The first was for a fairly large, and growing, very famous company, as a human resources representative (ironic, no?). The second was for a very large, international company who specializes in everything from your Duane Reade dailies to your Oscar-worthy goodies. The first was at 9:00, the second was at 10:45. The first went very well, the second went fairly well. Fas as I can tell as of now.
I'd like to refer back to my advice post on interviews, as it came quite in handy for the first interview. I went in as I always do, treating this as a conversation that might eventually lead to a job, taking things quite seriously, yet having no nerves walking into the situation.
My interviewer was dressed in a red sweater-set and khakis; I, in a black suit with a fun pink/beige/white striped shirt. It's more fun than it sounds, really. Thank you, Daffy's. I came in and sat down, and we just started talking. We talked about the weather, New York, California, and the morning crossword, which was either really hard or I was just distracted in the waiting room, what with the barometric pressure rising as each and every new candidate injected their own nervousness into my personal space.
We then proceeded onto the contents of my resume, and those dreams and accomplishments not mentioned there. I regaled her of stories about times I worked in a team, had conflict, and wonderful (and not so wonderful) products that emerged from toiling away day and night at a project.
A question that stands out in my mind that she asked me is: "What do you think our next product should be?" Now this, to me, seems a bit like one of those school projects where companies come in and create a "contest" that involves creating a "mock" advertising campaign for a real product for this company, and the "winner" in the end gets to present their idea in front of executives and have a chance at interviewing (much as I was doing then), but no real guarantee of a job. What these "contests" really are however, are ways for the company to get new and young ideas without having to pay $50K per year to some entry-level genius from a top-tier school. What company would turn down free ideas? Of course, we do it because we feel it's good on our resumes, and it's a good experience. But when we see our ideas on billboards eight months later and no check in our hands, you realize that you've just been duped. But I digress.
Then, she asked me this question: "I see here you're a marketing major... what makes you think that skill set would be applicable towards a human resources position?" Well, there was a question I was hoping I wouldn't be asked. I took a few seconds and then said, "I think that it's all about marketing. It's all about understanding people and the things that go on behind their heads. If you know that, you'll know how to manage conflict, manage motivation, and be better able to understand from multiple directions the issues that arise when in an HR position."
I think I might get a second round. Let's hope so, then they'll fly me out, put me up, and feed me. I'll feel like a king.
After the interview was over and I had finished filling out my paperwork, I sat down again to wait for my second interview, which ended up beginning twenty minutes late. Good thing I had decided to skip class.
I was called in by two people whom I had met before at career fairs and info sessions. They sat on one side of table, half-smiles, and I sat on the other side of the table, all smiles, but slightly unnerved, because it seemed like they didn't want a lovely conversation. These guys were serious.
They started rattling off questions, I, answers:
Turn this water bottle into a luxury product. Describe it.
Which of our products do you like best?
What does the word 'luxury' mean to you?
Why us over the other companies?
Are you willing to learn another language?
Show me how creative you are.
I decided that I would play a hard-ball game equal to theirs, and when it came time for my questions for them, I asked:
What do you dislike most about your job?
Which product do you think doesn't work?
What would you rather be doing?
Do you get tired interviewing people all day?
How many hours a week do you actually work?
Do you feel like you're just a cog in the machine of corporation and that you'll never amount to anything more than face creams, toiletries, and feminine products and that when you die and they have to write on your gravestone some sort of epitaph that you might disgraced up in high holy heaven when it says, "Aaron Samuels, he sold great perfume," when you really would like to change the world with your life, because when you get down to it, what's more aggravating than realizing that your life had no real purpose behind the bottom line of an international earth shaker, despite you not being the one that shook the earth?
Okay, so that last one is a big of an exaggeration.
That one... didn't go quite as well as the first. But not nearly as poorly as the one the week before.
I should hear back within the next two weeks on the both. So you should be hearing back, too. Lucky you. Lucky me.
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