Just before Thanksgiving last year I had an interview for a project manager position at a company I was very interested in working for. I did the normal prep work to get ready... in fact I did extra because I wanted to come across well. Sharp. I studied up on the company and then figured out how my background as a PM would fit well with in this position. I went in feeling very confident.
I met with two other PMs at the company. They were in their (my guess) mid-twenties and had never given an interview before (my guess again). The interview did not flow like a conversation which most tend to these days. Instead they took turns reading questions from their clipboards. Important questions. Questions like: If you were a food, what kind would you be? and If we met your best friend what is one thing they would complain about you. No questions about my background. No questions about my skill set.
When they came across the question about naming my hobbies I listed off a few things and ended with the fact that I love chick-flicks. This answer triggered the first response from them which was, "Oh, then what is your favorite chick-flick?" Easy answer: Notting Hill (could of been You've Got Mail). They looked at each other and almost in unison said "Never heard of it." Ouch. I'm old. I knew right then I was probably ten years older than the two PMs and they were most likely thinking the same thing. I am sure they were looking for a new co-worker and BFF... and there was no way I was going to fill that role.
On my way home from the interview all I could think of was that my answer should of been "The Twilight Saga." I did not make it to round two.
