The Neverending Job Interview...

The following is a diary of an actual interview process with a Fortune 100 firm.  The firm's name has been withheld and some dates have been changed to preserve anonymity, but the experiences, conversations, and personal sentiments are real.


July 29, 2010 - I attend a job fair convention in [Virginia].  Upon entering the overcrowded room, I am quickly advised that the majority of the jobs to be filled require IT experience and government security clearances.  Since I have neither, I quickly ask the fellow at the information desk if I'm wasting time by being there.  He assures me I'm not and directs me to a sparsely attended area on the opposite part of the room for non-cleared positions.  As I trudge over, I'm reminded of the scene at the beginning of "Animal House" where Pinto and Flounder are directed to the rejects' couch when they first attempt to pledge at Omega Theta Pi.  It is not a pleasant sensation.  

I take a seat and wait my turn to talk to the two clearly underwhelmed people behind the table.  One is a fellow slightly older than myself, the second is his female counterpart who has just returned from her lunch break.  When my time comes, I launch into my elevator speech, telling him why I want to work for his firm and which of my qualifications would make for a sound match with any suitable positions he has. He tells me that this his first event like this one and that he doesn't really know what he's supposed to be doing.  Somehow, I manage to keep my facial expression from collapsing, but deep inside my body, a tiny sound of glass breaking is heard...


August 6, 2010 - Apparently, I made a stronger impression than I figured.  One of the company's recruiters - a different one from the one I talked with at the table, in fact - spoke to a woman who handles outreach efforts.  She is e-mailing me to see if I am interested in following up to discuss a possible position.  Having been out of work for more than year, I find her question comparable to asking a castaway if he'd be open to the possibility of a steak dinner.  I struggle to keep my fingers from shaking as I hastily key my reply and run the spell check several times before hitting send.  Absolutely, I tell her.  This sounds like a wonderful opportunity!  And I'm off to the races...


August 11, 2010 - The recruiter e-mails me back to say my first interview will be a preliminary phone conversation with a hiring manager on August 13 at 10:00 a.m.  I thank her again for the opportunity and immediately begin preparing for the interview by looking up the manager on Linked In to learn more about her.  I also start drafting a list of expected questions that I can practice answering. 


August 13, 2010 - I have my phone interview with the hiring manager.  She tells me she is impressed by my background and that they are looking for someone who is "parachutable" that can just drop into a position and hit the ground running.  I tell her everything she's outlined matches my background perfectly and that this sounds like a very strong match.  She tells me she will recommend moving forward with my interview process.  I hang up the phone and pump my fist.  Life is good once again.


August 16, 2010 - The recruiter e-mails me back to arrange a face-to-face interview with another manager for August 20, which is my birthday.  I smile.  I've successfully moved from being an anonymous neo-reject at a job fair ("Super!  Then you'll have lots to talk about!") to a phone-screen-cleared candidate who is now apparently worthy of a face-to-face meeting.  I am making progress.  I tell her this sounds great and politely inquire what type of position they're considering for me.  She tells me she has no idea but will check. As we hang up, it dawns on me that I will be heading into an interview in just a little over 72 hours with absolutely no idea of what I am expected to say or which parts of my background I should emphasize.  I decide to focus on some core strengths and use this as an opportunity to show that I am "flexible."


August 17, 2010 - I begin reaching out to friends and connections I have at the company.  One is a former coworker; three others are alumni connections.  They ask me what sort of job I am interviewing for.  I tell them I don't know because no one has told me.  They wish me luck. 


August 20, 2010 - I meet the manager for my interview.  She is working from home, so instead of going to the office, we meet at a local Starbucks.  I am easy to spot since I am the only fellow in the shop wearing a suit and tie.  She shows up in business casual attire.  I give her an updated copy of my resume, a one-page summary of my professional achievements, and a PowerPoint deliverable outlining my skills and how they match the company's needs.  She is impressed.  I hand her my business card.  She tells me she forgot to bring any cards of her own.  I briefly wonder how someone who can't remember to bring a business card to an interview is able to land a job while someone who prepares meticulously like myself is struggling to find work.  I remind myself that this is not a level playing field and that when she was a candidate, she likely had to be on her toes as well.  It is all part of the process, I say.   



August 27, 2010 - The recruiter e-mails me to say she has set up two phone interviews with some senior managers for August 30th.  I thank her and make some notes of the people I will be talking with so I can check with my contacts and look them up on Linked In.  I make a note to do some checking at my upcoming networking events as well to see if anyone has heard of them before or interviewed with this particular firm.  (Note:  No one did.)  I also let the recruiter know that I have some other interviews coming up but would be happy to sign on with her firm because it is my first choice (which in truth, it is).  She does not acknowledge this or say anything in her reply.  I wonder again if this constitutes progress or if I'm simply treading water.  I decide it is not something I want to dwell on. 


August 30, 2010 - The recruiter e-mails me that morning to say that my second manager cannot make our scheduled interview.  Can I reschedule for some time during the first week of September?  Eager to appear flexible and understanding, I tell her, "Certainly."  I then proceed with my interview with the other hiring manager. He tells me the company likes my background but is "not sure where to put me."  I tell him that based on our discussion and my research, his unit sounds as though it would be the strongest fit.  He says he'll recommend me for a face-to-face interview after I talk with the other manager.  In other words, I've  gone from a phone interview to a face-to-face interview, but now I'm going back to more phone interviews. I'm reminded of George Jetson at the end sequence of "The Jetsons" where he's helplessly spinning on the treadmill shouting, "Jane!  Help me stop this crazy thing!"   


September 2, 2010 - The recruiter e-mails me to say my interview with the next hiring manager is set for September 9th.  I reiterate my interest in moving ahead with her company.  She wishes me luck in my next interview.  I wonder what exactly it takes to land a job with this place since I seem to be doing nothing but shuttling between different managers who all seem impressed with me but not impressed enough to recommend me for hiring.  I consider telling her she's keeping an angel somewhere from getting its wings by dragging this process out but change my mind.  "Sounds great," I say smiling.  As I hang up the phone, I stab another pin into my voodoo doll...


September 9, 2010 - I have my phone interview with the final hiring manager.  He and I talk for 30 minutes.  He finds my background is not as technical as he needs and asks where I think I would fit best.  I reiterate what I said to the earlier manager I spoke with about his unit being the best fit.  He says he agrees and will recommend to the recruiter that I come in for yet another face-to-face interview.  As I hang up the phone, I conclude I am being "pinballed" but have no real choice in this situation since I need a job.  I also realize it has now been almost eight weeks since I started talking with this company and that to date I have yet to actually interview in a hiring office.  Perhaps my doubts about reincarnation should be questioned since it appears I must have committed some truly heinous crimes in a past life that I am obviously still paying for.


September 13, 2010 - I get a phone call from the senior recruiter and we talk for 15 minutes.  He tells me everyone liked talking with me and recommended me for hiring; but they still can't figure out where I would be the best fit.  I struggle to restrain myself from picking up one of my dog's rawhide chew toys to gnaw on it in frustration.  He asks me where I think my skills would be best put to work.  As pleasantly as I can force myself, I tell him.  He says great and then says the word every job seeker loves to hear:  "We'll start working on that offer."  My hands shake as I hang up the phone.  Could my search finally be ending after all this time?


September 14, 2010 - No word.


September 15, 2010 - No word.


September 16, 2010 - No word.


September 17, 2010 - No word.  I decide to bite the bullet and send an e-mail telling him and the other recruiter that I enjoyed the talk earlier in the week, that I want to "re-affirm my interest" in moving forward, hope they have a nice weekend, etc., etc.  No replies.


September 20, 2010 - I get an e-mail saying that there is a meeting that afternoon and that there should be some feedback for me afterward.  For some reason, this does not inspire a great deal of confidence.  Last week we were talking about putting an offer together, now I'm told to "expect feedback"??? Could Dante have missed this level of purgatory in his Inferno?  Or is Fate just mocking me here?


September 22, 2010 - I hear back from the recruiter.  The meeting scheduled for earlier this week has been postponed, so there is no news at this time.  He says he'll advise if/when he has anything to report.  Somehow, after five interviews, I was hoping for something more positive by now, but maybe that's just me...


September 23 - 29, 2010 - No word.  I'm learning this is what Corporate America defines as "being patient."  To me, it's more like "being ignored."


September 30, 2010 - I e-mail the manager again to check in.  If cyberspace were radio, the response I would receive would resemble static...


October 5, 2010 - Finally having reached the end of my rope, I call the manager and tell him I may have another offer later this week.  "Can you please let me know the status of that offer we spoke about back on September 13?" I ask him.  (It was only a month ago, I think to myself.)  He tells me he was out yesterday but will check and get back to me.  What's the best number to reach me?  I tell him.  I then follow up our phonecon with a brief e-mail thanking him for taking my call and telling him I'm looking forward to hearing from him.

October 12, 2010 - After over two months of shuttling back and forth between managers and following up, I call the recruiter and tell him I have another interview and need to know what to do if these folks decide to put some kind of offer on the table.  Not surprisingly, he responds that very day and tells me he will get back to me tomorrow. This appears to be what it takes to get responses to polite inquiries.

October 13, 2010 - The recruiter calls me back.  After doing some checking, he tells me, the managers all "thought very highly of you, but we just don't have any openings at this time."  In other words, the last several weeks have, in effect, been a complete waste of the employer's time and mine as well.  I grit my teeth and thank him nonetheless, adding, "I'm very sorry to hear this, but please keep me in mind in the event something should open up."  I hang up the phone and wonder why this seems to be such a common practice.  I decide it's not worth dwelling on and take the rest of the week off from searching.  Sometimes you need a break if you're going to maintain your sanity...


Epilogue:  According to several contacts I've spoken with, it's quite common for large consulting firms to string candidates along in this manner in case they land a significant contract and need to hire suddenly, although most confide that five interviews is a bit beyond the norm.  As for the offer that the recruiter did mention, this experience underscores the difficult truth:  Verbal offers are not worth the paper that they're not printed on.