Yesterday, I had an interview for an engin.eering design firm. However, I could not find said firm anywhere on the 'net, so out went my research. I soon discovered that there was a reason for that.
My interview was with an archite.ct, who is a partner of this phantom firm. I went to his office to find people so casual that I thought that they were moreso dressed for the park, than an office setting. When I saw this one chick walking around barefoot, I thought "how in da hell do I end up in some weird a$$ places?" Now, my minor is in architectural studies so I spent a lot of time in the architectural building on my old campus...and yes, everyone there was a character. I guess that makes me one too and I just fail to see "them" in me. Anyway...
The guy greeted me in the waiting area and I followed him to his office...overdressed, mind you, b/c I had on a suit that was making me sweat bricks in this hot setting. He explained that the design firm was something that he and his partners failed at in the past and he'd like to get up and running again. I gave him the "people's eye.brow." He continued on to say that a lot of the projects that he's done lacked communication between disciplines and often encountered many problems during construction. I sighed at the thought of how disorganized this operation seemed to be. I asked him several questions with regard to how his firm goes about communicating with the engineers and he looked almost lost. So I through out some suggestions.
Yeah, he was supposed to be interviewing me, right?
I asked if he had a location for this new office. He said no. I suggested that he save on overhead and allow the engineers to set up satellite offices at home (if there were pressing projects in the meantime) until he figured that out. He seemed to agree. But I also said that if he wanted to minimize the adversarial relationship between archi.tects and engineers, he might consider a closer location to his architecural firm so that there is no excuse for any lack of collaboration.
So who was interviewing who?
I'm just at a point, apparently, where I just don't give a sh*t anymore. Forget all of those tips that the web tries to offer on successful interviewing skills.
And even after all of that, he seemed interested, asked for my references and then introduced me to another partner.
I'm tired, ya'll.
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3 comments:
I know LB, but I was pretty excited while reading this post. I guess the way I see it is you would REALLY be an asset to that unorganized firm. Revamping how they function may not be want you set out to do, but it could be a great opportunity. No?
Okay, let me say this about that.
As a person who is sometimes on the other side of the table, I’m sick of people giving me the “scripted” interview. I’m tired of people telling me what they think I need to hear and not what I need to know. I need the real deal. Show me that you can think and solve problems. Give me examples. Tell me what you're made of and tell me what and how you think. I’m looking to hire YOU, not some made up version of what you think I want to hire.
I say never screw around and give it to them straight. Continue to give them LB in all her glory. You’d be surprised how attractive that is to an interviewer.
Case in point.
I interviewed a guy for a PM position. I needed someone who could get things done affectively and on time. He was rather honest through the whole thing. I gave him a scenario and asked him how he would handle it. He said, “I’ve never really been in that situation before. I’m not sure what I would do right now...I’d have to really take a look at it. But ya know what? On a good day, with the wind behind me...I think I’d bring it home on time.”
I hired the guy. He still works here and he’s great. Best of all, he’s still the same guy I hired, not someone else. I made a good choice because he gave me the real deal to make a decision on.
Be you Baby, and the world will turn.
oh wow!
Knowing me I would have walked out.
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