Interview Nightmare: Right Place, Wrong Job
What could possibly be worse that being turned down from a job??? How about interviewing for the wrong job because of a mix up.
Interview Nightmares: Tales from the unemployed and underemployed… This is one of their stories…
Background:
Back before the Great Recession was fully underway and I still had a job one of my customers told me he was leaving the company he worked for. He had a similar job to mine. I knew my days were numbered so I inquired about his salary then later submitted my resume to a manager that I knew pretty well at this other company. I found a job posting online and printed a copy for my records.
I got a great response from the manager, and within a day I had a phone call from the Human Resources department to schedule a phone interview. After I passed the phone interview with flying colors I set up a real interview.
What Happened:
The job I started to interview for wasn’t what I even applied for. I asked about some stuff regarding the job and was greet to a bevy of weird looks.
Apparently the job description of what I know I applied for vs what the “current” job description were not even close.
What I tried to do:
Took a moment to analyze the “new” job description.
Proceed to steer the interview towards my area of expertise that I had prepared for and emphasized my strengths.
Walked out knowing that even if I had managed to sway the interviewer to consider me for the “new” job it wasn’t something I even would want to do.
What we Learned:
Print our your confirmation email and bring any notes about the company and position.
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. I had this job… then when I was right on the cusp of obtainment… didn’t even want the job.
It is a good practice to bring a copy of the job posting and its description that you applied to. This is because hiring managers may change what they are looking for in candidates. Don’t be afraid to ask for the most recent job description, it is nice to have a reference of why you are in the room in the event that the job you interview for has changed.
We know we’re not the only ones who have had terrible interviews, share your interview nightmare with us.