Chapter Six: The interview 2
Anna had spent days preparing for her interview at Snow Corp, one of the most prestigious gaming companies in the country. Landing a job there would be a huge step forward in her career.
The morning of the interview, she was up before the sun, determined to make a good impression. She arrived at the towering glass-and-steel building in Brooklyn well before her 1 p.m. interview, taking the time to admire the Snow Corp sculpture in the front courtyard. She felt a thrill of excitement and nerves.
As the clock ticked closer to 1 p.m., Anna could feel her anxiety mounting. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she had arrived in plenty of time and that everything would be okay.
As she approached the front desk, she noticed the beautiful woman who stood up to greet her. She looked like she'd stepped right off the cover of a fashion magazine, perfectly coiffed and impeccably dressed in a charcoal-colored suit.
"Hi!" Anna greeted her, hoping she sounded confident.
"Welcome to Snow Corp. How may I be of help?" the very attractive young woman, clad in the sharpest charcoal-colored suit jacket and white shirt asked with a warm smile.
"I have an interview scheduled for 1 o'clock," Anna replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I am Anna Briggs."
"Excuse me a moment Miss Briggs." She said with that smile that never disappeared from her lips, even as her eyes fell to the screen of her computer and her fingers clicked away.
Anna stood there consciously.
All around her, Anna could see the other employees dressed in a similar style to Bethany, the receptionist. She felt a pang of insecurity about her own choice of clothing. She knew she looked professional in her pencil skirt and boots, but she couldn't help feeling like she didn't quite fit in with the rest of the staff. She wished she had borrowed Kate's suit, instead of wearing her own more casual outfit.
The suit wasn't her forte but at this moment she wished it was what she had worn.
"Okay, the interview will begin once the CEO gets here. Can you hold on a little in the waiting area?" She smiles Kindly at Anna.
Anna nodded and turned to the waiting area the lady pointed and walked over.
Anna waited anxiously in the waiting area. Watching as other employees walked past with a sense of seriousness. Even though back then in school she was an academically brilliant student and had gotten a few gigs from LinkedIn to design games, she still felt very anxious and nervous if she would successfully ace this interview.
Her heart was racing her palms were all clammy and she tried so as not to let her clammy hands stain her neat CV.
She kept biting her lower and flipping through her CV and resume which she had reprinted since she had lost the previous one yesterday.
The woman at the reception kept stealing glances at her and each time their eyes would meet the receptionist would flash a reassuring smile at her.
She wasn't the first Nervous candidate whom she had encountered. She had seen a lot and was quite surprised Anna was keeping her cool.
Anna returned her gaze to the document in her hand to avoid her eyes meeting the ladies and kept reading all that was written on it word by word to be able to dissipate her anxiety.
"Miss Briggs, would you like some coffee, water, or something?"
"No thank you, I am fine." Replied Anna.
The receptionist nodded with a smile and was about to turn to go back to her post when Anna asked.
"Do I look extremely nervous? I mean do I look like someone on the verge of a nervous breakdown?"
"It is perfectly normal to be nervous before an interview. Just take a deep breath and you'll be fine." The receptionist said to her before walking away.
Her words seem to bring her some sort of calm. Her heart stopped racing.
Her phone beeped with a message and she picked it up.
"Hey, it's past one. Has the interview started yet?" Kate's message reads.
"Nope. I still waiting." Anna types away.
"I'm nervous. And all my nerves are jittery. I can't pull my thoughts together." She sends.
Kate's reply was quick to come.
"C'mon. you can do this. It's your thing. Besides if I can see how great you are in what you do, I'm a hundred percent sure that they will see it too." Anna reads with a smile on her face.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"For being there for me. You've been a sister to me. Through my ups and downs. I just hope I can repay you for it all." Anna sends.
"Okay. There is something you can use to pay me back for being your one and only friend."
"And what's that?"
"Ace that interview so that you can take me out shopping and all your debt will be paid," Kate replies with a smiley face.
"Lol. I will try. I have to get back to my waiting. Text me when I am done.
"Okay, try to be yourself. Don't go all book smart on their sorry ass."
Anna read Kate's text and chuckled softly. She had forgotten about her anxiety and had gotten herself together.
Now she had time to wonder why the CEO wasn't here when it was already past 1 p.m.
What kind of silly CEO does that?
Does he not take his job seriously?
Her subconsciousness was questioned. Would she be able to work with such a lazy CEO who just lazes back at home and lets all his workers carry the weight?
She took one cursory look at her CV.
It was just then the receptionist received a call that the CEO had arrived at the company.
"Miss Briggs!" the receptionist called and Anna stood up, dressed her skirt properly, and walked over to her.
"The CEO has arrived. Please sign in here. You'll want to use the elevator on the left, press for the hundredth floor." She smiles kindly again, which amuses Anna as she signs in.
The lady hands her a card that has INTERVIEW CANDIDATE firmly stamped on the front. How strict Anna thought. It was obvious that she was just here to be interviewed.
She felt like she was going before judges to be judged if she would stay or not.
She thanked her and walked over to the elevator.
She was whisked to the hundredth floor in no time and her eyes fell on six security men who were far more smartly dressed than her in their black suits. She could not help but admire how well-furnished this lobby was. All glass and stone desks, just like the one she saw when she came in.
"Miss Briggs, over here please." Another good-looking lady also dressed in black and white walks over to her and walks her to where she will be interviewed.