I threw my phone at the wall.
I was applying for a sale job. The interviewer asked me if I had a phone.
Sure, I do.
Sell it to me. Convince me to buy your phone from you.
It was an older Nokia model, beaten up over the years. I took it out of my pocket. It didnt really had any selling points over newer smartphones.
Mmm... it has a flashlight button. And you could listen to FM radio on it if you found the right cable for that... mmm... it could also help you give the image of a rugged, active lifestyle...
...And...
My mind lit up.
Its tough as nails! I Challenge you to do this with any other phone! I said, throwing it against the wall.
The phone survived without a scratch. There was a small dent in the drywall.
I got the job
INTERVIEW 2 :-
I had been trying to get a job in finance for a few months and was having trouble. A Sociology major in college, I hadn't decided until after recruiting had passed during my Senior year that I wanted to work in Sales and Trading. After graduation, I moved to NYC to find a job in the industry, and ended up finding an internship on a trading floor in Boston and moved there for a few months. During that time, I continued to network to find a job in NYC because it's where I had dreamed of being.
Somewhere along the line, I managed to get the contact information for a Managing Partner (basically the highest rank you can hold) at one of the most selective banks in the world. Let's call that bank Soldman Gachs. I made several strikes from the beginning.
I didn't hear back from him, so I followed up a few more times. Finally, his assistant responded and said I could come and meet with him. Early that morning I got on the Chinatown bus in Boston and went to NYC to meet with him. He cancelled at the last minute when I was already in the city.
This happened about 4 more times. No joke. On about the 5th Friday this had happened I decided to just show up anyway and act like I didn't know he cancelled.
I went to Soldman Gach's world headquarters, walked through the huge doors with a run in my pantyhose (long story) and stood in the massive lobby looking like the lost 22-year old mess that I was. I told the security guards who I was there to see. They picked up the phone for a second then let me through to the elevators (to this day I have no idea why), and I made my way to the fixed income trading floor upstairs.
When I walked into Mr. Managing Partner's office, he looked up and asked, "Are you that kid who won't stop emailing my assistant", and laughed. I answered yes and introduced myself, and he interrupted me and said "I'm busy, what do you want?" I felt so dumb and out of place at this point and knew I looked ridiculous. But, I was also standing in the personal office of one of the most powerful men on Wall Street, and I could see the trading floor through the glass walls and remembered why I was there. There was no choice but to just go for it at that point.
I told him I wanted to work on his trading floor, and that I'd be the best analyst he had if he gave me a shot. We talked for a few minutes, during which time he told me I needed to refine my initial correspondence practices because my first email to him sounded rude, a lesson which I took to heart. He asked me why I wanted to work in finance and if I would consider myself a risk-taker and what my favorite games were, and like a diligent interviewee I had answers to all of those things.
At the end he said "I have no idea who you are or how you got in my office, but you've got conviction and I like that. I'm going to help you."
And he did.
He retired shortly thereafter, but I ended up on a trading floor and he's a friend to this day, and I write much more polite emails now, too.
INTERVIEW 3 :-
Presence of mind was one thing I didn't think I had until this happened:
Interviewer: Good morning Mr. Anonymous. I'm sure you're familiar with a typical consult interview, so I won't beat around the bush. Tell me a little about yourself before we dive into the puzzles and cases.
Me: Blah blah blah...er...blah...er...b
Being my first job interview, I managed the impossible. I screwed up right at the start and ended up describing why I wanted to do consulting, instead of talking about myself. Beads of sweat started forming on my troubled forehead. With a bemused look on his face, the interviewer continued.
Interviewer: Uh, o...kay. I'll go on to the puzzle now. Okay, so tell me...
He proceeds to describe a puzzle I had heard and solved recently. I have trouble keeping my emotions away from my facial expressions, so I broke into a wide smile, thinking that the moment to redeem the dismal 'tell me about yourself' had come! Needless to say, my poker career ended almost as soon as it had started.
Me: <Laughing> Sir, I'll be honest with you. I've heard this one before...<I then proceed to give an outline of the solution>
Interviewer: Oh, haha, okay. I guess I'll have to ask you another one I guess. Okay, so...
He then proceeds to describe a puzzle that sounded so tricky and convoluted that the beads of perspiration on my forehead now gushed forth with renewed fury in rivulets of nervousness down my face and neck and arms and legs. A Ganga of tension clouded over my face. The interviewer finishes asking the question and there is an ugly silence that ensues. I could almost hear the atoms in the left part of my brain screeching to a sudden halt and completely and stubbornly refusing to budge towards any analysis whatsoever. I had no idea what the solution was. I didn't even know where to start!
But then the creative right part of my brain swooped in, with fluttering heroic cape et al.
Me: <Smiling broadly> Sir, I hate to admit it, but I've heard this one before as well!
Interviewer: <A look that registered appreciation of my unbelievable 'honesty' and shock at the probability of it all> Wow...No puzzles today, it seems. I guess we'll move on to a quick case then...
And then, after blindly stumbling and bumbling through the case and then shockingly recovering to somehow solve it, I cleared the interview and got the job!
INTERVIEW 4:-
The interviewer, a very senior technical guy, asked me, "So, do you have any questions for me?"
I thought about it for a moment and said, "What's the worst thing about working here?"
He thought about it for a minute, then got up and closed his door, and told me. For like half an hour, in painful detail, getting more agitated as he went. Then he was done, and sent me on my way saying I'd hear back soon.
The next day I got called back in. Seems that after he talked to me, he went and resigned, and the HR rep asked what happened in our interview.
After I told them, in detail, I expected to hear nothing further since I would have been reporting to him. Instead, the CTO came in to talk to me, and asked if I would be interested in coming aboard to help him fix all the things that seemed to be wrong with the organization (and solve some cool technical problems as well).
So I did.
INTERVIEW 5 :-
In response to a job offer, I said no. As a result, I got the job.
This goes back a few years: I was interested in a particular job, and read the description carefully. I saw it had 5 job specifications, covering a wide range of skills in my field. I thought they might need two people to do the job they described. After some good phone interviews, I was invited to a full day of on-site interviews. I first met with the hiring manager, and then with a few people related to the group. The last interview was with the recruiter.
First interview with the hiring manager (CTO-ish role) went well, but it had a strange moment near the end. We spoke about the job and then he asked if I had questions. I asked about the five items; they were diverse, so which was the most important part of the job? He looked at the job spec sheet and answered that #5 was the essential job, the other four were much less relevant. I asked, why is the most important part of the job listed last? Usually a list like this would have the most important item listed first. Moreover, #1 and #5 implied a very different skill profile. He seemed annoyed at me for asking the question, and reiterated that #5 was the job, the rest was not as important.
The next five interviews went very smoothly, and things were looking promising. When each interviewer asked if I had questions, I asked the same question, out of curiosity: "If you and I asked the CTO which of these 5 items are most important for this job, what do you think he'd say?" Each one answered #1 is the primary job. Then I said "I actually asked the CTO, he said #5 was the essential part of the job. What do you think that means?" Their reactions were very interesting. One said "No, I meant #5..." Another said "Oh that's not right, I need to meet with him and correct this." Fascinating indeed! Seemingly, I revealed a disconnect between the CTO and the team about the job.
The last interview was with the recruiter. We clicked. We had a frank conversation about the company and about the issues I uncovered. She told me that feedback on my interviews was positive. But she did not have a good answer about the role clarity. Yet they still wanted to make me an offer. The truth is, I really wanted (needed) this job. But I said: I'm sorry, I don't think I can take the job if the company doesn't know what the job is. You need to figure out what you want before you make an offer. I don't think anyone could succeed in a job where the very role is in dispute.
She responded. The reason they wanted to make me the offer was that I was the only person to see what was going on. It was a new role and they didn't fully understand the requirements themselves -- but apparently I read the situation in a way they were unable to see themselves, and that's what they needed. They want me to take the job in order to help figure out what the job should be.
She asked me what salary range I was looking for. I thought, this makes no sense. Yes, I want the job, but the risk of failure is high since the job was ill defined. Given the risk, how would I know if they are serious about having me figure this out for them? So I said "If you make me an offer I can't refuse, then I won't be able to refuse it." She came back 15 minutes later with an offer I could not, and did not refuse. No regrets either.
I was applying for a sale job. The interviewer asked me if I had a phone.
Sure, I do.
Sell it to me. Convince me to buy your phone from you.
It was an older Nokia model, beaten up over the years. I took it out of my pocket. It didnt really had any selling points over newer smartphones.
Mmm... it has a flashlight button. And you could listen to FM radio on it if you found the right cable for that... mmm... it could also help you give the image of a rugged, active lifestyle...
...And...
My mind lit up.
Its tough as nails! I Challenge you to do this with any other phone! I said, throwing it against the wall.
The phone survived without a scratch. There was a small dent in the drywall.
I got the job
INTERVIEW 2 :-
I had been trying to get a job in finance for a few months and was having trouble. A Sociology major in college, I hadn't decided until after recruiting had passed during my Senior year that I wanted to work in Sales and Trading. After graduation, I moved to NYC to find a job in the industry, and ended up finding an internship on a trading floor in Boston and moved there for a few months. During that time, I continued to network to find a job in NYC because it's where I had dreamed of being.
Somewhere along the line, I managed to get the contact information for a Managing Partner (basically the highest rank you can hold) at one of the most selective banks in the world. Let's call that bank Soldman Gachs. I made several strikes from the beginning.
- I sent him an email letting him know when I was available (any Friday), instead of asking him when it was convenient for him.
- I did not tell him how I got his contact information.
I didn't hear back from him, so I followed up a few more times. Finally, his assistant responded and said I could come and meet with him. Early that morning I got on the Chinatown bus in Boston and went to NYC to meet with him. He cancelled at the last minute when I was already in the city.
This happened about 4 more times. No joke. On about the 5th Friday this had happened I decided to just show up anyway and act like I didn't know he cancelled.
I went to Soldman Gach's world headquarters, walked through the huge doors with a run in my pantyhose (long story) and stood in the massive lobby looking like the lost 22-year old mess that I was. I told the security guards who I was there to see. They picked up the phone for a second then let me through to the elevators (to this day I have no idea why), and I made my way to the fixed income trading floor upstairs.
When I walked into Mr. Managing Partner's office, he looked up and asked, "Are you that kid who won't stop emailing my assistant", and laughed. I answered yes and introduced myself, and he interrupted me and said "I'm busy, what do you want?" I felt so dumb and out of place at this point and knew I looked ridiculous. But, I was also standing in the personal office of one of the most powerful men on Wall Street, and I could see the trading floor through the glass walls and remembered why I was there. There was no choice but to just go for it at that point.
I told him I wanted to work on his trading floor, and that I'd be the best analyst he had if he gave me a shot. We talked for a few minutes, during which time he told me I needed to refine my initial correspondence practices because my first email to him sounded rude, a lesson which I took to heart. He asked me why I wanted to work in finance and if I would consider myself a risk-taker and what my favorite games were, and like a diligent interviewee I had answers to all of those things.
At the end he said "I have no idea who you are or how you got in my office, but you've got conviction and I like that. I'm going to help you."
And he did.
He retired shortly thereafter, but I ended up on a trading floor and he's a friend to this day, and I write much more polite emails now, too.
INTERVIEW 3 :-
Presence of mind was one thing I didn't think I had until this happened:
Interviewer: Good morning Mr. Anonymous. I'm sure you're familiar with a typical consult interview, so I won't beat around the bush. Tell me a little about yourself before we dive into the puzzles and cases.
Me: Blah blah blah...er...blah...er...b
Being my first job interview, I managed the impossible. I screwed up right at the start and ended up describing why I wanted to do consulting, instead of talking about myself. Beads of sweat started forming on my troubled forehead. With a bemused look on his face, the interviewer continued.
Interviewer: Uh, o...kay. I'll go on to the puzzle now. Okay, so tell me...
He proceeds to describe a puzzle I had heard and solved recently. I have trouble keeping my emotions away from my facial expressions, so I broke into a wide smile, thinking that the moment to redeem the dismal 'tell me about yourself' had come! Needless to say, my poker career ended almost as soon as it had started.
Me: <Laughing> Sir, I'll be honest with you. I've heard this one before...<I then proceed to give an outline of the solution>
Interviewer: Oh, haha, okay. I guess I'll have to ask you another one I guess. Okay, so...
He then proceeds to describe a puzzle that sounded so tricky and convoluted that the beads of perspiration on my forehead now gushed forth with renewed fury in rivulets of nervousness down my face and neck and arms and legs. A Ganga of tension clouded over my face. The interviewer finishes asking the question and there is an ugly silence that ensues. I could almost hear the atoms in the left part of my brain screeching to a sudden halt and completely and stubbornly refusing to budge towards any analysis whatsoever. I had no idea what the solution was. I didn't even know where to start!
But then the creative right part of my brain swooped in, with fluttering heroic cape et al.
Me: <Smiling broadly> Sir, I hate to admit it, but I've heard this one before as well!
Interviewer: <A look that registered appreciation of my unbelievable 'honesty' and shock at the probability of it all> Wow...No puzzles today, it seems. I guess we'll move on to a quick case then...
And then, after blindly stumbling and bumbling through the case and then shockingly recovering to somehow solve it, I cleared the interview and got the job!
INTERVIEW 4:-
The interviewer, a very senior technical guy, asked me, "So, do you have any questions for me?"
I thought about it for a moment and said, "What's the worst thing about working here?"
He thought about it for a minute, then got up and closed his door, and told me. For like half an hour, in painful detail, getting more agitated as he went. Then he was done, and sent me on my way saying I'd hear back soon.
The next day I got called back in. Seems that after he talked to me, he went and resigned, and the HR rep asked what happened in our interview.
After I told them, in detail, I expected to hear nothing further since I would have been reporting to him. Instead, the CTO came in to talk to me, and asked if I would be interested in coming aboard to help him fix all the things that seemed to be wrong with the organization (and solve some cool technical problems as well).
So I did.
INTERVIEW 5 :-
In response to a job offer, I said no. As a result, I got the job.
This goes back a few years: I was interested in a particular job, and read the description carefully. I saw it had 5 job specifications, covering a wide range of skills in my field. I thought they might need two people to do the job they described. After some good phone interviews, I was invited to a full day of on-site interviews. I first met with the hiring manager, and then with a few people related to the group. The last interview was with the recruiter.
First interview with the hiring manager (CTO-ish role) went well, but it had a strange moment near the end. We spoke about the job and then he asked if I had questions. I asked about the five items; they were diverse, so which was the most important part of the job? He looked at the job spec sheet and answered that #5 was the essential job, the other four were much less relevant. I asked, why is the most important part of the job listed last? Usually a list like this would have the most important item listed first. Moreover, #1 and #5 implied a very different skill profile. He seemed annoyed at me for asking the question, and reiterated that #5 was the job, the rest was not as important.
The next five interviews went very smoothly, and things were looking promising. When each interviewer asked if I had questions, I asked the same question, out of curiosity: "If you and I asked the CTO which of these 5 items are most important for this job, what do you think he'd say?" Each one answered #1 is the primary job. Then I said "I actually asked the CTO, he said #5 was the essential part of the job. What do you think that means?" Their reactions were very interesting. One said "No, I meant #5..." Another said "Oh that's not right, I need to meet with him and correct this." Fascinating indeed! Seemingly, I revealed a disconnect between the CTO and the team about the job.
The last interview was with the recruiter. We clicked. We had a frank conversation about the company and about the issues I uncovered. She told me that feedback on my interviews was positive. But she did not have a good answer about the role clarity. Yet they still wanted to make me an offer. The truth is, I really wanted (needed) this job. But I said: I'm sorry, I don't think I can take the job if the company doesn't know what the job is. You need to figure out what you want before you make an offer. I don't think anyone could succeed in a job where the very role is in dispute.
She responded. The reason they wanted to make me the offer was that I was the only person to see what was going on. It was a new role and they didn't fully understand the requirements themselves -- but apparently I read the situation in a way they were unable to see themselves, and that's what they needed. They want me to take the job in order to help figure out what the job should be.
She asked me what salary range I was looking for. I thought, this makes no sense. Yes, I want the job, but the risk of failure is high since the job was ill defined. Given the risk, how would I know if they are serious about having me figure this out for them? So I said "If you make me an offer I can't refuse, then I won't be able to refuse it." She came back 15 minutes later with an offer I could not, and did not refuse. No regrets either.
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