Here's My Resume, Wanna Make Out?

The best thing that happened to me on the job search was to go into an interview I was extremely optimistic about and literally having the worst hour of my corporate life. Oddly enough, I'm making probably a good 50% more, with much better hours and benefits, but not only was it good for those tangible reasons, but because it let me know how horribly bad an interview could go, and definitely

I showed up to this infamous interview extremely excited, primed and ready because I was certain I was their man. I had everything going for me, it was an entry level role, right out of school, in the field I had a couple years experience in (ironically I had none of that going for me in my current role). The first 10 minutes of the interview went great, I'm generally confident, a great speaker, and had actually been on the other side of the interview table, so I knew what I was doing. But after the initial small talk, it just went entirely downhill. The interviewer wasn't HR, she was a regional manager sent to take control of this local operation while they revamped, I could sense this huge power trip on her end, and I was generally just torn apart. She brought in a few of the people I'd be working under, we discussed various projects, general industry knowledge, etc, but once the facilitator took the reigns again it was back to being a nightmare.

At the end of the interview, I asked the typical "when do you expect to have a decision" and other similar questions, just to see what she'd say. I had no illusion that I'd ever hear from her, and truthfully I wouldn't have wanted to. At the end, I sealed it with a "thank you for your time, I'm under no expectation that I will ever hear from ______ again. Thanks again, have a great day." (not sarcastic at all) and walked out of the interview extremely content and pleased. I knew the interview went about as bad as possible, but I held my own and I felt like just having that experience was something I could build from.

Interesting metaphor. I would never have thought of a job interview as dating.

One of my worst job interviews consisted of a mass interview (which was a ridiculous idea). Imagine ten people being asked the same questions and each getting to answer one after the other. In the context of this article, it wasn't date, or even a group date. It was a mass S & M type orgy of copying replies, comparing answers, changing thoughts and all out dissing of your co-interviewees (or partners). It was like my "sword" is bigger than your "sword." Or, wow, she's got huge thighs, etc. kind of situation.

The worst and most ruthless attributes of each person were shown off, all in an attempt to get the one single intern slot available at that law firm. Oddly enough, I got that slot. Makes me wonder about myself sometimes.

Hilarious! Keep up the writing!

This is a great post.

I've always interchanged the dating/interviewing metaphor and it's refreshing to see that I'm not the only one out there.

I wrote a comment on your "…need a girlfriend" post about marriage preparing me for the business world.

Hmmm. Starting to notice a trend here. Dating/Interviewing; Marriage/Business acumen.

If you start to write about how supervising is a metaphor for child-rearing then I'm unsubscribing!

Great post!

For many, the most stressful part of any interview or date has got to be the close. In both cases, you're nervous, anxious, and asking yourself whether the person you're with wants to give you a goodnight kiss or the awkward and always disappointing "let's be friends" hug. Although you'll never go for a goodnight kiss at the end of an interview, there are definitely some things you can do to seal the deal.

First, reaffirm your interest in the position (the dating equivalent of "call me"). Doing so lets the interviewer know that you're still very much interested in the job. Start by highlighting two to three reasons why you're the right candidate. Also be sure to repeat why you're interested in working for that particular company; what makes them uniquely different? Saying you want to work for them because they're an industry leader isn't enough; there could be a different industry leader tomorrow. Although your answer will vary for each company, people and corporate culture might be at the top of the list.

Also be sure to ask about next steps in the interview process (the dating equivalent of "Will I see you again?"). Knowing when the company plans to notify candidates of whether or not they made it to the next round of interviews can be incredibly valuable. Not only does it help ease some of your anxiety so you're not waiting by the phone for weeks on end, but the timeframe is also something you can refer to if you decide to follow up if you haven't heard from the company.

If you'd like to learn more about the connections between dating and your job search, check out my forthcoming book Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job, available at http://www.jist.com or http://www.amazon.com.

Hysterical article…what a clear comparison!

HAHAHAHAHAHAH this article is so on-point and relevent to today's young professional/young lover scene. OBSESSED with your writing!

Absolutely brilliantly hilarious.
Job interviews and dating are concoctions of a similar beast is right.
The Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match line? Even the title of
the piece. Genius.
I so look forward to reading everything Jackie writes.
You know how people love to discover new writers? Well, I think
Jackie is one we'll be talking about in years to come.
One day we'll all be saying, "I read her stuff from the very beginning.
I remember she wrote that great piece
comparing dating with job interviews…"

[...] Original post by Employee Evolution [...]

LOL. Very funny. Absolutely loved it. Thank You very much dear jackiedc (I guess Your name is Jackie and You live in DC)for this wonderful little view into Your mind and that of so many in this highly competitive world. Especially DC or even Brussels, where I reside. Please keep up the writing and continue to make my office days a little less boring and a little more entertaining.

I've actually received a "thank you" note from someone I went out on a first date with that seemed eerily like an interview thank you note.

Very funny… thanks for writing this article!

So THAT'S why I keep falling in love with my interviewers…and am unemployed.

I love your humor! I would have never thought to compare interviewing to dating, but this article speaks to the truth and ugliness of the corporate world.

This article reminds me of why I am 24 and have only had 3 jobs since I was 16! Thanks for the reminder of what the real world is like! I'll stay in my bubble, thank you.

Great article!

What a fun article. Who knew that two worlds we try to seperate in our lives are strikingly similiar.

Right on! I am quite familiar with both 'markets,'…..and for a while there thought of myself as practically a professional job hunter. I was getting very good at the interview process (i.e. needless to say I pride myself on my flirting!)…..but despite date after date with countless possible employers I wasn't hitting the right match. Either I was under-qualified or the job just really wasn't floating my boat. I've finally landed a good gig where I can learn and grow. I guess I'd have to ask though, what does it mean when you take a job knowing it's a great tool and can help you build your skill set but not ultimately where you want to be?? I guess that's sorts like dating an amazing guy who you admire and adore but know it really isn't for the long term??

I like your writing style and it puts a nice spin on the wild world of self-advertising….

Love the writing… Keep it comin!

Jackie,
You are a superstar! What a wonderful and extremely accurate article! I was laughing aloud as I replayed many interviews (first dates) in my head. Great job, amazing writing. I love your wry sense of humor! Congrats!

This is so weird. I just posted something called "7 ways interviewing is like dating" on my blog today. Great minds…

Sorry, I screwed up that link. (Not so great a mind, I guess!). This is the correct one:
http://askamanager.blogspot.com/2007/09/7-ways-interviewing-is-like-dating.html

What a great metaphor!!!! I love the way this girl writes

So witty – nice work!

Wonderful work!! I loved it. Brought me back to college. I always thought that the College Career Fairs must be something like prositution. Walking into a room full of 100+ recruiters, dressed up, trying to compete with 100+ other college students for a recruiters time… I never made the connection with the interviewing process but its the same point. Keep up the great work – your writing is a joy to read.

Haha, the opening of this is priceless.

cleverly written. jackie has a way with connecting with the reader and offers enticing prose to draw them in. thanks for this genius piece. more, more, more!

Hilarious, you are so right! Please write again, really entertaining.

Smart little thing you are, my dear Jeckie!!! Amazing article! But, don't worry, I still believe that the faking part can last longer during an interview than during a date…

Jacklyn:
Your article definitely has long-term worth. I congratulate you.
All the best.

I really liked your metaphors… especailly the part on the matchmaker and prostution. The waiting game seems to be so long and sometimes that is the end result. Really made me laugh.

Looking forward to reading your other posts!

Great article Jackie! Wow, I never noticed these similarities until I read this article. This truly gives me a new perspective on the hiring process. I just want to share a couple experiences that this article has struck a chord with.

In a few very recent interviews, I realized that I tried to do way too much. Ever want to impress a girl so bad that you push yourself to the verge of sounding desperate? That was me. BIG mistake. Overhauling my resume with buzz words (witty pick up lines, usually when drunk) induced some cloud of inebriation over my brain. I really began to think that I could just walk into the interview naked, show my guns, and that in the end they would hire me. Unfortunately, I was only good entertainment for them (sorry, you're not getting past 1st base) and will probably remain the subject of their gossip talks for the next few months.

When I recollect upon all of the interview processes I have been a part of, the best results came from those in which I was honest, and left the interviewer with something to think about. It was sort of like, 'here's what Ican do and this is who I am. Now you go and make the decision.' There's a lot of talk about 'branding' and distinguishing yourself from others. This is important, but it's even more vital to not forget who you are, and your core beliefs. I've learned that brand is something one builds, not something that you put on paper and try to become overnight.

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