In September my company hired a manager for my department. He stuck around for all of 3 weeks and then quit suddenly one day. The day he left one of the people in another department came to me and said that they think I do awesome work and that they really think I should get this promotion but that I am going to have to show some initiative and ask for it if I want it. I decided that they were right and went into my boss’s office the next morning and asked for the job. She said she would be glad to set up a group interview with the other supervisors and give me a shot at the position just like anyone else. Later that day our CEO called an emergency meeting and announced that our finances were not so hot and pretty much everything that cost any money was to be put on hold for a while so they put off my interview. I totally understood that and put the thought aside until I forgot that I had ever asked for the job. Until today.
This morning I got an email to be ready for that group interview tomorrow and to bring an updated copy of my resume. :eek: Holy crap, I hadn’t prepared for this! Now my head is full of questions and concerns. What kind of questions should I expect them to ask for a managerial position interview? Since this is an internal thing does that mean they wouldn’t interview me for it if they hadn’t already decided to give me the position? Does this mean that if they don’t hire me for the position that I should expect to be fired soon because they will assume that I am not happy with my current job? Is there anything that can be said during this interview that would sway anyone or are their minds essentially going to be made up one way or the other before I walk into the conference room? Would passing out from nerves today be poor form?
I’m so nervous I feel sick. Help calm my fears by sharing your experiences please!
Go and talk with either the HR person who is managing this interview/recruiting process and/or the highest-up person involved in this process that you have a solid relationship with. State that you are VERY interested, but a bit anxious since this is back on so suddenly and that you want to clarify a few issues so you know what you are getting yourself into by stepping into this process.
Bring your list of questions and share them with that person/those people and hopefully they can answer some, clarify some and point out which ones are best asked during the interview process. See how you feel after that discussion.
Best of luck - this is an opportunity, so your biggest challenge is to state clearly your interest and excitement in the opportunity while at the same time seeking to understand more about the opportunity so you can make an informed decision.
Every single person in that room will have been promoted at least once, so don’t worry that being interested for promotion will be taken as meaning you don’t like the job. Just make sure to say how much you love your job and your company, and how you think being promoted can make you more able to contribute.
The number one criterion for promotion is doing the job already. Your group has a leadership vacuum - have you stepped up and become the unofficial leader? If yes, and I hope you have, come prepared with examples of how you are already doing the job. Make yourself the low risk alternative for them.
Relax. First interviewing you doesn’t mean you’re getting it/not getting it. They may be interviewing you as a courtesy or as a formality. Don’t worry about that.
You will not be viewed as being unhappy in your current job. A desire to advance is considered a positive.
You have an inside track in that you know the department better than anyone else - let that speak for you. If you want to spend your time preparing, decide what are the three things you would do first if given the job.
Oh and relax, it’s just people talking.
Excellent point. I will make sure to talk to my supervisor about it and focus on the opportunities this presents both for myself and for my employer.
All good points. I will try to remind myself that everyone else in that room has been where I am at one point or another and they are not, in fact, Emotion Sharks that feed on worry and nervousness.
Hmm, I don’t know if that is better or worse!
Thanks, I will do that. I will also try to relax but I don’t know if that is at all possible.
