Interview at the Zoo

One of the most universal situations people feel compelled to fit in is during a job interview. You’re basically auditioning in front of strangers for a position in a company. In this particular instance, I’d landed two interviews back to back and was extremely excited and confident in my abilities. I went in anticipating the usual routine, but I can assure you that is not what I encountered.

The first stop was to an energy company to take on the role of an accounting administrative assistant; nothing too out of the ordinary. I’d dressed business casual, arrived about 15 minutes early, and didn’t forget my resume or to research the company beforehand. I was slightly nervous, but that's to be expected. When I arrived, I noticed the building was a bit older and not as fancy looking as I expected; but looks can be deceiving. I walked in confidently to a small office that had the same logo and signage of the business so I knew I was in the right place. I stood there for a second; it was no larger than a walk-in closet, which was a bit confusing. There was a single desk with old file folders strewn across and a jacket still in the chair as if someone had left in a hurry. I was a little wary, but noticed there was a door, and just assumed there had to be more than this. It honestly felt like one of those sleazy offices you see on TV in the middle of a crime show. Finally, a man who seemed to be mid-argument walked out, and said he’d be right with me. Apparently, they thought I was a client and were eating into my interview time. Luckily, I’d prepared for that by being early. After everything was sorted out, I was able to explain that I was there for an interview and was told that I was actually in the wrong place and was led upstairs to another unmarked office suite.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in, was a rabbit on the floor of what looked like the call center. I knew there had to be an explanation, so I peeled my eyes away and kept walking. I was told that my interviewer would be right with me. Soon after, the woman I’d spoken with on the phone came up to greet me. She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt so I figured today was a casual day. However, I still can’t get her maniacal smile out of my head. Her first words were “I’m surprised to see you here.” Confused, I just stared thinking it was some sort of test, until finally asking “What do you mean?” She then told me about how I had called her the day before to cancel my interview which didn’t make any sense because the only time I’d spoken to her was to set up the interview. I simply told her that I didn’t and without argument, she proceeded to tell me that they were still excited to see me. “Weird.” I thought, but I sank into the only chair available. She came back and gave me a physical job application to fill out even though I’d already done everything online. I was really hoping to get the interview started, but it seemed like they were stalling. A Great Dane ran up to me and I was disoriented because this was the second animal I’d seen. He was super cute but it was random. I had the sudden realization that there were many animals running around, the smell of feces reeked nearby, and the carpets were soiled. I sat there for a while, able to get a glimpse into the cubicle areas. I spotted a bird and could hear the sounds of animals barking, whining, or running. Perhaps it was ‘bring your pet to work’ day?

Finally, the woman came back and said that they were ready. I wondered why I would be having a panel interview for a minor role in the company. Nonetheless, I followed behind her into a conference room with a long round table. I sat down and started to answer the usual, “Tell us a little about yourself.” Like I said, I’m pretty good at this, so I explained my educational and work experience. Allow me to describe my interviewers. There were four people; three men and one woman. The guy directly next to me sat the entire time with his face glued to his phone with his feet up on the actual table we were sitting at- clearly didn’t want to be there. The man directly in front of me was asking all of the questions, pointedly I might add. The guy next to him sat staring into my soul glaring at me completely silent. Then, there was the woman who’d brought me in, just nodding and smiling creepily. They did explain that they had a pretty lax dress code and that they were a pet friendly workplace, meaning everyday was ‘bring your pet to work’ day. I relaxed a bit, as that had taken the pressure off a little. The guy who seemed to be asking all of the questions started getting off topic suddenly and asked why my work and school experience had such variety. Before I could explain that I had many interests and hoped to continue learning to find my niche, he started angrily ranting about people my age wanting money and how my major wouldn’t make any. I was taken aback. He kept demanding that I change majors because the money wasn’t there or admit that I wanted this job just for the money. No one else in the room batted an eye; like this was the norm for them. I imagined the little cartoon version of myself flipping the table and running out of there. I kept my cool, but continued to answer as best as I could when suddenly they asked if we could stop the interview for a moment. One of the managers’ dogs had been scratching outside of the door and they asked if he could come in because it’d make him more comfortable. They literally stopped me in the middle of a sentence to let a dog in. Now I was the one that was highly uncomfortable. There I was with someone’s giant pup trying to cuddle me while I was being verbally attacked. Somewhere along the way I decided that if I could make it out of there, I’d be okay. Eventually, it was over and I shook everyone’s hands; even phone boy who could care less. I was still pretty shaken over the whole ordeal.

Relieved, I made a beeline for the door and bolted out of the office, but not before nearly running into another dog. We were both startled which set off a chain reaction to the other animals. He barked loudly, and I made a move for the exit as I apologized to the woman walking in. I didn’t remember the hall being that long when I’d entered. I didn’t even wait for the elevator, just took the steps down by 2’s. That’s how my wildest encounter during my job search ended. It was almost four years ago and I still can’t believe I stayed through the entire thing. When I went home, I found Glassdoor reviews that described the interview process as unprofessional, full of animals and some past employees had very...interesting things to point out. Others mentioned how the managers were rude to them or asked inappropriate questions. Don't even get me started on the customer reviews. It’s safe to say that I dodged a bullet. They did end up calling me multiple times asking to talk, but I never answered. Luckily, the next job interview was a walk in the park compared to this one and I nailed it.

I will say though, in times of feeling social shock, it’s important to stay calm. I listened to my inner voice in order to make the best decisions I could at the moment. I stayed true to myself even with the pressures of conforming because that’s what’s important to me. Worst case, I ended up with a funny story to tell others. On another note, ever since then I’ve made sure that when looking into a potential job to research the employees’ experiences and not just the company itself. It’s important to remember that the process is just as much for you to decide if they’re a great fit for your work life. Lastly, simply trust yourself.