metaphortunate son (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
metaphortunate) wrote2013-05-09 09:18 pm
metaphortunate) wrote2013-05-09 09:18 pm
Entry tags:
this is a thing that happens.
Okay, I have to share this story. It is a secondhand story, as I wasn't personally there, but I got it directly from my friend, so I believe it.
So I have this friend who works at one of our many fine local tech companies. And he recently, at work, ran into a dude he used to work with years ago at a different one of our many fine local tech companies. And my friend said oh hi, guy! When did you start working here? And the other guy said, Just hired. And my friend said, oh really, how'd that go? And the guy said, Well, I failed the phone screen, but I kind of rejected that and got an in-person interview, and that went well and so I just started.
And my friend said…back up. How do you reject failing a phone screen?
And the other guy said, Oh well, when I called to follow up, the HR person told me that I just didn't have enough experience, because my experience at Cisco wasn't relevant to the job I was interviewing for.
And I said, look. I design [ubiquitous and versatile type of hardware]. That's what I do. I didn't know anything about [purpose of projects I worked on at Cisco] before I started on those projects. I didn't know anything about [purpose of projects they had worked on together at Ye Olde Tech Company] before we started working on that. It doesn't matter, I explained, if you know how to design [that type of hardware] you pick the rest of it up as you go along.
And that worked? my friend asked.
And now I work here, the guy confirmed.
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In conclusion, fuck your impostor syndrome, the guys out there aren't dragging that shit around, and may I recommend once again Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want. Think I'll put it on the reread pile myself.
So I have this friend who works at one of our many fine local tech companies. And he recently, at work, ran into a dude he used to work with years ago at a different one of our many fine local tech companies. And my friend said oh hi, guy! When did you start working here? And the other guy said, Just hired. And my friend said, oh really, how'd that go? And the guy said, Well, I failed the phone screen, but I kind of rejected that and got an in-person interview, and that went well and so I just started.
And my friend said…back up. How do you reject failing a phone screen?
And the other guy said, Oh well, when I called to follow up, the HR person told me that I just didn't have enough experience, because my experience at Cisco wasn't relevant to the job I was interviewing for.
And I said, look. I design [ubiquitous and versatile type of hardware]. That's what I do. I didn't know anything about [purpose of projects I worked on at Cisco] before I started on those projects. I didn't know anything about [purpose of projects they had worked on together at Ye Olde Tech Company] before we started working on that. It doesn't matter, I explained, if you know how to design [that type of hardware] you pick the rest of it up as you go along.
And that worked? my friend asked.
And now I work here, the guy confirmed.
------------------
In conclusion, fuck your impostor syndrome, the guys out there aren't dragging that shit around, and may I recommend once again Ask For It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Really Want. Think I'll put it on the reread pile myself.
no subject
Also, I hate negotiating. I have marginally more experience at it than I used to, but I still feel really uncomfortable doing it. (Although it's apparently easier with houses than it is with salaries, for me anyway. :) )
That said, I recognize that I have a lot of built-in advantages that have nothing to do with my technical background that help in interview situations, so I'm not beating my breast and saying "look how much life sucks for me". Just assuring you that at least some guys have this problem too. :)