As I was walking up the sidewalk, closing the buttons to my suit jacket, I took one more deep breath and opened the door to yet another interview. There was a woman at the reception desk and I introduced myself to her. She asked for my resume, which I handed her, and then she told me talk a seat. As I sat in the small waiting room I noticed there was someone already interviewing, another woman waiting before me, and within a few minutes another woman walked in the door. I could not help but notice how excited the woman sounded to be meeting the woman at the front desk and thinking to myself, “someone is trying a little too hard.” But then 5 minutes later another woman walked in and did the exact same thing, handshake and all…maybe it was me who was wrong about how excited you should be?
As the four of us sat there I tried to focus on the television, but could not help but notice I was the only one in a suit. Everyone was wearing black of some sort, and only the last woman to walk in was wearing a bright pattern shirt that screamed 1987. I realized I was judging everyone on their appearance and if this was a model cast call I would probably get the job, unless you needed to be in your 40’s or 50’s, but it wasn’t. The first woman left her interview and I then noticed, okay I’m not the only one in a suit as she left the building and the next woman was called in. The doctor obviously knew this one, because the greeting was that of an old friend, and at that moment I wanted so badly to pull out my cell phone and text, “why am I here?!” It took all my restraint to not, for fear someone would tattle on me.
I noticed that each interview was taking about 15 minutes as the second woman was leaving, and then I hear my name, it was my turn. I politely walked in, shook his hand and took my seat. I was confident, but slightly reserved, I swear a suit makes me the lady I should always be. He informally began to ask me a few questions about my education, asking me what I went to school for. I should have realized at that point he never read my resume, because it’s on the third line, but I answered politely. We went through all of the informalities of an interview, and 5 minutes in, things became awkward for me.
“Listen, I appreciate your abilities, but I’m really looking for someone with –insert medical profession here- experience,” he said. Normally I would back down and agree, but I was annoyed. So I replied politely, “I don’t want to argue with you, but I think you might be wrong to judge me based on my lack of this kind of experience. I never knew any job I did, but I am determined and always have excelled faster than anyone would have imagined.” He then took my resume and said, “no, see, I’m moving your resume over here,” as he dramatically moves the resume into a paper folder, “because I think maybe you would be better suited for another opening we might be having in 6 or so months, as a receptionist.” First I want to say there is nothing wrong with being a receptionist. I thought that this interview was for that job to be perfectly honest, but found out that it was really the Office Manager position. Once I knew that, I knew that if I did get hired there in 6 months, the room for growth was not going to be good if they just hired a new Office Manager.
I left that night with a 6 minute interview and an answer of no. I went home, and was offended and hurt, I read all up on the organization and knew he was only a few years older than me, and a doctor of a practice because his father has begun the practice many years prior, trust me I wanted to mention that but held my tongue. So I decided to do something that I feel has helped me a lot lately, I wrote about it…but not in a blog, in an e-mail. I sent him an e-mail about how I think he rushed to judgment based on a small fact. That I was young, ambitious, and sure he could hire someone with experience and they may be good in the short run, but if he wanted to think for the long run, then he should consider me. It was a bold move, but at this point, what do I have to lose?
My point is, be bold, and fight for what you think is right. Sometimes people can think that things only work one way, and the truth is that some of the best people in the world at things were the underdog at one point. Obviously the current Office Manager saw potential in me, that is why she called me in for the interview in the first place! Who knows if I made a huge no-no (it’s a no-no I’m just not sure if it’s huge or not), I do know this, I’m going to tell it how it is. I deserve that job, because in the long run I would rock it! And, if I didn’t try, then I would always wonder, what if? Now I don’t have to wonder. And if he doesn’t respond then I know I’m better off without him.
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