Rooster Interview

I had two interviews last week with a Brookings company.  Why on Earth did I schedule them starting at 8:00 a.m?  I do not function at 9 am, so why would I function at 8?  Ridiculous.  Anyways, the interview process was going to be six different interviewers in six different rooms.  Each interview would last 30 minutes… do the math and you have a 3 hour interview.  Awesome.

I did get there on time and right away I was greeted by two former graduate student classmates.  They had graduated in May and were still looking for a job.  I felt slightly guilty for being there with a full semester left of school.

When I entered the first room the guy introduced himself and said that he had never been to work before 9:00 a.m. so he wasn't fully awake.  Too bad he didn't suggest resting our eyes.  We drug through that interview and all I could think was "if the rest of the day is going to go like this I am quitting."  Luckily the next few were much better.  However, typical Emily style prevailed and I spoke before I talked.

During one of the interviews a lady asked me a question and my response was about a rooster.  Really, a rooster?  I about kicked myself.  Here is how it went:

Lady: Tell me a time that you were presented with a situation where you had to delegate tasks to others.
Emily: When I was an intern with the SF Canaries baseball team I walked in one day and my boss told me to find a rooster.  So not being from Sioux Falls I was a little stumped.  I was so  determined to figure out how to get a rooster and knew the day-interns were very capable of handling more duties.  So I delegated a lot of my game-day duties while I searched for a rooster.

** Silence **

Lady: Did you find the rooster?
Emily: Shoot, I was hoping you weren't going to ask about that!

** Silence **

Emily: Yes, I opened up a phone book and did some cold calling for a rooster.  I know have a contact in Sioux Falls where I turn for all my rooster needs.

** Silence **

Lady: What did you do with the rooster?
Emily: Well it was 48 hours of baseball.  Basically the Canaries played three times within a three day streak and it was our goal to have teams play throughout the rest of the time.  We had teams playing at 3 in the morning!  My boss thought it would be great if a rooster crowed in the morning; hence, me finding a rooster.  The family brought the rooster in a dog kennel and taught me how to grab the rooster's feet and hold it upside down.  This makes them more calm I guess.  Then I tied a rope on the rooster's foot and chair and placed it on the dugout.

** Silence **

Lady: Did it crow?

Emily: Yes, it did its job and crowed.

Needless to say the lady couldn't quit laughing and I couldn't quit the feeling of wanting to disappear.  If I get a call back for this regional marketing associate position, than it will be a miracle.  Really, I answer interview questions with rooster stories.  No wonder i got a 'B' in interviewing class.