Triple Whammy

About 6 weeks ago I was setup on an interview at a company that I had absolutely no desire to work for. While this company has a great reputation for developing its sales team, in my humble opinion, it's pretty low on the totem pole in terms of what I want proudly displayed on my business card. Regardless, I remembered the dwindling balance of my bank account and tried to sound as positive as I could. As with the majority of my interviews, it was all the way out in Mississauga (strike #2), and I hauled out the brown suit yet again.


To my surprise, the meeting went exceptionally well! As it turned out, I had worked for the interviewers father years and years ago, and it was that company on my resume that intrigued her to call me in. We hit it off quite well, chatted about her dad (who remembered me as a nice young girl), reviewed the job(s) that she was looking to fill and at one point she said something along the lines of "I think you'll be a great fit here...I would just like you to complete an online self assessment profile to see which role you are best suited for". Sounded to me like she thought the meeting was going as well as I did and all I had to do was go through the standard HR rigamarole and I was in like Flynn! We continued to chat with a degree of kinship reminiscent of meeting someone at a cocktail party and realizing they too think the host is having an affair. She handed me her business card, we shook hands and I knew...just KNEW, I'd be seeing this wonderful woman again. My reservations about working for this company were gone, either job sounded fabulous, and I left thinking about what I would wear on my first day.

I received and completed the online assessment the next day, crafted a fantastic obligatory thank you email, and waited to hear next steps.

What follows is best described as 'the triple whammy':

1. the business card she gave me listed an incorrect email address. I sent my exceptionally well written thank you note three times and all bounced back. I called the company's main reception and was given the correct email address (does this make me a stalker?). I was finally able to send my letter through, now 2 days after the interview, confused and wondering if this was the business world's version of giving out the wrong phone# to someone you meet in a bar.

2. I never heard back. (WTF?!!!) I was absolutely shocked as I was positive our meeting went really well. Did the online profile I completed make me out to be a mass murderer in a cheesy brown suit? After a coupla weeks I figured what the hell, and sent a second followup email (does THIS make me a stalker?). Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I'm sure I don't need to explain the parallel to dating here, but suffice it to say that even if you think you've just met your soulmate, something like a zit on your chin, or how much sugar you put in your coffee can completely derail your imaginary lifelong happiness together, without you even knowing it.

3. I never 'got closure' from the headhunter either. I called him 3 times before he finally called me back to ask me if I had heard anything. (ummm....am I not supposed to hear through you?). He told me he would call HR and find out what was going on and call me back as soon as possible. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Not only had it not worked out with this company, but now my relationship with this recruiter was ruined. Any chance of him finding me another job went out the executive corner office window. Again, I'm sure there's no need to describe the parallel in black and white, but just know that if someone sets you up on a blind date, be aware that if it doesn't go well, your relationship with the middleman may be in serious jeopardy. While you're telling your Aunt Sally that he's a dream and you can't wait to go out with him again, he's telling your Aunt Sally that he just didn't feel it. This puts poor ol' Aunt Sally in a pickle of a situation, and you may just find her avoiding you at the annual family picnic.

I'm not lying - she seriously gave me a business card with the wrong email address on it. Is that fucked up or what?


Lisa