If you're managing to follow the plot of this blog, you'll recognise that this is the episode/installment where I have had the job interview. And yes indeed, it is true, I had my first actual New Zealand job interview. The job is in recruitment.

It was a little challenging. I received papers in the mail and they told me (well, I'd also been warned on the telephone) that I would need to prepare two things for the interview. One was a written paper about how I could get us into two schools that they'd been trying to get into but had been reticent to speak with us. The other was a five-minute oral presentation as though they were the professional development people at an employers and they wanted me to sell them on Massey professional development programs.

I actually found it all interesting. Also made me nervous as hell, but I actually enjoyed preparing for it. I've never had to do anything of the sort for an interview before. Celeste looked over them the day before my interview and seemed to think they were alright. I honestly couldn't tell what I thought. I assumed it was okay, but since I've not been trained really in recruitment formally, I just wasn't sure.

So, the interview was supposed to be at 11am on Wednesday. I, as usual, was quite early, walked in the office at about 10:40. They took me in immediately, I was a bit surprised by that! Kind of nice though, kept me from sitting around getting nervous (or ill). They were very nice, did some introductions and then had me do the oral presentation. They seemed to react pretty well, nodding appreciatively and taking notes (which I assumed was a good thing). I was so very conscious of trying to speak at a normal speaking rate. When doing that sort of thing, like many people, I have a tendency to speak at double speed. I really tried to keep it down and felt I did that pretty well. So, after that they went down a list of questions. I talked A LOT! Really, I started feeling self-conscious about it and actually made a comment like "I really do run on don't I?" but they were very nice and said it was interesting. We also talked a bit about my written presentation. The interview was supposed to last until about 12 and I don't believe I left before 12:15, so it went a long time.

Oh, one other thing they asked was why I had applied for fixed-term instead of permanent position (there were two identical positions advertised but one was listed as permanent the other as 13 month fixed-term to cover for maternity leave). I told them that it was for both of our sakes. That I assumed universities would be a little bit hesitant to hire an American with no NZ experience so applying for only the 13 month position gives them an out if it weren't to work well. I also said that the same held for me, since I don't have experience here I didn't know how I would feel about the position so it gave me an out as well. The part I didn't tell them was that I also kind of hoped that fewer people would be applying for fixed-term so that would help them consider an American a little more closely as well.

They said I would hear by the end of the day or sometime Thursday if I were invited to the next stage which would be psychometric testing at an agency in the CBD. I came home feeling pretty good about the whole thing.

Got online with letlet and told her about it all. Then just chilled out for the rest of the afternoon. Then just a little after five I received the phone call from Massey telling me that they were "very impressed" with my interview and could I go to Psychometric testing the following day (Thursday). I said yes, of course and thank you very much.

So, yesterday (Thursday) I went and did the tests, some logic stuff and personality stuff. It went pretty well I thought, nothing frightening or too difficult. The personality tests always seem silly to me, but apparently they work for something.

Now I am waiting to hear back about whether I am actually going to be offered the job or not. If it is offered, I think I'll accept. Should pay around NZ$50k, translated into US$ that's not so very much, around $32k I believe, but here it is pretty good. I think I could move to higher salary pretty quickly.

That's enough for now! Write me a comment wouldja?

jon