would hire a girl who stomped into an interview in yellow rain boots. It ended up being no big deal. I think I heard the next day that I got the job.

My internship came next. This was serious business. After all my professors telling me YOU WILL ONLY GET A JOB AFTER COLLEGE IF YOU HAVE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE (Currently being jobless with a two-year internship under my belt makes me question this) I spent my second semester of sophomore year frantically searching for an internship. During final exam week I still didn’t have one for the summer, but I received a call from a company where I had applied, asking me if I was interested in interviewing for a different position I didn’t even apply for. I went in, interviewed with one person, and got the job about a week later (people who interviewed for the internship in the years following had to interview with SIX people!) I still remember the call I got saying they wanted to hire me. It was a wonderful feeling.

Looking back on these interviews and the jobs that resulted from them, it seems like it was somewhat effortless. It’s a little different this time around, but apparently that means I’m building character. I’m hoping that the interview I had last week turns into one of my personal interview success stories. I’ll just have to stop myself from participating in any marathons on the way to my first day at work… I really don’t know what I was thinking in that dream…

Make me a match

I was just dissed by the internet. Not the entire internet, obviously. I just don’t want to name this particular website or writer that I’ve never heard of. But some random person’s article I just came across claiming that if you’re an unemployed “twenty-something” (I detest that phrase) it’s because you have no practical skills or experience and you’re a loser. RUDE, INTERNET! You don’t know me.

I admit, there have been times in the past few months where I have felt like a victim. Of the economy, of companies where I haven’t been hired, and so on. Looking at all my friends who have had jobs since immediately after graduation I truly wonder for a minute, WHY ME! then I get over it. I don’t know what to place blame on for why I haven’t been hired yet, but I don’t need something or someone else to blame. I take full responsibility for my job search.

The fact is, I haven’t found a match yet. Companies are looking to hire great matches for the positions they are filling. Obviously, they want someone who has the skills and experience to fulfill the responsibilities of the job, but they also want someone with passion for what they are doing. During my interviews with various companies, a couple things that some of the hiring managers have told me really resonated with me.

One woman told me, “I want you to love this job.” I hadn’t heard anything like this from a hiring manager before, but I like that she said it. If someone doesn’t think you’re going to enjoy a job, they probably are not going to hire you. And that is really in your best interest. It’s hard to see this when you go through the tiring interview process for a job you think you want and then you’re not hired. It’s easy to feel bad about it, but the reality is that maybe you wouldn’t have LOVED this job. If you presented yourself honestly in an interview and don’t get the job, it’s most likely one of those blessings in disguise. And I get it, a lot of people aren’t absolutely in love with their jobs, but personally, I think it’s completely possible to have a job that you love, even if some days it’s not so wonderful.

Another HR woman I interviewed with asked me how my job search was going. She said she remembered enjoying the process of looking for a job after college, getting to know different companies and ultimately choosing her ideal job. She said “It seems that when you interview for a job that’s perfect for you, you just know, it feels right.” I personally don’t feel completely like I’m in a position to just choose my favorite job from a lineup. I think nowadays the process for getting a job is much more complicated. I do agree with the idea that it will feel right when I’ve found a “perfect” match. For many jobs I’ve interviewed for, I thought they were a fabulous match for me. If the hiring people don’t think so, however, you might need to take a second look.  I think that the Les Misérables song On My Own explains this situation pretty well if you relate it to loving a potential job instead of a man…I saw the new movie last week and became a little obsessed with it, so please excuse the dramatic reference…

I’m not trying to defend myself to this (rude) unknown person that wrote the article I referred to. I’m not trying to give excuses for why I haven’t found a job yet. I don’t like complaining. This time of being “between jobs” really hasn’t been terrible. For example, I saw Les Mis in the middle of the day on a TUESDAY! Funemployment. Anyways, Dear internet: don’t hate. : )

What do you do?

« Quand on fait quelque chose qui le passionne, les autres sont inspirés »

Doesn’t that sound beautiful? It’s French. Translated to English it means “When someone does something that they’re passionate about, others are inspired.” It’s not that philosophical, probably because it’s a quote from me that I wrote in an application a year ago for a teaching program in France. I did not get that position as evidenced by the fact that I am not living in FRANCE right now, however, I have moved past it…

I don’t know if I subconsciously thought of that quote from something that someone far more famous than me said, but when I came across it while looking at that old (denied) application I was surprised by it. In my mind I said AMEN! then realized that I was agreeing with something that I myself had said. In the context of the application I was explaining that speaking French is something that I love to do, and if I spent the day teaching French students they would see that I was doing something I enjoyed doing and would be inspired to find whatever it could be that made them “come alive” too. That’s some pretty deep stuff! (not deep enough for me to get the position, but the bitterness ends here…) People talk a lot about how important it is to find your passion in life and to find a job that reflects your PASSION. This is something I have thought a lot about recently as I apply to jobs, and an idea that may contradict with some jobs that I have applied for.

When I applied to the program in France, I did so because of my strong interest in the French language and desire to live overseas. The position had obvious aspects to it that really reflect things that I love and want. Nowadays I’m applying to marketing positions whose responsibilities include things like “creating and managing email communications and scheduling” or “monitoring and tracking sales activities.” These do not sound as exciting as living in a foreign country but they are things that I learned to do through my education and internship experience. And there are many aspects of marketing that reflect things I like, such as using my creativity or creating campaigns that reflect a particular audience (blahblah). At my interview last week one of the interviewers asked me if being in a support role was something that I’m passionate about. I thought that was a silly question because for me it didn’t seem that anyone could be passionate about that.

This lead me to think about the connection of what people do as a career and what they are passionate about. I read (part of) a book recently called The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. It’s about different countries’ perceptions of happiness and what countries have the “happiest” inhabitants. Weiner talks about the “cocktail question” that people ask each other that “unlocks a motherlode of information about the person you’ve just met.” In Switzerland, the question is “Where are you from?”  In Britain it’s “What school did you attend?” And here in the United States the big question is “What do you do?”

Knowing that I will have to put up with this American question a lot I am determined to find an answer to it that really describes me as opposed to how much money I may make. I really believe in finding a career that involves things I’m passionate about, such as traveling, working with diverse groups of people, and maybe even speaking French. This idea might seem a little impractical, but I think it’s possible. Right now if you’d ask me what I do I might say apply for jobs, sleep more than you, drink wine with my friends, and hang out with my parents. In the future, however, I hope that my response is more along the lines of speaking French all the time, owning my own café, traveling somewhere new every week, or heading strategic marketing in some other country. Because I want other people to be inspired by the fact that I do something I love. AMEN!

My interview shirt

I had an interview the other day. “How did it go?” people ask. I have yet to nervously hit a car on my way to an interview or start crying during it so I usually say it went fine—although I did have to parallel park a large car beforehand but very miraculously did it in one try! The interview got off to a good start when I walked into the building to the receptionist’s desk (she’s really nice). I was surprised to discover that she recognized me from being there a few months back for a different interview, and we had a funny exchange.

Nice receptionist: Welcome back, Melissa!

Me: (laughs) Hi! It’s good to be back.

Nice receptionist: Why don’t they just give you a job already?

Me: (more laughs) One of these days!

Nice receptionist: Mmm girl I love your top!

Me: (so many laughs) Thanks, it’s my interview shirt.

Back to knowing whether an interview went well or not, it’s difficult to tell. Interviews are usually all business, with some small talk or little jokes mixed in. For example, when people ask me how to say my last name I tell them the pronunciation in addition to the fact that it means “horseradish” in Slovenian. But interviewers can be difficult to read. I have yet to inspire an interviewer enough for them to exclaim “YOU’RE BRILLIANT!” and give me the job right on the spot (has this ever happened to anyone?? That’s my dream.).  Sometimes my goal in an interview is to make the other person smile, because it makes me feel less uneasy and also to confirm that they’re not heartless.

In reality, I never have total confidence to say that an interview went perfectly well. You never know what the person who is interviewing you wants to hear or how they feel you responded to a certain question, as my answers to interview questions are usually responded to with “mhmm” or a follow-up question. The other day one of the interviewer’s responses was often “great” but who knows what that meant! It made me feel good anyway. I can only be confident in the preparation that I did for the interview and my ability to communicate the value of my skills and past experience. Going into an interview I also do not know who the other candidates are who are being considered for the position. I could be competing with Donald Trump and not know it! (That’s a terrible example for many, many reasons, but you get it, I hope.)

So my interview the other day was fine. I was complimented on my interview shirt and had some good things to discuss with the interviewers. Next time I have an interview I’m hoping it ends with all of the people I spoke to holding up “10” signs so I can say the interview was GREAT and they loved me. Or, if I’m offered a job I can probably be pretty certain I had a good interview (in addition to my PERFECT qualifications). Until then I’ll live with the mystery.