I went for a job interview recently. Not, at first blush an unusual event. But unusual for me as I haven’t had a “proper job” for the last 18 years.
Nevertheless, it was a job that I wanted rather than needed (probably not the best comment to make to a panel of 4 interviewers – more on that later).
The job was for Chief Executive of the recently created Digital Agency of the Isle of Man Government’s Department for Enterprise. I was asked to prepare these presentation
slides (if anyone is remotely interested).
I didn’t get the job. I didn’t expect to. But I think they missed a trick.
And I had a fun time. I was myself – brutally honest – Q:”How do you manage staff Mr Morris?” A: “Well I can be a bit mean” Q:”Do you mean “mean” as in not very generous?” A:”No, I mean “mean” as in not very nice”.
I did go on to explain that my expectation of an accountant versus a clerk in their ability to use a sum function in an excel spreadsheet, for example, would be different (in that I would be more sympathetic to the latter) and if I had had the opportunity of a second interview I might have been able to recover this situation somewhat (by for example stating that “I’m a nice guy; but never mistake kindness for weakness” and “As I’ve got older I’ve become more patient and stopped judging people by my own standards”).
Also, in hindsight, I don’t think telling them that “All people are not equal which is why communism will never work” was helpful.
Or that respected peers had opined that the civil service would “grind me down”… but that I liked a challenge!
Or asking how they were fixed re unpaid leave as, after 18 years of self employment, I’ve only just stopped feeling guilty about taking (lots of) time off to go paragliding!
In fact, I probably did everything possible to ensure that I didn’t get the job! But not deliberately.
Hey ho.
They probably found me quite refreshing.
Strangely, I was a little disappointed!
But life is too short for you to be down for long!
