The Job Interview

Laura has been looking for a new job for three months. She has sent over forty applications and has had only four interviews, all of which went nowhere. This morning, however, she received an email from a tech company called Nexar asking her to come in for a final interview. She has prepared thoroughly. She has researched the company's history, memorised the names of the directors, and practised her answers in front of a mirror. Her flatmate told her she should wear something smart but not too formal, so she chose a dark blue blazer with black trousers. The interview lasted nearly an hour. There were two interviewers — a woman called Dr. Patel and a younger man called James. They asked her about her previous experience, her reasons for leaving her last job, and how she would handle a difficult team situation. For the last question, Laura gave a real example from her previous role: she had once resolved a conflict between two colleagues by organising a structured conversation between them. Both interviewers nodded and made notes. At the end, Dr. Patel said, 'We've been very impressed. We'll be in touch by Friday.' James shook Laura's hand and added that the team had enjoyed meeting her. On the bus home, Laura felt cautiously optimistic. She knew she had performed well, but she also knew that feeling confident after an interview didn't always mean good news. She decided she would wait until Friday and not overthink it. Friday came. The phone rang at eleven in the morning. It was Dr. Patel. 'We'd love to offer you the position,' she said.