Waiting Room

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap

From: Entervista Free Video Job Interviews

As I write this, I am waiting on my interviewer. It´s for a Junior Consultant position in an Atlanta-based management consultancy firm. It was last Wednesday when I got the call.  Was happy to know that I had made the firm´s callback list. After I hung up, I went over my most ingenious remarks of the first interview and congratulated myself. But back to reality. The appointment was at 12.00 and it is now 12.15.  Where the hell is Mr. Clarke?

I am sitting in a beautifully decorated meeting room.  By the window of the impressive modern building, overlooking the busiest part of town, I see the books that made the founders of the firm famous for their innovative approach to strategy execution.  I do not see the latest title by the authors, the one I tried to find at my local bookshop and had been ordered but not delivered yet.  No use worrying about it now.

Through half-open sliding doors I see a second meeting room, this one slightly more informal, with a writing board, hanging maps and several grey leather chairs. I imagine they use this one for internal meetings, while they meet with clients in this one.
On the glass table in front of me is a plate full of candy and sweets. They look great. Soft, would not be hard to chew and could be swallowed fast. Gosh I´m hungry. I overslept and had to skip breakfast. Had a mint though. A sophisticated telephone for conference calling is also at the table. It is aerodynamic and shaped like a boomerang. What were those designers thinking?

What looks like an expresso coffee machine sits at a corner table. Someone is outside the room, Mr Clarke? My heart races and I raise from the chair. I see someone go by. He doesn´t look like Mr. Clarke, although I´ve never met him.  I strain to hear the secretary talking on the phone. She informs Mr. Clarke that I am waiting for him. She listens and understands the situation. She will let me know.  She laughs a little (a little cynicism?) and goes on to make a second call. She follows his instructions and postpones Mr. Clarke´s appointment with the person on the other end of the receiver (my competitor?) until 1. 15. 

It is now 12.30. Assuming another 15 minutes of delay, my interview could only last half an hour. I don´t like this one bit. I know what´s coming.  Susan comes in the room and is sorry to let me know that Mr. Clarke will take a few more minutes to arrive, as he is held up in a meeting with a client. She looks and sounds sincere and I believe her. She offers me something to drink, but I have a knot in my stomach.  She is back on the phone – arrangements concerning a flight to London.

I have now been waiting for 50 minutes, counting the 10 for arriving early. I secretly curse at the widespread advice about arriving on time to interviews and –even better- a few minutes early. The sweets look great. Someone whistles. Mr Clarke? I don´t think that´s his style. I feel watched.

There is a video recording device hanging from the roof and facing me.  I don´t think anyone is watching my movements. Can it read small print?  I push this thought away as it makes me even more nervous.  My handshake will be firm, but not too strong. I will introduce myself and thank the interviewer for his time.  No, of course I didn´t mind the wait. I won´t ask him why it´s taken a month for them to call back after the first interview, although I wonder.

I will cut the description of my work experience to 3 minutes. The sales and marketing experience is not too relevant, but I will mention the government work as government agencies are big clients of theirs. I hear footsteps and my heart beats faster again.. Someone coughs. I believe my background in tax administration is ideal for consulting as it has furnished me with powerful analytical skills and an understanding of business accounting practices and deals. Oh my God here he is.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Comments

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