Second Round

I made it to the second round of interviews!

That means this week, I have four more interviews. Eek.

Today I had two of them. My first was with a guy so tough and severe in interviews, he's made interns cry. Thats right, 20-something, college educated, prospective Engineers balling at the hands of this one man. No mercy.

So imagine my fear as I waited outside his office, and he eventually beckoned me in.

He asked some good questions, and I couldn't stop twitching, which is what I do when I'm nervous. Sitting there twitching, trying to convince this man that I am exactly when he needs. What the whole department needs. Shoot, what the whole Church needs.

I made it through the questions. And then, BAM, my worst fear came to fruition. He told me to go to the whiteboard.

I died a little inside, and my twitching increased.

I walked to the board and grabbed a marker, knowing what was coming...

What came out of his mouth next was a blur something to the effect of...

"Marker.... math..... problems..... solving..... test....."

Anyone who knows me well is cringing right now. Basing my employment off of solving math problems given to me by an engineer on a whiteboard is suicidal. I SUCK at math. Repeat - I SUCK AT MATH.

He gave me a percentage problem first. I hate percents more than most things. I immediately shut down. I didn't know the answer. I knew there was a formula, but couldn't remember it exactly... so I guessed. Based my answer off of 50%, which I could do.

After that meltdown, I proceeded to state the obvious - I am a words/verbal/people person. With numbers - I suck.

His response?

"Yeah, your answers to my questions were some of the best I've ever heard."

I twitched just a little bit less after that.

Then he gave me two more math problems - both of which I solved. Success. One was hard. Well, for me it was. And I figured it out. Right there in that office with him watching on the whiteboard in green marker, I got the answer.

After, he said he had all he needed to know. He went over the interview, and said he thinks I have an extreme level of emotional intelligence. Which is important for my job. He said he thinks I am extremely competent and would do a great job.

My downfall? He said he sees me as not being confident enough. He can see me stressing myself out over a project, thinking I don't have the skills to do it, and not performing as well as I could. Which, he said, is also a positive - because he thinks I have the capability to do an amazing job - but that I would be my greatest downfall.

Which, in my opinion, is spot on. From the questions he asked me, he really did assess me very accurately. I've never been in that type of an interview before. It was extremely intense and intellectual.

I left, somewhat awkwardly, naturally, and said something to the effect of, "Well, I'll see you around, I imagine."

And what did he say?

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you a lot."

I'm pretty sure that means he likes me. I hope so.

The next interview went well. General questions, the questions I expected. I think it went well.

I have my last two tomorrow. These will be more awkward... as they are with the two men I currently am an admin for. They knooow me. They know when I've messed up, succeeded... they know my weaknesses and strengths. So when they ask me those questions - they already know the answers. What if I say my weakness is one thing, and they are thinking - "eek! I didn't know about that... I would have said ...." or when I say my greatest strength, and they are thinking "Oh heavens! That is not your strength!"

I'm sure it will go well, but it is nerve-wracking.

My triumph is doing well in my first interview. Although, I am feeling a lot dumb... it didn't hit me until driving home, as stressed as I was all day, the answer to the first math problem he gave me finally clicked in my mind.

Say something electronic is $100 and is 20% off. How much is it?

I thought and thought and thought. What was the formula? What is 50% off? I ended up saying 85. That is how stressed I was. And it wasn't until on my way home it hit me. $100. $100!! That is like 2nd grade math. And I know the answer without thinking. Except for in the interview, when I was so nervous after hearing the word "math" I basically shut down. I'm humiliated. I want to go to him and let him know I KNOW the answer! That it is easy-cheesy!

My redemption? I answered the much harder ones that proceeded my disgraceful, humiliating, blundering failure.

I'm hoping this works out. I guess what will be, will be, right? I'm praying my hardest... just have to have faith. Always more faith...

Love,
Brittney