My 4th job interview took my 
phone lines to a company based in Chicago. This was last Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (Actually, this was my 2nd with them. The 1st was HR.) This is a different company from my previous Chicago interview. It?s interesting going through a lot of interviews because this time around, I?d say that ?practice makes perfect?, given the three (3) other job interviews I had earlier. The 1st one was when I flew to Chicago, the 2nd one was when I took the train to Washington DC and the 3rd one was when I drove to the city, in Philadelphia.
You?d think that just because I have Temple U and GWU in my sleeves, that landing a job would be easy. Not! When you move several notches above, especially with an MBA, pull out your competitive level because you?d be slugging it out with some different breed and I?m telling you, it?s tough out there. There were times when I would negatively think if my MBA was giving me a problem. How could I not lose confidence, lose interest and feel down when the other guy being interviewed is from Wharton School? Or from Cornell? I just make myself smile with my own motto! (You go, Batgurl!) That?s how tough it is to look for a job. Which is why, I was sending job applications and resumes like one lunatic junk mailer on a marathon, that one time I was being interviewed and I was clueless on what the heck I was applying for. Duh! I was even lost because I forgot their darn address! They never called back. Hehehe!
By now, basic questions were easy. I?ve pretty much re-engineered my responses to sound more like Wall Street. They love Wall Street jargon, the MBA stuff, the competitive edge, mission-critical, core competencies, best practices, paradigm (shit! i remember this as the worst! haha!). What else, you got supply chain, synergy, SWOT analysis, value-added and they love to hear your views on sub-prime, who was at fault and by golly, they asked the right question from a very tak-tak-taka-tak-katak person! Hahaha! They got an earful from me! Bwahaha!
One time, I was asked to respond to 5 questions. It?s called, the Executive Service Qualifications or ECQ (1-Leading Change, 1-Leading People, 3-Results Driven, 4-Business Acumen and 5-Building Coalition). Dang! 6 pages in all. Am I back in business school?! I drank vodka, the strongest vodka, well honestly; I don?t know what Yves gave me. It did shaked my spirits! Hehehe!
So when my phone rang and Chicago was on the line, I was confident that I would be able to manage this one.
Q1: Describe your current role, its complexity, and your expertise in tax credits, equity, bonds and financing.
Dang! Just when I could easily answer my current role, why do they have to put margarine on a tootsie roll?
Q2: What?s been your largest and most complex finance assignment and what was the budget.
Gosh, at least they gave me bubblegum.
Q3: Comment on your experience in leveraging new technology to improve financial monitoring and reporting.
Bingo! This was an easy blogging answer. Hehehe!
Q4: What would be the initial challenges you?d face in the new position and how would you approach it to be successful?
This time, all I need is a soap. Sometimes, they throw you a curveball, so curve it?s a hypothetical question. Well, I think I gave them a good answer on this one.
Q5: Describe your most complex budget issue and tell us about the successful resolution.
As luck would have it, I’ve had one. In interviews, sometimes you need luck. Luck that they asked you questions that could be answered because it happened to you already. They will not like you if you respond with ?I’m so pretty, I did not have any budget issue at all.? Expect to be shown the exit sign.
First time I felt good about the interview. The following day, he called. He wanted me to send him my ?writing style?.
WRITING STYLE?!
Argh!!!
It’s not a blog “writing style“. It’s business. When you have a good network of connections, it does you wonders. I called one of our investors and asked her to send me a copy of a business report I wrote for them. You see, my former company was very strict in copying files. I don’t have any personal copies of those reports I wrote. Nada.
In summary, I have not heard from the venture capital firm in Philadelphia. However, today, I received an email from my 4th interview in Chicago:
Interestingly, I also received an email from Washington, DC, from my 2nd job interview.
Will there be WORLD PEACE and a winner this month? Let’s wait and see because I’m now beginning to get tired working to find work! Grrrr!
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
you go batgurl!!!! hahahaha
thi sis it na…para naman ma-swelduhan mo ang iyong secretary slash creative director LOL
chuvaness’s last blog post..What Kind of Blogger Are You
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kaya wag kang mag-reresign ha? hangga’t walang kapalit! wag gagayahin ang katangahan nang reyna ano? hahahaha! oo! sana makapagtrabaho na! sawang sawa na ako mag-blog! grrr!!!! ang kaya ko lang $5 na pansweldo senyo! nahuli pa ako nang grammar nazi di ina-prub ang sang entry ko for $5 grrr talaga!
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aba .. goodluck sa job-hunting. mag-beauty queen ka na lang kaya? hehe
Jericho’s last blog post..Senti with UP
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Ito na po ang inyong hinihintay, good luck and may Godbless you. Sana ay ma-appreciate nila ang talentong Pinoy.
colegialagirl’s last blog post..Standing by the Truth (Ang Kabayaran sa Pagsasabi ng Katotohanan ni Jun Lozada)
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Salamata CG, sana nga eto na! hehe
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di pede, me balat daw pwet ko, lalabas pag nag 1 piece ang lola heheh
reynz’s last blog post..My 4th job interview, by phone from Chicago
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Ate Reynz,
sure ka na ba?
That’s all. Hihi =p
mel beckham’s last blog post..Trapezoid
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hawak sa patalim, dasal nang malalim, you know! hehehe! sana nga, swertehin na this month! aba! nilayasan ako lahat nang mga boys ko ano? kelangan ko nang kumita ateng hehehe!
reynz’s last blog post..My 4th job interview, by phone from Chicago
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Sabi nga ni Celine….isipin mo daw na nag pe perform ka sa kubeta…i mean sa sala. Kaya mo yan! IBA ANG PINOY!
Brenda Mage’s last blog post..“To Arnel Pineda Fans!”
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hehehe! well, para ngang ganun heheeh! palaban ba, keri kung sino pa ang kakompetensya ko, sinasabi ko na lang sa sarili ko, lakas nang loob na lang and say you go batgurl! hahaha!
reynz’s last blog post..My 4th job interview, by phone from Chicago
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gandahan mo ang version mo ng ‘because you love’ me ha! gandahan mo ng todo para ibigay sa yo ang sunog na guesting ni celine sa chicago! pati ako e na excite sa iyong job hunting na yan, hanu ba! gud lak
kengkay’s last blog post..luksong lubid atbp
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yaan mo! gagawin ko yan! at pag medyo semplang nang konti, kakausapin ko sila na daanin na lang sa swimsuit competition hahaha!!!
reynz’s last blog post..Understanding Subprime and the US Housing Market
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wow! gudluck. sana yan na ang hinihintay mo Reynz.
Amor’s last blog post..Fun Time with Sean
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thank you amor! sana! hirap nitong walang papasok hahaha pura waldas hahaha
reynz’s last blog post..How home equity and home equity loan works
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kakasuspense naman yan! if they keep on interviewing you, malamang malaki pag-asa nyan. kung di ka feel sa una pa lang tsinugi ka na.
sinusubaybayan din ata nila and series ng working to find work mo. gud luck ulit! hwag mawalan ng pag-asa. i luv you hahaha!!! uyy-uyy may lab-lab pa yan ha batgurl.
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nag-mistulang soap opera ang trabaho kong maghanap nang trabaho ateng! hahaha! salamat pala sa pagbisita!
marami akong binabasa dahil boung ehekutibo daw ang mega-face ko neks week. pucha ano pa ba ang dapat kong ipakita sa mga to?! hahaha!
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Ah, this is the SWOT Analysis that you mentioned. Anyway, I am also looking for a job abroad. Anywhere but here in the Philippines! Hahaha…
I really hope I could find a job. Are you an accountant there? Hopefully, to arrive also in a finance job particularly asset management companies.
Millionaire Acts´s last blog post..SWOT Business Analysis
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