With all the advice I had gained from the recruitment company, the application went well. I tailored my C.V to suit the position, highlighting the skills I thought the company would be looking for. The covering letter was a similar deal; show that I know what the job requires and that I can fulfil these requirements. I sent the application off early the next morning.
The next day was stressful. It is always the waiting that gets you. Finally the phone rang. I had got to the interview. I was excited, sure, but also nervous. It had been a long time since my last interview. And I had just been informed that the interview would be a group exercise, something I had never done before.
I was getting more nervous. How do I act in a group dynamic? How do I sell myself without dominating the conversation? How do get myself noticed in a group of 10 people? And more importantly how do I make sure that if I get noticed, it is for the right things?
These questions plagued me as I made my way to the interview. I knew how important first impressions were, so I made sure I was well turned out. I had done some research about the company and some of the questions that they may ask, but I wasn’t feeling well prepared. The whole process had been very quick; I would have preferred more time to get myself in order, but it was too late now as I was walking into the lobby.
The interview was long and difficult. It was a mixture of group tasks and individual presentations. Everyone else seemed as nervous as me, which made me feel a lot better. There were a lot of stutters and pauses while we searched for answers to questions that had caught us off guard. I tried to be confident, talk whenever I had something valuable to say but ensured that I listened thoroughly to others. It was an exhausting couple of hours; I felt utterly drained when I left the office.
As I made my way home I hoped I had done enough to get to the next round, but all I could do now was sit by the phone and wait.
