You'll recall in part 1 of this saga that I am in the job market (read shark tank) at the moment.
Since that post, there have been a few developments. Some good, some not.
The recruiter that set me up for the interview in Booysens contacted me with an accountant position at a manufacturing company in Edenvale. I agreed to an interview, which took place this past Monday. To say the interview was a disaster would be an understatement. Simply put, the workplace/job and myself were not a good match. I was interviewed by the general manager (husband of the CEO), whom I suspect hated me on sight. I must have reminded him of an ex girlfriend that broke up with him. His manner (rude) and lack of people skills made it a rather uncomfortable 40 minutes, and no matter what answer I gave to his questions they never seemed satisfactory. He would sigh, or even roll his eyes and look out the window at times! I willed myself to stay in my chair and not leave the interview, which was very tempting. The interviewer also insulted me saying I did not score very well on my Excel competency test. As you read in Part 1 I did say that some of the questions involved pivot tables and reformatting graphs, which the average person doesn't work with on a daily basis. I maintained my composure and politely explained this to the interviewer and he smirked. Blood boiling!! Apparently I didn't ask the right questions either, because if he asked if I had any and I responded with "no" he abruptly ended the interview. Frankly, I don't think I could work with someone like that so it was a blessing that it never worked out. Week three of the hunt - going well.
I applied for a position advertised on PNet, and the human resources manager set up an interview at an IT company in Kempton Park this past Wednesday. The environment was stunning: professional and modern. I loved the place and the people immediately. The Financial Manager interviewed me, and told me more about the business and the role I had applied for (or the job spec as it is called). The duties and responsibilities were right up my alley, but my interviewer warned me there would be no room for growth as the company had reached its full potential in the field and the only promotions on offer would be for her position or the CEO, neither of which were available as they were in it for life. Upon hearing that, I wasn't that put off as a job with less stress whilst I'm en route to becoming a chartered accountant would be ideal. Climbing the corporate ladder could come later. During our discussion of remuneration, my interviewer told me that my salary expectation may be too high. This is what worried me. No room for growth and staying on a low pay-grade for three to five years was not ideal. The interview ended with the interviewer telling me that she would forward my CV along with the other candidates' to the CEO for perusal, who would then determine a short list of candidates he personally wanted to meet with. I was disappointed. This company and the role were exactly what I was looking for, but am I willing to sacrifice growth AND finances? Tough one. Let's see.
After telling a friend about the interview woes following the manufacturing company debacle, she encouraged me to apply for a position at the sister company of the one she works for. The position was advertised on LinkedIn and the title "a Key Account Manager" of a consumer product. This was a diversion from the accounting field I am used to, but seeing as though my accounts interviews had gone so badly I figured a change of field may not be the worst idea in the world. After briefly speaking with the human resources manager, my interview was set up for Wednesday (yes, same day as the IT company). The interview was conducted my the managing director, a Jewish man, at the company's premises in Spartan. Thankfully my friend had pre-warned me that it is against the Jewish tradition to shake the hand, or even tough another woman except his wife. You can imagine how odd it felt not being able to greet the interviewer with a smile and firm handshake, as good business acumen prescribes. I willed myself to stay seated when he entered the boardroom and kept repeating "don't reach to shake his hand, don't reach to shake his hand." I didn't and immediately mentally high-fived myself. The interviewer's main concern was that I would not be the perfect fit for the position, having only had a purely financial background. I tried to convince him otherwise, stating that I felt business is only built on customer relationships and that it is a skill that always has room for improvement. True, I do still want to become a chartered accountant, but having some customer interface experience could only assist me later in life, whether I am in the finance field or not. The interview was less than half an hour and purely consisted of discussion as to whether or not I was suitable for the position. I was told my application would be considered and discussed with another member of senior management after which they will contact me. Before the interview I was positive and upbeat about the change in career direction but coming out of it, self doubt had crept in. Whether or not the job is offered to me remains to be seen and if offered, whether or not I will accept it will require A LOT of thought.
In between these interviews, I have still been trawling the websites, following up with the recruitment agents and (out of desperation) yesterday I bought the classifieds newspaper. There were no suitable vacancies but at least it was another option investigated.
In summation - three weeks and four interviews. Hours of "selling myself" and getting all worked up with nerves prior to each interview. I understand that candidates need to put their best foot forward and mention all their good points to stand a chance of being offered a job, but what if someone were to over-sell him/herself and not be able to deliver once employed? Modesty goes out the window in interviews and that fact makes me uncomfortable.
Overall the job hunt process is draining: mentally and emotionally but I am eternally optimistic that this series ends with Part 3.
Have a great weekend!
Since that post, there have been a few developments. Some good, some not.
The recruiter that set me up for the interview in Booysens contacted me with an accountant position at a manufacturing company in Edenvale. I agreed to an interview, which took place this past Monday. To say the interview was a disaster would be an understatement. Simply put, the workplace/job and myself were not a good match. I was interviewed by the general manager (husband of the CEO), whom I suspect hated me on sight. I must have reminded him of an ex girlfriend that broke up with him. His manner (rude) and lack of people skills made it a rather uncomfortable 40 minutes, and no matter what answer I gave to his questions they never seemed satisfactory. He would sigh, or even roll his eyes and look out the window at times! I willed myself to stay in my chair and not leave the interview, which was very tempting. The interviewer also insulted me saying I did not score very well on my Excel competency test. As you read in Part 1 I did say that some of the questions involved pivot tables and reformatting graphs, which the average person doesn't work with on a daily basis. I maintained my composure and politely explained this to the interviewer and he smirked. Blood boiling!! Apparently I didn't ask the right questions either, because if he asked if I had any and I responded with "no" he abruptly ended the interview. Frankly, I don't think I could work with someone like that so it was a blessing that it never worked out. Week three of the hunt - going well.
I applied for a position advertised on PNet, and the human resources manager set up an interview at an IT company in Kempton Park this past Wednesday. The environment was stunning: professional and modern. I loved the place and the people immediately. The Financial Manager interviewed me, and told me more about the business and the role I had applied for (or the job spec as it is called). The duties and responsibilities were right up my alley, but my interviewer warned me there would be no room for growth as the company had reached its full potential in the field and the only promotions on offer would be for her position or the CEO, neither of which were available as they were in it for life. Upon hearing that, I wasn't that put off as a job with less stress whilst I'm en route to becoming a chartered accountant would be ideal. Climbing the corporate ladder could come later. During our discussion of remuneration, my interviewer told me that my salary expectation may be too high. This is what worried me. No room for growth and staying on a low pay-grade for three to five years was not ideal. The interview ended with the interviewer telling me that she would forward my CV along with the other candidates' to the CEO for perusal, who would then determine a short list of candidates he personally wanted to meet with. I was disappointed. This company and the role were exactly what I was looking for, but am I willing to sacrifice growth AND finances? Tough one. Let's see.
After telling a friend about the interview woes following the manufacturing company debacle, she encouraged me to apply for a position at the sister company of the one she works for. The position was advertised on LinkedIn and the title "a Key Account Manager" of a consumer product. This was a diversion from the accounting field I am used to, but seeing as though my accounts interviews had gone so badly I figured a change of field may not be the worst idea in the world. After briefly speaking with the human resources manager, my interview was set up for Wednesday (yes, same day as the IT company). The interview was conducted my the managing director, a Jewish man, at the company's premises in Spartan. Thankfully my friend had pre-warned me that it is against the Jewish tradition to shake the hand, or even tough another woman except his wife. You can imagine how odd it felt not being able to greet the interviewer with a smile and firm handshake, as good business acumen prescribes. I willed myself to stay seated when he entered the boardroom and kept repeating "don't reach to shake his hand, don't reach to shake his hand." I didn't and immediately mentally high-fived myself. The interviewer's main concern was that I would not be the perfect fit for the position, having only had a purely financial background. I tried to convince him otherwise, stating that I felt business is only built on customer relationships and that it is a skill that always has room for improvement. True, I do still want to become a chartered accountant, but having some customer interface experience could only assist me later in life, whether I am in the finance field or not. The interview was less than half an hour and purely consisted of discussion as to whether or not I was suitable for the position. I was told my application would be considered and discussed with another member of senior management after which they will contact me. Before the interview I was positive and upbeat about the change in career direction but coming out of it, self doubt had crept in. Whether or not the job is offered to me remains to be seen and if offered, whether or not I will accept it will require A LOT of thought.
In between these interviews, I have still been trawling the websites, following up with the recruitment agents and (out of desperation) yesterday I bought the classifieds newspaper. There were no suitable vacancies but at least it was another option investigated.
In summation - three weeks and four interviews. Hours of "selling myself" and getting all worked up with nerves prior to each interview. I understand that candidates need to put their best foot forward and mention all their good points to stand a chance of being offered a job, but what if someone were to over-sell him/herself and not be able to deliver once employed? Modesty goes out the window in interviews and that fact makes me uncomfortable.
Overall the job hunt process is draining: mentally and emotionally but I am eternally optimistic that this series ends with Part 3.
Have a great weekend!
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