Had the first formal job interview of my life today. Well, it wasn’t that hard for me I suppose, but the interviewers certainly asked some very tough questions. I personally think I pulled through the interview part quite well, having managed to highlight some of my better strengths (but on hindsight I think I should have talked about more superficial flaws when probed – should have said something like ‘lack of experience’ instead of a fundamental flaw).

The skirmish came in the group discussion where a group of candidates including myself were asked to discuss about a given topic and come up with a presentation at the end, while being observed by two interviewers. My points were shot down by the other people. The only consolation I can give myself is that hopefully I succeeded in trying to convince the interviewers that I tried to add structure and organization to the discussion – it being a competitive climate where all candidates were trying to impress, there was little cooperation and everyone were acting purely out of self-benefit. Thinking back I think the other interviewees really did quite well in that part, in terms of content. Given that all those who were shortlisted must have reached a certain minimum requirement, all those present were probably some of the best people around… they must have done relatively well in the interviews too, I would think. I wouldn’t say any of us did well in the interpersonal communication part though. It was too obvious that nobody was too keen on presenting group views, instead taking the opportunity during the presentation to present their personal viewpoints. I was the worst-hit, when I got a resounding NO when I asked the others if they agreed with what I stated -_-”

In a Q&A session later, I was asked how I felt when everyone ignored my ideas. To that I responded, “Well, since it was a group discussion, I suppose it was a matter of group consensus – if the majority in the group thinks my idea is not good, I have no problems with it – but I personally still think that what I said was a possible factor to consider”. I also took the opportunity to clarify that I was trying to structure the discussion. On hindsight, maybe I should have said I would consider the merits of the basis on which they rejected my ideas.

Sigh. Although this is just my first attempt, but still I must admit it would be quite a disappointment if I don’t manage to pull through – afterall, we were told that this would be a one-off assessment – in comparison to many other top firms where candidates typically go through several rounds of assessments before being offered positions. It’s certainly a wonderful opportunity, and failure would only mean that I am not good enough.

I know it’s only my first attempt at job seeking but still… it would really be a shame if I don’t get through just because of the darn group discussion.

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