Back to square one
Two weeks ago I had two job interviews: one for Facebook and one for the UN (the last one was an exam actually). All was good with the world and I felt like I could avoid the credit crunch, get a job for the summer, and go furniture shopping at Ikea (in my mind, the ultimate symbol of independence). New media industries are growing after all, and the world always needs more diplomats, right?
As it turns out, I’m right back where I started. My interview with Facebook went quite well, but I was told from the very beginning that an offer for the job I applied for had already been made, and would I like to apply for something else, in Dublin maybe? So I said yes, and I’m still waiting to hear about that position. This was the first time that I had gone to an interview for a job that did not exist anymore. That threw me off a little bit, as the interview turned into a ‘I like your CV but have no clue of what to do with it’ and ‘I like your company but where would I fit in?’ conversation.
So. There’s still hope I guess.
The UN exam was more straightforward but I must admit that I was surprised at how slow their recruitment process is. The exam itself was four and a half hours. It was handwritten, which in my opinion is a big mistake. Having to write a radio cut, a speech, an oped, a press release, and a short script for a video is fine by me if I can type it all up. But let’s not whine about it. I handwrote the entire thing.
After we handed in the exam we were told that the results would be posted on the website ‘sometime between June and December’. Wowzer.
And what would happen after that? I would wait probably another six months to hear back from the first round of interviews, and then the same for the second round of interviews. Maybe I will be in the UN employment roster in two years. Just maybe.
So here is a list of the things I learned from my two little job adventures:
- The UN is the probably the biggest bureaucracy in the world. If you want to work for them in a few years best thing is to apply right now. I still want to work for it though.
- Going for a mock interview at the Careers Centre will definitely boost your confidence but it cannot possibly prepare you for every single interview scenario.
- I will not start dreaming of my very own Ikea decorated flat just yet…