I really like job interviews because I think I communicate pretty well and I’m pretty confident in my abilities. I had a few interviews after finding out about my short-date with SuperValu that were pretty intense though. I got flustered when they asked me to figure out math problems right in front of them, or to answer straight questions about specific equations or theories. It was unusual because in most interviews I’ve been in before that time, the emphasis is on personality and character, while the resume was the source of truth about abilities and qualifications. When I write that I’m an expert in Excel on my resume, I expect to prove that on the first day of work, not in the interview.
Apparently, that is not the case in some companies, especially those with a vested interest in the degree to which you are an “expert” where you claim to be one. Investment banks or insurance companies may be unable to gamble on your claim that you can develop Python Executables, and want to know that you can really do it. “Write some code that will accomplish this task on the white board.” Now, I could show that I’m a well-rounded employee and not only write the code, but also point out the dangling modifier, but for the most part, I’ve been able to demonstrate as well as claim my experience in my most recent interviews.
But today, even after an intensive interview process with DynCorp, I will have the first opportunity to demonstrate some important traits that I claimed to have, i.e. programming skills, database design skills and other process improvment proclivities. I’ll be showing some of the local nationals how to use a database that I designed to replace a burdensome spreadsheet that clogged the processors of even the fasted computers in the office. So I’ve got to train, to improve and to respond to feedback, all while building teamwork with the guys who are going to be working on my projects for this next year.
I write all of this today so that I can have another blog entry that starts out like each West Wing episode, “Previously, on the West Wing . . . ” Except it will be something like, “Previously on Adam Does Afghanistan . . . ”