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The Golden Rule For Internship Interview Survival (refer.ly)
5 points by sydneyb on March 6, 2013 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments



Sorry, but I gotta nitpick. Sure, bad interviews happen, but it doesn't sound to me like this was a bad interview — looks more like you just flubbed it. Don't get me wrong: the interviewer was certainly pushy, possibly in a bad mood, and probably annoyed at the prospect of having to do the interviews in the first place, but that's exactly the kind of thing you need to prepare for. Interviews are a poker game. You want to get a good read on who you're playing against before you even begin to consider showing your cards. You tipped your hand too early by seeming over-eager to someone who didn't appreciate it, and that cost you the interviewer's attention and interest.

I work in tech and advertising as well, and I've known my fair share of people like the one you described. They're a reality, so the only answer is to adapt. They're usually actually pretty great coworkers, too; they can just afford to be direct and demanding. I once met a creative director who famously hired writers and designers without ever opening their portfolios. He'd talk to them, get a read on them, and decide if they had the right attitude. It drove some interviewees crazy, but it worked for him, and it worked for the company.

My point is this: interviewers aren't the ones that have to make a good impression. You are, regardless of how curt or pushy the interviewer might be.


Anybody else have similar stories from their early days in the startup or advertising community?




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