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mg

i'd hammer out love between all of my brothers and my sisters

by mg at 05:43 PM on March 28, 2002

It’s been a week and I haven’t heard back anything from the place I interviewed. I’m guessing it might be safe to post this now without jeopardizing anything, because, hey, there is no potential job to jeopardize.

Actually, it is sort of silly to post this at all now because it isn't a) terribly topical or b) terribly entertaining. But, I wrote it and I have nothing else to write about today, so, put your helmet on and strap yourself into the not-really-too-way back machine. I’m setting the dial for seven days ago…

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So, I had a job interview today. Strange, I know, but it had to happen sometime. In this economy, interviews have been coming less frequently than your mom. Things seem to have gotten a bit better over the past couple weeks, but still; it’d be doing much better with a job than I am without one.

I didn’t mention the interview beforehand and ask ya’ll for the usual good mojo because 1) I didn’t know about it until the day before, and 2) you guys suck at sending out good mojo. Sorry. It’s true. I wouldn’t count on your mojo sending abilities to get me cavity searched at an airport if I walked through the metal detector carrying a Saturday night special and a copy of the Quran, much less to get me a job.

The interview is over now, and I’m sure you are all wondering how it went, and what I’d be doing and whom I’d be doing it for. Sorry, but I can’t tell you; not exactly anyway.

To begin, the job isn’t exactly something I’m terribly qualified for, and the interviewer told me so. He told me that I’m the oddball in the interviewee pool, the guy who if someone started singing “one of these things is not like the other,” a gaggle of toddlers would run up and point at me. Still, he said he was impressed enough (I write great cover letters) that he called me in. Cool.

I can’t mention the place I’d be working because I signed a Non Disclosure Agreement. Besides, it’d be very unprofessional of me. I probably shouldn’t even be writing this, to tell the truth. Yet, I’m compelled to write this and I promise to remain well within ethical boundaries.

I can mention the company is a start up, and a start up with a fantastic idea. Even if I don’t get the job, I will be a big proponent of the service; it is just that strong an idea and that useful a product.

I can also say that the fellow starting the company, the interviewer, is a bit of a web celeb. He was the CEO of a company I greatly admired, and is considered to be on of the most influential personalities in Silicon Alley. Forget how cool the job is, and how behind the product I am, I would want this job for merely the chance to bask in his warm glow. And I’m not saying that just to kiss up.

How did the interview go? Pretty well. I think.

Experientially I may not be the best candidate for the job, but I am certain I have the skills and personality to get it done. And what I don’t know, I’ll learn. Even from the short meeting, I have a pretty decent handle on what I need to do to help make the organization a success. I think I suggested a couple of good ideas that they might not have considered before (plus I thunk up some more ideas on the subway ride home), and guessed (correctly) at one of the company’s long-term goals.

My interviewer reiterated that I wasn’t the most obvious choice for the job, but that he was impressed. Whether I get the job or not (and I really, really hope I do), I am honored to have impressed someone I am impressed by.

I’ll let you know more when I know more, but if you don’t hear about this again, consider your questions answered by my silence.

comments (4)

Call them and ask for an update. Show that you are still interested. It took two months for my last job interviewer to call me back. Sometimes it takes a while.

by MrBlank at March 28, 2002 7:00 PM


Well, I was supposed to hear back Monday, but I didn't. They never gave me a number. I emailed them, but I haven't heard back yet.

by mg at March 28, 2002 7:19 PM


Oh... yeah. That's not a good sign. Sorry about that.

by MrBlank at March 28, 2002 11:45 PM


Look at the bright side... just getting an interview is an accomplishment (I write pathetic cover letters ;) ), so congratulations on getting interviewed! And don't give up hope! Those New Media types can be ridiculously flaky and unprofessional when they put their minds to it, so you never know... you could land the job in a month or even three. It once took one of my friends three months from the first interview to land a job.

by Jean at March 29, 2002 3:14 AM