Some managers were better at giving interviews than others. They often had a way of engaging that invited conversation. It was usually through the conversation that I would be able to open up and talk about my knowledge and experiences. This was not the case when interviewing with Ralph.
Ralph would read a question, allow me to ramble, and never comment or engage me on anything I said. When I finally reached the point where I managed to exhaust my answer, he would stare at me, wide eyed, and move on to the next question. If somebody had told me he was a robot, I would not have found the notion to be that far-fetched.
A few days after the interview, he would call me and say, "We have decided to go in another direction."
The people he hired kept leaving. Like a masochist, I continued to subject myself to more uncomfortable interviews with him to fill the available positions. I was systematically rejected.
There was one time I competed for a position with my co-worker Lou. Lou and I worked well together for the most part. At the same time, Lou was a little sloppy, hot headed, unreliable, and at times downright unprofessional. I felt this put me at an advantage over him. Ralph did not see things my way and chose Lou over me. It had become very clear that Ralph had no intention of ever hiring me.
Lou lasted a year. When his position became available, I decided, against my best judgement, to apply once more. I figured I would give Ralph the opportunity to correct his mistake of hiring Lou over me.
Again, I subjected myself to the same awkward interview. This time, I tried to come up with clever and original answers that demonstrated how much I had advanced over the last year.
A few days after the interview, Ralph called and said, "We decided to go in another direction."
Again.
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