26 Dec

Posted at 14:44h in Career Inspiration, Interviewing, Linkedin, Networking Tips, Quitting Your Job, Resumes and Cover Letters

I get a lot of people asking me to help them find jobs. I’m not sure if they read about my job interview failures before they asked, but I digress.

Their story is usually the same:

  • They hate their current job, or don’t like how much they get paid
  • They want to find a job outside of their current industry.
  • They have been applying online for 2 months without any luck.
  • They know they can succeed in the job that they are going for.

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25 Dec

Posted at 09:36h in Interviewing

In my first post, I laid out 5 interviews that I failed. That was just the start. I have 6 more to go. These interviews being the most recent.

6) Large C0mpany Interview #1 that consisted of 17 interviews only to end in an a rejection.

This interview #1 consisted of 17, yes 17 interviews over the span of 3 weeks. I made it to 17 interviews and I still managed to mess it up. After 3 years at a large consulting firm, I’m looking to get out of consulting. I had a referral within this large company so I was able to get an interview. First set of phone interviews go great, then I go to on campus interviews. This company eally did their due diligence before sending me out their. Everyone loved me until I get to the last interviewer. She asked me “who was your worst manager”. I told her about another coworker I worked with at a consulting company. She then asked “Can I get her contact information”. I was like WTF mate, and I will look into it. Then she asked me about my writing skills and if I can send her a writing sample. All I can think about was – lady, I implement technology systems for a living and why are you asking for this?  I think my resume was kind of jacked, and she didn’t think I can write for shit. She was probably right. Then they started asking for referrals from my CURRENT job before I got a job offer from them, and that’s when I put my foot down. You want me to tell my current firm that I’m interviewing with your company and mess everything up before I even know that I have an offer from your company? I’m stupid, but not that stupid. I said no thank you and told them I couldn’t give them any contact information.

I had another technical interview (which was my 17th) that I messed up royally. They were basic programming questions that I should have answered properly but I blanked out. I messed it up, but overall the whole interview process was pretty intense. It’s OK though I’ll get a second shot. If I made it to 17 interviews on my first shot, I can definitely improve and get an offer the second time right? WRONG!

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24 Dec

Posted at 07:20h in Interviewing

To give you context, I am 30 years old and recently quit my job to start my own company. This post is more of a celebration of my interview failures. It is in chronological order starting when I was in college.

1) Freshman year at College. I realize I have no money & I need to pay my own rent.

I was interviewing for an hourly Job as a resume reviewer on campus. It was conducted by 3 interviewers interviewing 2 people at the same time. Yes, the same exact time in the same room, both interviewees sitting right next to each other. Every question that they asked, I jumped out and answered first. I didn’t really care about the other guy with me. I thought I was being proactive, out there, and letting them know i’m not afraid to give honest feedback. It turns out I was just an idiot. I didn’t get the job, and I felt stupid afterwards.

I ran into the other interviewee and found out he did get the job.  That sucked.The interview did start well because I struck a conversation with the lady at the front desk. When the interviewer came out to greet me, she said “oh you know her?”, and my response was “oh, we just met”. +1 for me right? Then I fucked it up in the “group interview”. How does a resume / interview preparation shop interview two people at the same time!. Some sort of social experiment or something. but whatever, I messed it up, life goes on.

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