Values

I just went for my first ever job interview with a huge American MNC yesterday. And to put it bluntly, it was a horrible experience.

Interviewer: “From all your past experiences, it seems to me you have and enjoy more of an interpersonal skill kinda job. So I just want to ask you, do you have an ideal job? Because take for instance, when I was an undergraduate of your age, I had this idealized role that I wanted to be in. Do you think it can be fitted through this role you are applying for?”

Truth be told, my confidence level hit rock bottom after she asked me that question. I felt as if this were the first time I am being penalized because of a strength… So progressively in the interview, I was just switching off. She explained the processes of the team, the job’s responsibilities and the culture of the company. And I just sat there with my mind in overdrive mode.

I mean, am I really someone who purely has a soft skill?? She goes on to tell me that “this role requires of you to just sit at your desk with little interaction. So I am not so sure if you are fitted for it.” To me, your WHOLE LIFE (not just about your job, but when you buy things at the grocery mart or when you need to get your car fixed, or just purely sharing some physical space with another individual because you don’t rule the country) means you probably need some interpersonal skill, right?

I retorted back, “I’m sure the interpersonal skills can come in handy as I deal with the many suppliers we have worldwide. Managing them should be an equally important responsibility too.”

I need a job where I can feel empowered and I know my work has an impact on someone else’s life.

Easy to say I suppose. But to which industry do I look at, and in what kind of roles?