In my experience of the 25 years I have been on this earth, I have discovered that the most annoying thing in this world is ‘waiting’.
Here is how it all went down. I was sitting on a long sofa with many other like me waiting for their number to be called for an interview.
Since it was my first job interview, I was tensed, shivering with excitement (may be fear) and many other feelings were there with me. My eyes were pinned on a door to a room in which my future lied.
Maybe I should begin by stating that the previous day, I had received a call for my first job interview. After hustling and tarmacking for a long time, I was so excited about that. Even today when I think of that feeling, it gives me goose bumps. With all the excitement, for an interview scheduled to start at 9am, I reached at 6am. I was the second person to enter in the office.
First was the watchman, who opened the door for me.
Finally, slightly after 9.00am, the waiting period ended when the receptionist called my name. After some adjustment with my mix and match Gikomba clothes and touching my hair to make sure all my braids were in the right place, I was knocking the door to the interview room.
“May I come in, sir.” My voice was full of confidence and enthusiasm.
“Please come in.” A Man sitting in middle of 5 member panel said when I popped my head inside.
All I remember about the room was that it was a little longer and darker than I expected. I felt as if I was heading towards a den or something where I had to watch each and every step.
I proceeded to sit on my seat without anyone’s permission. All of them started to stare at me as if I have done some really big mistake.
“So started one of the interviewer on the far right who had eye on a copy of my CV, “Ms Brenda Cheptoo*, tell us about yourself.”
“Sir I am………………….” Then I started to answer their questions like a parrot since I had rehearsed about probable questions that I was to expect in the interview. One after the other, they all were bursting questions on me. I was feeling like a soldier who has a gun in his hand with only some bullets and standing in a battlefield facing the enemy alone.
And then came a question I knew come what may it would be there
“So, according to you, what is your weak point?”
“Nothing, sir.” I said confidently but looking at the glances that the other interviewers exchanged amongst themselves, I knew I should have said I had a weakness and try to compliment it with a strength.
“And your strong points?”
“I will never run from a situation which tends to go against me.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” asked the only woman on the group
“No, madam.”
“So, whom do you love the most?”
“My mom. Ah…. Mother.”
“Alright then,” went on the woman, “Say you have been assigned this big project in your job and you have to finish it off before the end of the day and in that period you get a call informing you that your mother, this person you love so much has been in a slight accident but is in the hospital, What will you do then?”
I wasn’t expecting such a question, and it took me a while before I answered.
“I would definitely opt for a leave application.” I answered with a lower tone.
“So this means you will run away from the situation which is your job?”
“No, this doesn’t mean………………” one of the interviewer interrupted me between my answering and said, “If the company doesn’t accept your leave application because you are the only person on this urgent project, then what would you do?”
This got me mad and said the first thing that came to mind, “I will leave to my home, finish my responsibilities there, then come back here finish my work here and then I leave the company for good.” I knew that I was not coherent enough or talking in a way they wanted me to talk.
“Why, would you leave the job?” asked another interviewer puzzled with my emotions.
With a straight face, I answered, “Because the company which cannot respect my emotions cannot be my workplace. How can I come there regularly with respect for my employer in my heart?”
“Ah, that same sentimental answer which we’ve been getting from a lot of job seekers. That’s the problem with this country,” said the woman
“Madam, let me ask you one thing. Why wouldn’t you do the same thing if that happened to your mother? First I live from my family then for my work and if something happened to any of them, I would follow the necessary procedures and if I cannot allowed to leave, I wouldn’t even think twice about it.”
I really got emotional as I recall saying, “If you think that our emotions are a kind of drawback for our country, then I think you lack…………..” I hesitated a bit searching for the right word.
“Complete that, I want to hear what I lack.”
“I think people who have this kind of mentality lack something called empathy or aren’t wired well in their heads.” I dared to say that.
Plus at this juncture I knew I had lost the job so I added “And I can’t work with people who don’t even have a speck of humanity in them.”
After that, everyone was silent for a while. I thought it was time to act. I took my resume and my file and started to leave.
“Ms Cheptoo, the interview is not over yet.” I turned back to face them. There was a smile on each of their face which induced a smile on my face also as I sat back.
To cut the long story short, I got a call later informing me that I got the job due to my ability to defend my answer by showing my humanity side and being blatant honest about it.
-CAREER POINT
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