It was a sunny Friday afternoon and I was on my way to the big corporate job interview that I had been preparing for weeks. I wore my finest suit and I was feeling pretty confident about myself. I was excited to interview at a logistics company that helped plan the logistics for bands that were on tour. Little did I know, this interview would be unlike any other I had ever experienced.
As soon as I walked in, I was told that the original manager who was going to interview me was not available and I would be meeting with the owner of the company. My heart sank, and my mind started racing, thinking about whether I was prepared for this moment. As soon as the owner walked up to me, I noticed the casualness of the business. The owner was wearing sweats and a hoodie, and he had just finished munching on a bag of Cheetos. With Cheeto dust on his hands, he extended a handshake. I was completely thrown off and felt way overdressed.
The interview took place in the middle of an open office, surrounded by employees and their pets. Yes, you heard that right: pets. Four dogs suddenly appeared and surrounded me on the couch, each with their own tennis ball and wagging tails, desperate for me to play catch with them. As you can imagine, the presence of pets in an interview was quite unusual, to say the least. Nonetheless, I managed to keep my cool and answer the owner's questions confidently.
Even though the dogs were incredibly distracting, I was determined to make a good impression and show that I was the right person for the job. And as it turned out, my efforts paid off, and I landed the job a few days later. Looking back, I realize that there were a few important lessons to be learned from that experience.
First and foremost, first impressions do matter. While it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed, you also need to be aware of the culture of the company you are interviewing for. In this case, I could have saved myself a lot of stress by dressing more casually.
Secondly, you never know what to expect in an interview, so you need to be ready for anything. Whether it's a room full of dogs or an unexpected interviewer, you need to be able to adapt and stay confident in your abilities.
Finally, and most importantly, always be yourself. The most important thing in any interview is to be true to yourself and your values. Don't try to be someone you're not, because it will only lead to disappointment down the line.