Several years back, I went through an interview process that, at the time, I considered to be a complete failure and total waste of time. But shortly thereafter I realized it was actually a blessing in disguise, and a sign that my path needed bending.
I went through a series of interviews for a job with a company much smaller than the one I was currently working for, but in the same industry. The position was right up my alley and one that I was definitely qualified for (maybe even overqualified). The job was a new role, and the company was looking for someone who had a lot of experience and success with growing a team, and increasing revenue for a new technology solution. The job seemed like a perfect fit with my background and experience, and looked like a great opportunity to build something from practically nothing. So needless to say I was pretty excited at the thought of being influential and the ability to really make a difference. My current job had become somewhat mundane, so the thought of trying something new was definitely appealing.
The first 3 interviews were on the phone, and went very well. One was with the recruiter, the 2nd with the hiring VP, and the 3rd with a member of that hiring VP’s team. The feedback I received was extremely positive, and the next step was a meeting with the CEO of the company at their headquarters in New York City.
When I arrived at the company, located in Greenwich Village, I immediately felt out of place.
There were lounge chairs, TVs, pop music blasting, and people scattered about comfortably engaging in conversations on their phones and with others in the large room with no offices or separations. And I was definitely overdressed. Although I didn’t have a business suit on, everyone else was wearing jeans and tee-shirts…so I stood out like a sore thumb.
Everyone was very cordial and seemed to be engaged in their work. The CEO seemed quite young. The interview went well, and I even presented him with a short–term business plan to address some of the business objectives for the next year. It took me about 3 days to complete that plan, and I had invested many hours into the interviews and preparation. I thought I was a perfect fit for the job. Apparently not, because within an hour of walking out the door, they sent me an email thanking me for all of my time and effort…and that they’d decided to go with another more qualified candidate.
Wow – that was a fast rejection!
And I thought – what a punch in the face that was! But it was actually an abrupt wake-up call. I was hurt, angry, sad, and had pretty much convinced myself that I’m officially near that age – close to 50 – where my skills and experience may very well not be appreciated nor desired by many companies. They want young, energetic, single, and less-paid people to join their staff. This was not the first time in the last year this happened, and it was even starting to happen at my current company. I was pretty devastated and basically thought to myself – “I really give up.”
But then that nagging voice in my head said “you can’t give up, this happened for a reason.”
I know this sounds depressing and sad but you know what? It’s actually not.
In every challenging experience you must try to find the good. Things truly do happen for a reason. By becoming aware of your energy, you can use a challenging experience to shift that energy to a more productive place. You learn something new about yourself, come up with a new plan, and forge ahead. And that is exactly what I did, and is a huge reason why today I am a successful coach. This is my destiny, and although it took me a little while to get here, it was well worth the wait!
