If someone has not been pre-screened in any way shape or form by a colleague, friend, superintendent (story to follow), or you don’t already have “three pieces of information” about them, then you must conduct the “are you a monster?” interview. Everyone does it immediately.
People are verified then they qualify to the next round, basically it’s like the questions that you would get from the receptionist somewhere you are going to interview: “What is your name?” and “Who are you here to see?” then they escalate, like the questions on the GMAT, if you get them right then you proceed to tougher questions. If you find yourself going from “What do you do?” to “Do you know what they have on draft?” you are definitely not getting into HBS tonight.
I have found that some of the most common verifiers are where you are from and where you went to school, not that people don’t lie, but anything that can help classify takes away a little of the mystery and ambiguity is a plus, someone in common is even better. As chemistry major, I know that I am instantly classified as non-threatening, but in a slip-dress, not a lab coat, I’m sure that my integrity is potentially under question.
The amazing thing is that at one point, I remember being on a date and answering a few interview questions to which he was responding, that’s good, that’s bad, a little too open to show me that there were right and wrong answers. Recently on a date, I actually collectively thought of all the things I hated and rattled off the questions, “do you have a tattoo?, do you speak to your mother?, do you *&^*)! love your *&^*)! group and love being *&^*)! chained to your *&^*)!’ desk with 60 *&^*)! screens?” They continued. Although he probably was a little stressed, I later told him that I only asked him because I already knew that he would answer every one correctly.
He became The Lesson.
The Lesson and I had another Top Ten. He was too good to be true. I think that someone had a switchboard putting the music and lighting to all the right settings the entire date. I was ready to dump the roster, throw away the card collection and bake some cookies.
Never be ready to bake. It should always be something incredibly scary to do and must only be done only the most secure of all circumstances. Baking in this instance and one involving muffins (To Follow), were very bad ideas. Actually, I have only had disasters with cooking, not my cooking, but what follows after they realize that you might just be a catch… it somehow becomes time to run.
He met me for brunch on about date 5 or 6 to meet some of my friends, held my hand under the table and gave me that look. The look girls give is scary, I don’t do it anymore, when I want to all I have to do is think about The Lesson. The look boys give, and girls and boys are again the proper terms, is awesome.
It’s a half smile, it’s an assurance and insurance in the same head tilt.
I thought it was a sign to make him cookies. I felt we had passed the making cookies threshold, we had taken the cookie baking leap… We made plans to watch a week-night movie, to just relax with each other and really enjoy it, my timing I thought was excellent. I didn’t think that it was intimidating at the time, so I took cookies. I took a box of them and a bag of them to slip in his jacket pocket with a note for work tomorrow.
I got there and he was allergic. Exit the cookies and The Lesson.
Oh the cookies. A sure way to tell him you’re interested.