So, how'd it go?

Well!

I practiced what I might say to the "tell me about yourself question" as I walked along andI arrived with time to spare (it takes only 25 minutes to walk from my house to this job!) Then I sat on a park bench outside watching people milling around.

When it was time I went in, up the wrong elevators where I was greeted by an awkward man and a locked door. Luckily the awkward man was waiting to be let through the locked door so I was just on time.

I didn't get the "tell me about yourself question" but let's see if I can remember what questions I did get. This job is a research job that I'll tell more about if I get it.

Why did you apply for this job?

What are three skills you think are necessary for a job like this one?

How have you utelized those skills in the past?

What do you think would be a challenge for you in this job?

Tell me about your quantitative and qualitative research experience.

What kind of work environment do you like?

What would your previous employer say about you?

What would you do if the research subjects who had agreed to participate later said they were too busy to sit down with you?

How would you approach prospective participants and get them to agree to be part of the study?

You would be doing a lot of data collection: interviews, focus groups, observation, archival data collection, etc. How would you keep it all organized?

***

That's all I can remember. All throughout her questions I felt okay; like I was doing a decent job and she was moderately impressed. I didn't feel like we were connecting in a particularly impressive way, however. When I had a chance to ask questions I felt like she really came alive and I was able to demonstrate my interest in the project and how I know a thing or two about this and that. Maybe it was just her own excitement about the job, or maybe she liked me a lot. I don't know. I liked her a lot, though. She was friendly and warm but professional and didn't give too much away. I can respect that.

So she's interviewing all day today, tomorrow, and Friday and will get back to us next week sometime. That's a lot of candidates. I wonder whether I've got something the others don't, considering I'm a new new graduate. I sent a follow up thank you email today and included a list of references which I'd forgotten to give her (she hadn't asked) and she replied right away thanking me, telling me it was a pleasure to meet me, and saying she would definitely be calling my references.

I want this job. But if I don't get it I'll find something else that's even better......