They're not smarter than you

Over a year ago, I was worried that I wouldn't get an internship. I was interviewing for a competitive position at a well known financial reporting company in San Francisco. I had some relevant experience, but I still felt like I was on the outsider looking in. I was competing against students from top-tiered schools from around the nation; students who knew (we will visit that again) more than me.

I was going over my resume and doing mock interviews with one of my older brothers one night. He could tell I was nervous - mostly because I told him about my lack of confidence. "They're not smarter than you," he told me. Even though I didn't understand that statement then it has stayed with me.

Even though I didn't get the job, I went much further in the process than I would have guessed and it was a invaluable experience for me for other upcoming competitive interviews.

I just started reading Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers. The crux of his argument is that success is not based on working hard and being smart - most of it is circumstance and luck.

To me, success, however you want to define it, is gained by knowing how to get it. While I am focusing on getting a job in this post, I don't see why this principal is not true for other goals one may have.

I didn't know I didn't know what I didn't know. For instance, I thought if I worked hard, which I knew how to do, someone would find me and hire me. Like fair dust, my dream job would fall on me and I could then fly off to Neverland to my condo, better body, and car. Reality hit me when I was going door to door in the hot sun selling alarms and my peers were doing something I vaguely understood called 'internships'. It was said that these 'internships' would help students land their desired job. I then knew I didn't know what I didn't know before and the more I learned, the more I realized I didn't know what I needed to know.

I ventured into this internship world and got an internship; and got another one; and got another one. In each internship I heard stories from the people around me about their future plans. I interviewed at more competitive places. I talked to more professionals and heard their story. It was in an interview that it finally hit me with what my brother had told me.

I was in the financial district in San Francisco, overlooking the bay bridge from the third floor of a nice building, and I was sitting across from an associate at an investment bank. This was an informal interview; the one where they make sure you are worth their time. After he was done testing me and my answers seemed to appease him, I asked him to share his story. "How did you get here?" His story all made sense. It was logical. Good school to the right clubs to the right internship to the right first job, etc. But what really struck me is when he mentioned what his father and uncle did. His father was a venture capitalist and former banker and so was his uncle. He did the right things, he probably had some luck, but he did something similar to what his father did. That was his paradigm - he was going to be in finance. His father showed/told him how he would do it.

Since that meeting I have looked back at interactions I have had with people I thought were smarter than me and I realized that the majority were just normal people that had been exposed to different things than I had. I have met people that are smarter than me, it happens a lot, but I also meet people that are perceived smart and aren't; they just saw a world in a different way.

You need to be a hard worker. You need to be able to meet expectations. You need luck. You need to know your stuff. But you need to know what hoops to jump through. Whether that is networking or jumping on a plane to meet with a company you really like just to meet them.

Here is what I do:

Interviewing part II

I wish I would have read this article before I was asked some difficult questions in interviews. Here is a list of questions I have been asked (keep in mind, these were Skype interviews, no calculators allowed... but getting the right answer isn't the point):

How many weeks are in 12! seconds?
Given the population of England, is it possible for two people to have the same numbers of hairs on their head?
How many gas stations are in the U.S.?

Interviewing

Prior to this year, I have had three formal interviews. Ones where I had a resume prepared and had to dress for the occasion. This small sample size has been a difficult hurdle, due to the fact that one of those interviews was for a company my father owned, another was for a call center that would take any human, and the third was for a resident assistant position. None of them really business related. Let me give you some advice, interviewing is as much doing your homework on the company as it is being qualified for the position.

Here are three pieces of advice:
1) Know why you want to work for company/firm/person/etc.
2) Find out what questions they will ask - then practice
3) Be authentic

business casual

I got an internship. I am pretty excited about. I am not excited about the dress code - biz casual. Business clothes are a little uncomfortable, but it is not that I mind that. What I mind is my inability to buy a shirt that fits me. I have never had to buy my own dress shirts until a few years ago. I had plenty of hand-me-down white shirts, but I needed the business blues and stripes. I thought you just had to look at the neck size and that was it. Boy. Was. I. Wrong. So wrong.

NEWS FLASH: You have to consider the arm length as well. You know the apendages that are shooting out of the sides of your torso! My shirts would be a little snug before I would wash and dry them, but after I put them on after a dryer session, my only option was to roll them sleeves up. Idiot. Now, after help from Steve-O I know I wear a 16ish and 34/35. Thanks Steven.

I still do not own a credit card....

MJ.

I am not sure how to apply this dancing to my job, but I'm not saying it couldn't happen.

Okay. I get it.

I work in a call center, again, (hated it then, hate it now.) for an alarm company. The same one I sold for this past summer. Being on the other side has given me a greater appreciation for the simple job, yet stressful tasks that must be done, and confirmed fears that I had as a sales rep about employees in the call center.

I have worked there maybe a total of 30 hours, not even a real full week, but I would wager that I am better than all of them besides one lady, who has been doing this for four years. The other ladies are middle-aged. I can't blame them for being bad at their job... their moms. Moms who are 40+ aren't good at computers. 

This past Monday we had a three hour long training session. Our job is pretty simple. We input data that is told to us. We do NOT have to think or interpret anything, other than knowing the difference between a good credit score and a bad one is. In this meeting we were actually told to do less. Here is probably why, one lady asked this question, "So, we do not need to enter the information into the other system?" RIGHT AFTER he just said, "you will only worry about putting the customer information in program a." I wanted to punch her. 

We went over processing payments. "You bill them that day, unless their bill date, which will be either the 5th or the 20th, is within 15 days of the day of installation. So about two weeks. Normally, you bill them that day, then set up the payment for the next month. Only if they are within the fifteen days, do you just set up the monthly billing without billing them that day." Simple right. No. It took us 25 minutes for Becca to be comfortable in her knowledge about it. 

There is another kid there who keeps me sane. Mark. His sense of humor is so dry. He told me how he used to work construction and made $1,300 a week. He loved it. He loved it so much, the pay that is, that he used an entire check to purchase Lego's, namely the Sponge Bob Square Pants themed sets. Aaawwwesome. Who does that? Only someone who loves life and Lego's. I personally would have gone with Star Wars. 

Baptism by fire.

This past Wednesday I took my first phone call.... I work for AT&T. I am an agent.

I have been tossing and turning in the night of how to present this event. I am still reeling from the effects that it had on me. Truly incredible. I am a changed man because of it. Thus the title. Maybe a little sacrilegious... perhaps it would be better to say that I have gone through the right of passage that every customer care agent must: making a complete fool of yourself.

The class sat around the table. Debating among themselves who should go. All had questions in their hearts. Wondering who would be the brave hero to save them all from pointless busy work and take a live call. Who would rise to the occasion? David, the beloved, arose from amidst the strewn chairs, grabbed his password sheet, and went before the class and into the dark and unforgiving world. Everyone held their breath. Would this soul be tainted or enlightened due to battle which was about to commence. All eyes were peeled upon this naive man.

In front of all he put on his headset, sat, entered the various codes and numbers in order to receive a call. A call that would come from some part of the vast universe. A caller who would never see or know what kind of man David was, his heart, or who he would become. David waited, with his trainer at his side. The class sat motionless, not daring to breath, fearing that it may just break any chances of luck the knight would need.

The phone beeped. David answered in the standard welcome. For some odd reason the number didn't show on his screen. He asked the caller for the number... several times. Even more queer was that the number kept changing. At first it ended in all 7's, then it had an 8, and finally had a 0 8 and 7. The young agent's head almost exploded from anxiety. Finally, the number went through and a name came up with the title of Ms. "It couldn't be," thought the agent. "I am speaking with a man. This is a man's voice!" That was the cardinal sin, thinking. "So, Mr. ____ what can I do for you today," said David. "It's MS!____." The agents face dropped. He was dead sure he was speaking to a man. It was the queerest thing ever. Questions were asked. Answers couldn't be found. The tension in the air was stifling. The heavens looked down and helped the poor lad and disconnected him. The class roared in laughter.

However, the agent had become a man. Just like Jake Sully when he conquered the Ikran and became apart of the Nav'i people. Or just like Leonidas, who killed the wolf at the tender age of 13. Okay, it wasn't that incredible... it was just really embarrassing. I don't know if many can understand where I am coming from, but it was really quite a daunting task. I guess anytime we attempt to do something new it can seem too tasking and difficult. The next call went a lot better. I did end up callin the Ms. back and gave her the answers she needed.

Hiding from doing nothing.

Convergys is probably one of the most boring places of employment. I would say that we sit for around for about 2 hours out of the day. That may be an exaggeration, but it feels like it. It was OK at first. I practiced pencil tricks, drew, poked fun at others, or read. I recently have been forgetting my book, and I am getting too good at pencil tricks. My new thing is hiding.

There aren't many good places to hide. There are cameras everywhere. The best place to hide is the Men's bathroom. I usually choose the second stall. It is the darkest. The lights aren't directly shining over it. I also can txt freely in there. We aren't allowed to have our phones out when we are around the computers... we have access to some highly sensitive information. The stall also has probably one of the most intense locks I have ever seen in a bathroom. It is a flat, four inch, shinny metallic bar. It rotates around and rest on its ledge, insuring that no one will visit me.

Some times I just sit there, wondering what the heck I am doing in this place? What is going on in the real world? How many times could I have beaten Super Mario in the amount of time I have wasted? Other times, I just don't do anything, ironic. For some reason I would rather do nothing alone. Clear mind, blank stare, and open mouth, almost drooling. I shake myself awake, return to the classroom, sit down at my chair, and sigh. A broken and defeated man.

Then, this song comes to mind. Sharam ft. Kid Cudi, She came along.

"I work for AT&T"

Three to midnight. Five days a week, for seven weeks of "training". Eight dollars an hour. At the end you should be able to handle any situation that you may encounter as a customer rep. Problems vary from dropped calls, billing inquires, and delayed rebates. Sounds exciting. Well, I work for AT&T. And within the first two hours of orientation I was planning my own suicide.

The first day was incredible. Incredibly boring. Incredibly frustrating. Incredibly odd.

There are so many characters working for Convergys, that it should be a reality show. I think Mark Burnett should look into it. Just hide cameras throughout the building and watch these people interact with each other.

Walking through the door you immediatley notice Bob, the rent-a-security guard. His over gelled hair screams of a guy stuck in the past. A two year vet, he takes his job very serious, scanning his computer screen with 10 different video feeds.

Once in the classroom you discover secrets about your associates that are volunteered too easily. One lady stands and tells of her seven boys, two of which were still born. A woman, with painted on eyebrows, proclaims herself the cat savior, harboring 61 cats. Her cats differ in age, intelligence, and care. On the other side of the room, a Newcastle resident boasts of her degree of Elementary Education from SUU. Finally, one speaks of the fear of interacting with people.

Nothing compares to the instructor, or training, named Bradley. However, he would prefer you to call him B-Rad. B-Rad is an energetic man, who isn't afraid to make a complete fool of himself. The guy is growing on me, but initially I wanted to punch him. He loves to sing. He recreates classic songs, like Three Dog Night's Joy to the World, Rolf Harris' The Kangaroo Song, and ACDC's Thunderstruck. His voice isn't terrible, but every songs seems to have his awful face shake sound. I don't know what else to call it. He loosens his face, shakes it, and makes a guitar like sound. I searched for a giant brick to throw at him when I first heard it, but surprisingly I found no such object.

Then he has a laugh that isn't human. I can usually imitate how a person laughs or sounds. His is unearthly. The laugh is.... something that must be heard, not explained. I guess you could just say that it will drive a sane man insane. Or in the words of Dane Cook "There are certain sounds in this world, that when you hear them, they make you react in certain ways... some sounds soothing... but then there are certain sounds in this world, that for whatever reason just the way it hits you, it makes you want to punch to punch a baby. It makes you want to punch a baby. God forbid that you're in a nursery when you hear the sound. You go on a baby punching tangent." His laugh is the sound that makes me want to punch infants. Luckily his wife is deaf.

I am sure that I will make some more posts.