Finally got an interview

So, how did it go?

Originally Posted by: PRSplayaSo, how did it go?

The interview went really well I think. I was extremely interested in the way the company works (I didn't have to pretend), but lemme start at the beginning...

So I left here (Ohio) Wednesday at 5AM EST. I drove straight through only stopping for gas and got to Memphis around 4PM CST (12 hour drive). I got a little lost when I got off of I-40. I think I got some bunk directions off of mapquest. But a half-hour later I found out where I was supposed to be.

So I check into my hotel room feeling extremely tired and dead on my feet from the whole trip down there and the fact that I'd not been sleeping for **** the week prior. I call the dude's cell phone number because he wanted to take me out to dinner and kinda show me around a bit. So we decide to go out at 7PM CST. I shower and shave and get ready to go out and do important stuff even though I'm deathly tired.

I walk down to the lobby just as they're walking in. He's got another guy with him who I'd be working with if I get the job. We make our introductions and head out to go eat somewhere. He tells me that barbeque food is really big down there so we headed over to some BBQ place with a big pig as it's mascot (I think it might've been porky's or something like that). But the parking lot was packed, so we continue on down the road and they take me to this sports bar called "Fox and the Hound".

We get in there and start talking about random stuff. Order a few beers and an appetizer. It was pretty cool, unfortunately I don't remember much of it from being so sleep deprived. But we were getting along pretty well. It was cool that they were only a few years older than me.

Anyways, they take me back to my hotel room and I prompty pass out around 10PM. I wake up, unintentionally around 4AM and can't get back to sleep. I take my time get a shower, get my suit on, etc. And head on over to the place for my 8:30 interview.

I get there and am taken into a conference room. It must've been at least 80 degrees in there. Luckily I had a glass of water with me. 5 People sit down at the table to interview me. Two of 'em were the guys that took me out to the bar the night before, so I felt a bit more at ease.

Overall I'd say the interview went pretty well. I choked on a few questions though and wish I could go back in time, but unfortunately that's impossible. The one question was to tell this one guy who didn't have a tech background why to use an object oriented approach. I stammered alot and got real flushed in the face because I knew they could smell the fear in me as I sat there babbling on.

Another question I screwed up was, "Besides graduating college, what's been the greatest achievement of your life". Again I drew a blank, because who in the hell thinks like that? I stammered for a bit and spit out some bull**** about making it to the semi-final round in the state tournament for high school speech and forensics.

The other question I drew a blank on wasn't as bad I guess. The lady at the table said they like to ask unusual questions sometimes and she wanted me to tell a joke.

This took me by complete surprise. I was thinking of jokes to tell, but the only ones that came to mind were racist jokes and dead-baby jokes. I said that I'm not really good at canned humor, and that I'm more of an impromtu kind of comedian. Then I said nothing appropriate is coming to mind. Here are the one's that came to my mind in the order that they came:

Q: What's easier to unload, a dump-truck full of bowling balls or one filled with dead babies?
A: Dead babies, because you can use a pitch fork.

Q: How do you make a dead baby float?
A: Add a can of rootbeer.

Other than the aforementioned blunders the interview went really well. I impressed them with my knowledge and was very interested in the inner workings of the company. I left there with a very strong feeling that I'm going to get a job offer from them. I'll dredge up this thread again if I do.

The whole tour/interview lasted about 2 hours. I got back to the hotel, packed up, checked out, filled up, and hit the road around 12PM CST. I was very tired and just wanted to be home but knew that I wouldn't get home until around 1AM. And in fact that is about what time I got home. If I do get the job, I'm gonna get a hotel room on the way down, because a solid 12 hour car ride, with my 6' 3" frame in the cab of a pickup, is just far too much. :D

[font=trebuchet ms]Doing a first-thing-in-the-morning interview might be considered to be an act of cruelty on their part, but it did give them an opportunity to see how you handle yourself under the stressful, sleep-deprived conditions you are likely to get thrown into when a project is pushing a deadline. Well done![/font] :)

So I just found out yesterday that I've been selected for the position. I am so frickin' stoked to finally get a career going. I haven't had a job since 2000 when I worked at a Kohl's Department Store for like 3 weeks over a Christmas break from college. Now I'm gonna be making 40K/year plus tons of benefits and all that happy horse****. These past 6 months I've been out of college and out of luck when it came to landing that first "real" job out of college have sucked major ass but thankfully it's all over with now. This has been the best Christmas ever thanks to the job offer. I'll have no hesitation saying goodbye to 2004 and hello to 2005 :D

See ya in Memphis.

Congratulations mate that is freekin awesome !

Well done and Happy New Year !

That's awsome dude! Let me know if you need any help moving in.

[font=trebuchet ms]Good on you!

Goin' 'a Memphis... I bet there's a song in that...[/font]

:D

dude, thats awesome, congratulations

Wicked!! Now you can stop moping in the Open Discussion area! :D

Thanks guys. Happy New year to y'all, I'm kinda scared because I've been such a jaded person for so long, and now I'm actually excited about my life. It's been a long time (6 or so years) since I've felt like this.

Originally Posted by: PRSplayaThat's awsome dude! Let me know if you need any help moving in.

Hey man, I may just take ya up on that offer. I won't have much to move in, just what I can fit in an S-10. Any advice on finding a place down there? I've been looking at rent.com but don't exactly wanna pay $700/month for an apartment.

Originally Posted by: LeedoggThanks guys. Happy New year to y'all, I'm kinda scared because I've been such a jaded person for so long, and now I'm actually excited about my life. It's been a long time (6 or so years) since I've felt like this.



Hey man, I may just take ya up on that offer. I won't have much to move in, just what I can fit in an S-10. Any advice on finding a place down there? I've been looking at rent.com but don't exactly wanna pay $700/month for an apartment.

Well, now since you got your new job, make sure you make that stop in Illinois and drop off my JEM. It will be much appreciated.

Congratulations on the new job, hopefully I'll get back to talkin' with ya again. Maybe we can catch the chat sometime. Good luck bro, and happy new year!

One of my friends sister lives up in Memphis, so I'll ask her about finding a place.