Saturday, May 20, 2006

Selection Interview

I knew I didn't make it.
The moment I stepped out to the lift and joined those people sitting around the table outside the interview room I knew I didn't click.

First, it was my name. Too Chinese for their liking perhaps. That's the only time I seriously wished I had my initials as my name in my IC(Identification card) instead, because BZ is definitely more cool than BaZhang* ( BaZhang is not my real name of cos, just for illustration purpose here)
Then, everyone around all seem to know each other and start talking about their elite school and about their views on Singapore (which I didn't bother to join in because they look animated... It is so obvious that one guy is trying to be the "I-know-it-all" with an (I don't know what) accent). So people, if you can't stand me talking/ranting/bitching about things all the time, you should go reflect because they are people out there that is worse than me. So, I sat there, look at them amusingly (there's one eye candy in working suit but I didn't attempt to start a conversation with him) while they talk among themselves.
P.S I like guys in long sleeve and pants and cute spectacles (preferably silver or black metal frame) :P

The interview was a nightmare for me. Or rather, it IS a nightmare for me, because it is still haunting me. I answered the questions like an idiot:

"Why do you like your current volunteering work?"
"I err.. It err.. give.. gave me the opportunity to interact with children... and erm.. talk to them.. read storybooks to them.. erm.. let me interact with the children in a personal level"

"Do you think there is any different between your polytechnic friends and JC(or he said Uni, I forgot) friends?
"Nope... er.... erm.. I don't think there's much difference."

"Do you have friends in the University?"
"Ya."
"Do you meet up with them often?"
"Not really."
"Do you think they treat you differently?"
"You mean prejudice?"
"Ya"
"Nope.. No I don't think so.."
"Do you think they treat you this way because they are your friend? Do you think the society treats the Polytechnic and University graduate differently?"
... I forgot what I said but I knew I'm talking incoherently...
(Explanation: I went to a JC and flunked my A Levels, thus unable to secure a place in the local University. I went to polytechnic instead. But I am not the "I-hate-the-society" bitch here. Neither did I mention that in my essay. Does that mean that when one can't get into University means I'll turn sore and snap at every University friend I have or that adopted a "I-hate-the-world" mentality? I wish I can tell them this straight at their face but apparently my ego shrink to the size of an ant then and my brain froze.)

"You mentioned in your essay that education is not to be viewed as a passport for future job prospect.. so on what criteria you think the employers should judge you on when you are in an interview?"
"Personality."
"So how do I judge your personality within 5 minutes?"
(How I wish I could express myself as good as I could in writing. I simply blabbered rubbish as an answer. Anyway, I should have point out to him that he got it wrong. I didn't mean I education is not criteria to be judge upon for a job interview. WHAT I meant that education should not be viewed so shallowly in my article. ARgh...! )

"Why do you think we should choose you?"
"Er.... It give me a chance to blah blah blah...(I didn't know what I'm talking at this point because 1) My tongue is tied up 2)My brain is dead 3) I'm appalled 4) I really dunno why they would want to choose me, because I feel that it is obvious that I messed up big time 5) I don't want to join this organisation after all this humiliation.

To add to my humiliation, some smart Alex said "Please help me send my regards to Christopher*." I caught a smirk on an interviewer’s face at the corner of my left eye when I was attempting to "flee" from the interview room. Dumbly, I nodded though I made no sense of it then. It hit me just after I closed that darn door. He was making a joke out of my email address!! $%#@$%$ I had this email address when I was a growing teen and I named my email address after my then idol, Christopher*. Then, unexceptionally feeling girlish at that point, I added "_galXX" to it.. Christopher_galXX@yahoo.com.. I could practically hear them laughing loudly in the interview room after I left. Or did I?

This will be the second and the LAST time I go apply for something like this.

P.S. *Name has been changed to protect myself. XX referring to the year I was born in.

1:10 PM