Right before Christmas I had a second round interview with Microsoft for a job pseudo in my field.
I wasn't super excited about the position, but I was stoked to have an interview. It's the next closet thing to a job. I figured although the job wasn't everything I was looking for, maybe the people there would make it fun and worth it.
But they wouldn't have made it so. Bill's people were faker than Barbie.
To start, the whole interview process was odd. I saw my competition from the get-go. There were three of us on rotation to interview with our three potential bosses. It was a timed ordeal. After 20 minutes, the head-hunter would knock for us to switch. Felt like musical chairs, minus the music and the fun.
Each interviewer was trying to get an idea about me from such a controlled setting, as well as glorify a job that sounded as disciplined as an assembly line. Neither worked. I couldn't be me when I'm spoken to like the next jello mold to fill. I'm no cookie cutter cut out for Corporate.
I asked one of the interviewers what she liked about her job, and she responded knowing that she's making a difference. I wanted to laugh out loud, but giggled inside instead. Making a difference isn't saturating the world with more Microsoft product and your bland deliverables. It's advocating to end world hunger and homelessness. To strive for world peace. It's walking a dog at the humane society, tutoring a child in a foreign language, planting a community organic garden in a rural, poverty-stricken neighborhood.
At the days end, I was exhausted from all the fake these people were exuding on me. The head-hunter walked me out and asked if I were to be extended an offer, would I take it? I hesitated. I told her that I would definitely have to sleep on it.
The next day I was informed by the head-hunter that I wasn't chosen for the position. She asked if I wanted to hear the feedback from those at Microsoft. I said, "Of course!"
They told her that I seemed uncomfortable and was awkward at times. I immediately stopped her and said, "You know what? That makes total sense. I wasn't in my comfort zone. I don't thrive in superficial settings. I don't think I'm cut out for Corporate. I'm more me in a creative, ad agency type of environment where I can have a beer and drop the F bomb on occasion."
She said, "Well then maybe it worked out for the best."
And I'd have to more than agree.
I wasn't super excited about the position, but I was stoked to have an interview. It's the next closet thing to a job. I figured although the job wasn't everything I was looking for, maybe the people there would make it fun and worth it.
But they wouldn't have made it so. Bill's people were faker than Barbie.
To start, the whole interview process was odd. I saw my competition from the get-go. There were three of us on rotation to interview with our three potential bosses. It was a timed ordeal. After 20 minutes, the head-hunter would knock for us to switch. Felt like musical chairs, minus the music and the fun.
Each interviewer was trying to get an idea about me from such a controlled setting, as well as glorify a job that sounded as disciplined as an assembly line. Neither worked. I couldn't be me when I'm spoken to like the next jello mold to fill. I'm no cookie cutter cut out for Corporate.
I asked one of the interviewers what she liked about her job, and she responded knowing that she's making a difference. I wanted to laugh out loud, but giggled inside instead. Making a difference isn't saturating the world with more Microsoft product and your bland deliverables. It's advocating to end world hunger and homelessness. To strive for world peace. It's walking a dog at the humane society, tutoring a child in a foreign language, planting a community organic garden in a rural, poverty-stricken neighborhood.
At the days end, I was exhausted from all the fake these people were exuding on me. The head-hunter walked me out and asked if I were to be extended an offer, would I take it? I hesitated. I told her that I would definitely have to sleep on it.
The next day I was informed by the head-hunter that I wasn't chosen for the position. She asked if I wanted to hear the feedback from those at Microsoft. I said, "Of course!"
They told her that I seemed uncomfortable and was awkward at times. I immediately stopped her and said, "You know what? That makes total sense. I wasn't in my comfort zone. I don't thrive in superficial settings. I don't think I'm cut out for Corporate. I'm more me in a creative, ad agency type of environment where I can have a beer and drop the F bomb on occasion."
She said, "Well then maybe it worked out for the best."
And I'd have to more than agree.
