Although I had ceased both my schooling programs and coaching jobs without knowing what I wanted to do next, I had a general idea that I wanted a job that would combine my math and accounting skills. I figured this would be a unique skill set and assumed this would make me marketable. There were two challenges to that: 1) finding a job suited for a unique skill set was difficult to seek out because it would mean it was a unique job, and 2) I no longer had the support of a university career office, a college advisor, or sponsored networking/recruiting events. This left me feeling incredibly overwhelmed. While I reached out to a few contacts, the roles that I was reaching out about were admittedly a pretty far reach given I had no experience in those areas.
As I continued to wallow, wondering what to do with my life, I found myself talking to a friend that had interned on the Model Development team at a financial institution. He explained what the general premise of the team was to me, and I thought it was a perfect intersection of both my math and accounting skills. (I will spare you the details here of what it entails to be a model developer). With new hope in mind, I sent my resume and cover letter in and was granted an interview loop.
My interview was to be in the city, so on the day of the interview, I boarded the train for the first time in my life and headed for the city. I allowed plenty of time and made my way to the skyscraper that the interview would take place in. After checking in with security, they provided me with a badge and pointed me to the elevator bank that would take me to the 22nd floor. Here’s where my careful planning quickly goes awry…
I step onto the first elevator with open doors, hit the 22 button, and nothing happens. I step off the elevator assuming it’s broken and wait for the next one. I see a gentleman step onto the next available elevator and hop on with him. I again try to hit the 22 button, annnnndd nothing. He, already engrossed in emails for the day, did not notice my failed attempts, and to my dismay, the doors began to close. He stopped at the 20th floor and held the door for me to get off. Unsure what to do and not wanting to be rude, I got off the elevator. Then I figured I’m already on the 20th floor so two more flights of stairs would be nothing. I found the nearest stairwell and headed up.
I made it to the 22nd floor, grabbed the door handle, and found it to be locked. Only slight panic set in at this point. Surely the 20th floor would be unlocked. I head back down to the 20th floor, grab the handle, and LOCKED! At this point, full panic has set in. I am now stuck in a high-rise stairwell before my first full-time job interview. I check the time and begin to run down the stairs in my full suit, heels, and with a heavy tote bag in hand (heels were not removed due to the cleanliness of stairwell). Rapidly descending the stairs, I continue to check the time and floor level. 15 more flights, 10 more flights, 5 more flights. With only 2 flights to go, one of the interviewers calls me to make sure I made it to the interview okay. I kid you not, my exact response was “Funny story, I’m stuck in a stairwell.” It should come as no surprise that she followed with “You’re what?”. Continuing to run down the stairs while on the phone, I find a service elevator, lose cell service, end up somewhere at the bottom of the building, take an exit door hoping for the best, and somehow end up back in the lobby.
My phone rings again with the interviewer asking if I’m okay. I assure her that I’m fine and ask if the gentleman that would be conducting my first interview would be coming down to get me. I was told, rather, that I could make my way up to him. I was less than thrilled. Swallowing my pride, I walk up to the security desk and ask how to use the elevator. Turns out that badge they gave me served a purpose.
Trying to regain my breath and composure, I make my way up for my interviews. My first interviewer is waiting to greet me warmly despite my mishap and leads me to his office. I settle in and begin to feel more at ease as the interview proceeds just as I would expect, with one exception. This interviewer was the leader of the Financial Planning & Analysis team, which was separate from the Model Development team, and I found myself extremely interested in the type of work that his team was performing. “No more confusion,” I thought to myself. I was there to be a Model Developer and that’s what I was sticking with. The next interview was with the head of the Model Development team. This one was definitely tougher and a bit more technical than the first interview, but generally went okay.
After my second interview, I head down the hall for my final interview with the woman that had called me while I was in the stairwell. We were exchanging handshakes and hellos when she informs me that I had lipstick on my teeth. Seriously, could this morning have any more issues? I make my way into her office and awkwardly remove the mauve colored lipstick from my teeth. Finally, we were able to begin the interview. Again, working to regain my composure, I started to answer her questions. Within the first few minutes, I quickly identified this as the toughest interview I had ever had. When it rains, it pours. I did my best to portray my value, how my experiences would be relevant, and the grit I would bring to the team.
Following my interviews, I make my way back to the earliest available train I could find, board, and have a meltdown on the phone with both of my parents. Not one of my shining moments. My morning summary had included multiple embarrassing moments unrelated to interviews, one extremely tough interview, and the learning of a new team that I didn’t know existed that deep down piqued my interest.
I retreated home to the comfort of my small town suburb, poured a glass of wine, and hoped to move on from the day as quickly as possible. All that was left to do was wait to see if I could somehow salvage a job.
Despite how stressful that day was, I can now look back on it and laugh. My perspectives have changed, and I’ve actually been able to use that day as a metaphor for many forthcoming challenges in my life. The experience encapsulates:
- The ability to handle adversity and maintain/regain composure,
- The humbleness to know when to ask for help, and
- The ultimate triumph of getting to the destination that you need to be at no matter what the path there looks like. Curvy paths are the most fun!
Now that I’ve shared my interview day mishaps, let’s hear your best interview day story!
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide, professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences for those that may find them relatable and helpful.