I interviewed
at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, for three different positions. One was in
the graduate career center. That one wasn't too unusual. But another time I
interviewed with the undergraduate career center; I met a woman named Lynne who
was an assistant director. She could not have looked any more disinterested
during our brief interview. It's like someone had dumped the task of
interviewing on her and she resented it. So she asked me a couple of questions,
I answered, trying to demonstrate some enthusiasm, trying to make some kind of
connection with her. Then she asked me if I had any questions; I asked one, she
made a quick reply, and then said, thanks for coming in. We left the conference
room and walked back to her office. She opened the door, and I don't remember
what I said exactly, something along the lines of thanks for meeting me, I'm
really interested in the job, etc., smiling as I said it. What did she do? She
frowns and slams the door in front of me! Look people, if you're not interested
in a candidate, fine, but there's no need to be rude. At least act like a
civilized human being.
Another time I
interviewed for an assistant director of the student center job at Rutgers
Newark. I went into the conference room and there was about ten college
administrators sitting on both sides of a long table. They asked me to sit at
the front. I did and promptly sank into a chair that was lower than the others.
I guess they like looking down at people. Anyway only one person, the dean that
I would have been reporting to, asked me any interview questions. The rest of
them just sat there and stared at me. Eventually the security director help up
a flyer and asked me what I would do if I some supposedly radical group
consisting of black people came to campus for some type of student program.
Then he picked up a flyer and growled that they were going to be there next
week, and slammed the flyer down on the table. The black folks sitting at the
table said nothing; didn't even look at him. I'm not sure what my answer was,
but I'm pretty sure it was generic. I was interested in the job (for some
unknown reason) so I didn't show any bias one way or another. Anyway the
interview ended and I left. Never heard from them again, thankfully. I mean,
who knows..was it all some sort of act to see how I would respond to people
just staring at me? How I would respond to an angry security director? Maybe.
Or maybe they're just a bunch of wackos who have no idea how to conduct a
professional job interview. I don't know. I don't really care either...I'm just
glad my own diploma isn't from Rutgers Newark!
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