When I write my book about all the interesting people I’ve encountered throughout my career, I think this story will make the cut.
Someone stepped into our office today (we are part of an office complex). One of the first things I could not help but observe was that it appeared she had fallen into a perfume vat. The scent entered the lobby way before she did.
And the hair … looked like she used the mix master to comb it before fastening that wild ponytail. Yikes!
Her first statement was, “I’m not sure I’m in the right place.” When I inquired about who she was looking for, she replied, “I don’t know. I’m here for an interview.” Another Yikes! At least she was kind of smiling, but the conversation went downhill from there. She didn’t know the name of the company nor the person she was to interview with or what the job was, but she clearly was ‘here for an interview’. And she knew it was at 10:30 AM. It was now 10:38 AM.
After rummaging through some papers in her purse, she indicated she was looking for another building in the complex, but she still didn’t know the company or individual name. I took her to the window as it was easier to show her the building than to explain how to get there (boy if I had a dollar for every time I’ve done that …).
She thanked me, and as she walked away I could not help but observe that the back of her black sweater was covered with white pet hair. Did I say Yikes?!
A few important lessons here when preparing for an interview:
- Know where you are going and who you are going to meet with, both the person and the company. I’d guess that she did not research the company before heading out for the interview. That’s always a good thing to do.
- Be on time! Better yet, be early! Office complexes can be tricky to navigate and locate where you need to be. Another great reason to be early!
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll
- Your image says a lot about you, and you want to make sure to put your best foot forward.
- So don’t wear flip flops or shoes that sound like snapping rubber bands when you walk (yes, she was wearing that exact thing).
- Keep the fragrance to a minimum (or skip it completely that day).
- And leave your pets at home. They are probably adorable but don’t add much to your outfit or the interview.
By the time she got to the correct building, it must have been at least 10:50 AM. I would love to have been a fly on the wall … I hope she was successful. At least she thanked me. Good for her!
Written by Shelley Stoeckl.