What Was Your Recruiting Process Like? A Consultant’s Story

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The following is an excerpt from After School describing an intense job search that eventually lead to consulting.

 

I think I made it difficult for myself because I was interested in almost everything. It seemed like I interviewed for every single marketing and strategy job there was. I got an internship at a large packaged foods company. They did everything they could for me. It was a really good environment, but the second day I got there I said, ‘Oh, I hate this. This is what I came back to school for? What am I going to do? Oh my gosh I do not want to do this job.’ I saw my life laid out in front of me for the next 20 years: ‘Ok, I’m gonna manage these brands and then I’m going to get more brands.’ Day two I called my mom said, ‘Mom, I hate this! What am I going to do?’ Going into second year, I got an offer from them. I think it helps your confidence if you get an offer from the summer job. You think, ‘Ok, I could get that job, I can get another one.’

I was scared I wouldn’t get something.

It was still scary to turn down that job to go off and interview so I could have more time to decide what I really wanted. I was scared I wouldn’t get something. But then I decided in the long run a few months is not going to kill anything. I ended up interviewing for more Marketing and strategy jobs, Name it and I went on that interview. I did a lot of B2B. I did B2C. Product Marketing, Consulting, I just tried the gamut.

One day I see on my calendar that I have this interview for this company. I thought ‘what is this? I didn’t drop for that, did I? Did I come back after some drinks and drop for companies? Nah, I wouldn’t do that.’ I realized that they had pulled my resume. I did some research on the company. I liked technology. It was my passion.

I didn’t know where it was going to lead, but I thought it sounded interesting so I ended up accepting it.

I just always thought, ‘Oh, I’ve never considered that for a job’. I went on the interview and I thought it went terrible. There was no way I was moving on in this process, but they offered me a job anyway. I didn’t know where it was going to lead, but I thought it sounded interesting so I ended up accepting it.

So far it’s going really well. I didn’t plan to be in this kind of job; it just worked out. I really took the recruiting process as an opportunity to see the inside of companies I might never get to see again. I went on a lot of interviews and I’m glad I did. I learned a lot.

 

If you would like to participate/be interviewed for the blog, contact me at nkem.nwankwo@lifeafterschool.co.