Diary of an Honest Naturalista: Week 42

I am sure that by now, you all know that I am serving at a ministry in the Lagos state secretariat, and I pray to get a good full-time job once I am done serving. I shudder to think about the fact that I might sit at home for a few months before getting a job. This is why I have wisened up, and started writing job tests for graduate placements, and attending interviews.

I attended my first job interview last week. Thankfully, the venue was not far from my place of work, in Ikeja. I had written the test last month, with the usual large crowd, normally present at job interviews in Lagos. It was computer-based, and for an IT company specialising in the electronic cards aspect, and using electronic-based technologies to simplify processes in Nigeria. I therefore wasn’t surprised that the result was out that fast, and I was called.

We first wrote an essay, before going for the proper interview. I was wondering the reason for the essay, since we had already written and passed their test before. The interview was in batches, you can imagine. They would call us in batches of 10, and sit us on a row, as we faced stern-looking faces, firing question after question at us all in random. At the end of the day, one person might have answered 10 questions from different interviewers, and another might have answered just 2. It depends on who they find interesting, and who piques their curiosity most. It was as random as that.

And here I was, thinking I was going for a one-on-one interview. I dressed as smartly as I could, in my pink shirt, corporate pencil skirt, and medium heels. My hair was in very neat afro puff updo. I did not want anyone to have an excuse to think I was shabby, and my hair wasn’t going to be what would set me back.

When I realised the batch method, I was pissed at first, but after I thought more about it, I didn’t blame them. I guess they were just looking for the best way to work through the large number of people that passed the test, without being worn out.

Unfortunately for me, I was one of those people who did not excite the random-questioning-stern-looking interviewers. I really don’t understand why. Maybe it was because they did not like the sound of my voice when I answered the first question. The whole thing baffles me till today. It was the guy sitting directly to my left that got asked the most questions. He wasn’t that good-looking, but he was smartly dressed. I really don’t think he was more brilliant that many of us in our batch, or had something far more interesting to say, but I could swear he got like 15 questions directed to him. And how many did I get in total?

Three!!!

The first was “Can you tell us what we do at XYZ company?”

The second was “How exactly do you hope to contribute to what we do here at XYZ company?”

And trust me, I can tell you I answered these two questions extremely well. Remember that I am a little skilled at expressing myself, and debating things out, even if it is in dreams.

After these two questions, I never got another question directed to me, as my other nine colleagues kept being asked. At this point, I knew I was not going to be called back for the next round of interview. Even though it was due the indiscretion of the judges, and the fact that they never gave me a chance, I took it as one of those things that happen in life. So hey, life goes on.

Source

At the very end, one woman who seemed to be the most vocal of all the interviewers asked me, while looking at my credentials in her hand.

“Anna, hope you know that if we finally decide to employ you, this hair you are carrying won’t work for us?”

In shock, I blinked twice, as the woman’s eyes finally met mine.

I was wondering which hair she was talking about. I had made the hair neat as neat can be. It was then I said to myself “well, I am very glad that you guys are not even going to be calling me for the next round.”

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