Do your homework
One of my worst interviews was when I sat with some 14 other people in a room and I was paired up with a guy.
We interacted and answered questions as best as ‘we’ could.
The last question was on the newest advert the company was showing on the airwaves.
I had no idea as I had started living on my own in the town I was studying at.
I looked at the guy I was paired with and thought he knew the answer.
He looked at me and asked if I knew. My answer was negative.
He said ‘Socks’ confidently.
Are you sure I asked? He affirmed it. I agreed. It was December and what better thing to advertise to keep people warm in winter.
The Naija smartness in me received an anointing to avoid plagiarism we were being taught in Uni, so I wrote down ‘STOCKINGS’.
We all shook hands after the interview as the 3 guys in charge promised to get back to us.
Depression came on me within 20 seconds of stepping away from my seat.
It seems almost everybody in the room knew the other with the way they related.
I asked for the gents and I was shown the direction.
When I came out…I saw all the people previously dressed as interview candidates now all changed into company uniforms!
Cold ‘catch me’ as I shivered from the inside.
As I walked into the main floor, my eyes opened!
It was an electronic/technology wholesales company.
The last question we were asked game back to smack my head.
No way a technology base company will advertise socks/stockings for Christmas!
Fever added itself to my cold and bitter taste reached the back of my tongue.
I knew I flunked it. I remember the prayers and everything I put into the job interview.
I fasted and prayed but I did not do any background checks on the company I was applying to.
The worst feeling was when I now met the guy I was paired with on the main floor in a red and blue uniform.
I could barely talk when he said ‘good luck next time. Not sure you prepared for this’
I asked him ‘why?’ ‘What happened?’.
He confirmed to me as he walked me to the exit that only two of us were in the final interview. The other being a lady. She was actually the only lady in the room.
The rest of them apart from the interview panel were casual staff of the company that were asked to role play an intense interview session!
From final 70 applicants down to 2, and they needed 1 person to fill the last position.
The 12 guys did their job well, but I was madder at myself for trusting the guy on the last question. I had done well taking care of the previous questions but for the last one.
I walked out and saw the girl walking to her car.
I entered my own £200 Vauxhall Cavalier I brought from egbon Jide to shed some tears. Yes, I told myself to cry and I cried.
I wiped my tears and headed straight to Wellington street to park my car, and then walked down to the city centre to Argos to buy my first Tv.
I vowed never to be the last person to know what is going on. That was my angry remedy as I thought not having a TV in my room was the reason I missed out on the question.
I remember muting my TV whenever the advert came up knowing fully well the lady got the job.
But that was the beginning for my alter ego character – Special Agent Soma Xilef. And the book I wrote halfway for that character (not completed yet) was borne out of that interview experience.
So when you are wondering why Special Agent Soma Xilef pops up around me…there is a story behind it.
And to job seeking people, stop long fasting and praying for an interview, rather spend time on building your answering skills, body language, positioning ethics, confidence and most importantly, having all the information about the employer at your finger tips.
Trust me, fasting did not answer a simple question of ‘what are we advertising’ for me! Doing my homework well would have helped.