Flibbertigibbet

What Have You Got to Lose?

In my entrepreneurial management class tonight, we had to "compete" for "jobs." What that really means is that there were ten project leaders and the rest of the class had to convince them to let classmembers work on the project.

10 project managers. 50 students. At least 4 and no more than 6 members to a team.

This is business school, so many people landed jobs just because they are friends with one of the project leads. Next, people started landing jobs because they knew someone who was already hired.

This is just like the real world.

I took a little bit different approach. I spent the start of the hiring period chatting with some of my friends, checking my email, and talking about how I wasn't going to go after one of these jobs.

Then, I walked around and handed my resume out to each of the team leads and made a few jokes about what a slacker I am. (Not the exact strategy to pursue when going after a job.)

One company threw a job at me. A buddy of mine was in the group and put a word in for me, so I was offered the job. I told them, "Yeah, maybe. I'm going to keep looking around." As soon as I looked up, another team was waving to me and they offered me a job.

At that point, the power shifted. I was now interviewing projects.

The first group threatened me saying they would fill my spot. I said, "Go for it."

I interviewed the other company and found that I was up against someone who was FAR less qualified than I am. The team was full of new kids, though. You know, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Eager. This is my last semester, so this freaked me out a little bit.

I went back to the other group and they said they had filled my spot. An obvious bluff. They had an uninspiring project and although they had a strong leader in the group, the leader wasn't focusing on the deliverables in the project. They also had several newbies.

Well, I chose the second group. The first group was just too neurotic and I knew that I would be fighting the leadership on the project. On the second team, I would be a subject matter expert and integral to the project. Actually the integral nature of my role will likely prove to be my undoing.

But the life lesson I'm taking from all this is a truth that many forget: A job interview is as much about you interviewing the company as it is about the company interviewing you.

Granted, there are times when needs are urgent enough to demand quick measure of the options, but no matter what there is some alternative to the choice.

As if I need another reason to be cocky as hell.