4 June 2008
Winchester is one of my favourite places to visit, primarily because the Cathedral is amazing, and is home to the sculpture Sound II by Antony Gormley, and the coffee served in the refectory is more than passable. The day I was there, I was by some margin their youngest customer, and I’m no spring chicken. My interview, earlier in the day with the Design group who boasted that they were exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent, and outstanding, had seemingly gone well, so I opted to celebrate with refills of refectory coffee. After checking out the shops in the high street, I made for home.
If I got a second interview, we as a family would have to seriously consider the feasibility of relocating.
19 June 2008
For the second stage interview, a fortnight later, I needed to complete a set task. The design brief was emailed across and I set to working on the ideas that I would be required to present to a panel of three including the Chairman.
It was good to have my brain challenged in this way again. I worked hard to answer the brief and submitted some branding and campaign items too and hoped they would be impressed with my efforts. A challenge of another kind also remained, a second tie was required, the selection criteria here was critical (well, almost!) I determined that for a second stage interview a new tie was worth the extra expense and effort. Another trip to M&S.
Punctuality is vitally important when facing an interview situation, but, as we all know, even the best laid plans can go awry. My interview was, I judged just on 1.5 hours away by car, so with this in mind I built in an extra hour extra travelling time as contingency. Just as well.
I really had no intention in being interviewed in my t shirt and combat trousers, but It very nearly ended that way. The roads I thought I knew well but were slow and heavy with traffic. On a clear stretch of road, Mr Honda in front seemed to be enjoying his morning drive at a steady 20mph. If I was late, I would of course be holding Honda man personally responsible. Even once of the motorway, It soon seemed highly likely that it was going to be touch and go whether I arrived on time, I of course stuck to the legal speed limit. I forewarned my interviewers of my possible late arrival and also sent an APB Bulletin to some christian friends to pray for my journey. Prayer worked, and I got to my destination with 10 mins to spare.
I now had time to freshen up and slip into my suit. My Windsor tie knot in the rear view mirror looked impressive, hopefully others would agree. I entered the foyer with an air of confident in my creative solutions, and was aware that prayerful friends were lifting me up in prayer.
My presentation to the panel was well received, and the creative solutions presented prompted a lively discussion between the four of us, then amongst themselves! This was vaguely amusing, and I felt pleased to have made such an impact. Surely this was going to be “the One” – wasn’t it?
The email arrived a week later on the Thursday… and the blow hit hard. It appeared I had not got the job but there again the job advertised had been ‘changed’ overnight. I tackled the HR dept on this and they went quiet on me. What a waste of my time and effort. The job was not my destiny after all. Mrs W put a consolatory arm on my shoulder as I sat at my computer and we were in silence for longer than usual. I permitted myself a weekend in which to be particularly grumpy and feel sorry for myself. Clearly they weren’t exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent, and outstanding after all. Pretty much the opposite. When Monday came I would start looking again in earnest. Blast! (Or words to that affect!).
Tags: Antony Gormley, Blast, Cathedral, exceptional, extraordinary, interview, M&S, magnificent, Mr Honda, opportunity, out of work, outstanding, punctuality, refectory, Sound II, the one, Unemployed, Unemployment Stories, Winchester, Winchester Cathedral, workhope
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