Saturday, March 16, 2013

How did it go?

Hard to say.  I mean, I was there and all, but I'm having a hard time forming an opinion on whether the interview went well or not. 


To be honest, I'm feeling kind of down about it. As I replay the questions, I can identify a couple where my responses were a little less than stellar, and a few that could have been perfect if I'd only had the presence of mind to say two more things.  The GC was clearly looking for a very specific skill set -- more so than was indicated in the job announcement -- and while I've got lots of experience with part of what she's looking for, I have virtually no experience with the other part. And as we talked, I found her difficult to read.  I couldn't tell if she was genuinely pleased to have me interview, or if interviewing me was a gesture to the firm motivated by a desire to have us continue providing pro bono work.  Unfortunately, the other person I was supposed to meet with had to cancel our appointment due to other work emergencies, so I don't have anyone to compare to (or who can be a cheerleader for me, if needed). 

On the other hand, these negative feelings may have more to do with chemistry and psychology than any objective evaluation of the situation.  This interview was the culmination of a couple of weeks of intense preparation and anticipation, and immediately after the interview I climbed onto a train and sat for 3 hours with nothing to do but (over)analyze everything and wish I'd brought more snacks.  Coming off of a pre-interview high like that, I think it's pretty natural to feel ambivalent and overly critical and a little deflated.

But if I force myself to look at things with a more objective eye, there's every reason to remain positive and hopeful.  After all, I am one of the few who actually received an invitation to interview.  I do have a lot of experience in one of the key areas of interest and a demonstrated ability to learn new things and perform at a high level in a variety of settings.  The GC has received some very strong recommendations on my behalf.  And she even suggested I get in touch with a guy in DC who recently graduated from NYU law school and who worked for them for a while -- she wouldn't have done that if she hated me.  As for the other interviewer, it may be that this missed connection will simply be grounds for having me back for another round of interviews.

Regardless, not having that second interview meant that I had time to stop at a cafe and get a little lemon tart to tide me through the train ride home.

So much of Les Miserables still to read!!

The GC said they won't be making any final decisions for "several weeks," so now begins a period of suspense in which I suspect I'll focus on work and everything else in order to avoid wondering when (and what) I'll hear back.  I'll let you know if/when I do hear anything!  Keep those prayers and positive energy coming!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, OK. Pretty good for the first time round at something like this. What? No Perrier? Lady