A job interview

I had a job interview a couple weeks back. I wasn’t offered the position, but I still consider it a success. A celebration, even. Here’s what happened:

Earlier this month, after talking with Natalie Zina Walschots, I started to be much more active on social media. That Friday, I mentioned Jessica Langer in a #FF post. She’s an English PhD who now has her own marketing firm, and I’d done an informational interview with her in November. The Twitter interaction pointed her to my blog, and she got in touch about a part-time job at her firm. Would I like to come in for an interview? She told me she liked my writing and thought I could do well in the position.

What a boost! And proof that informational interviews can lead to jobs. But at first I wasn’t sure how to respond. I’d only recently quit my freelancing to concentrate on figuring out my future. After much thinking and perspective-taking—it’s only a job interview, I can learn so much, I don’t even really know what the job is, and it’s only part-time—I realized that “yes, please, and thank you!” was the appropriate response. Jessica and I agreed to meet a few days later to have the interview.

It went well: We had a good rapport, the job turned out to be more interesting than I’d imagined, and there were many good reasons, personally and professionally, to want it. Jessica had more candidates to interview so we both went off to think things over. I was torn about whether I wanted the job, and under what circumstances. The whole thing was a lot to take in, especially since I wasn’t actively job hunting. I thought about what the position would mean in terms of my daily and weekly life, values, personal growth, professional development, and made sure to pay attention to how I felt about it. I pondered if I’d be ok being an employee or whether I preferred to be a subcontractor, and how much I wanted to be paid to do the work. I knew that there were reasons I’d psychologically and then actually quit freelancing arrangements in the past few months, and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be reversing the gains I’d made since then. After a few days of thinking about it and talking to friends, I was pretty sure the job could be a great move for me. I told Jessica I was excited about the possibility of working for her and hoped for the best.

Three days later she told me she’d hired someone else.

So, how is this a success?

Although I didn’t get the job, the invitation, the interview, and all the thinking was an invaluable experience and one I was ready to embrace. In the end, I’m confident she made the right choice for her business. I know I could do the job—it would be a learning experience, but one I’d embrace and grow from—but I’m happy being where I am: in transition. Without intending to, Jessica’s played (another) important part in my journey, kickstarting important internal discussions and soul-searching. At the end of it all, I feel more confident about my skills and talents, and secure in my place. We may still have a business relationship in the future, but whether or not that happens, I owe her a huge “thanks!” I wish her big luck as she grows her business, and hope she wishes me the same as I take steps toward beginning my own.