The Job Interview

Mitch had prepared for his online job interview as carefully as he had ever prepared for anything. He had researched the company thoroughly, drafted notes on his previous experience and chosen the quietest room in the flat, where only a bookshelf stood behind him. Fifteen minutes before the call, he tested the camera and microphone. Everything appeared to be in perfect order.

At ten o’clock the interviewer joined the meeting and greeted him with a smile. Mitch began his carefully rehearsed introduction, but within a few words she shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t hear you.” He tried again, more loudly this time, although the microphone icon on his screen was green and seemed to be working. The more he raised his voice, the more foolish he felt.

For a few seconds he was simply embarrassed. Then it occurred to him that speaking louder was no way to solve a technical fault. He typed a short message in the chat: “My microphone isn’t working. Could you give me a minute to check the settings?” The interviewer replied at once that this was fine, and her tone made it clear that she was not at all put off.

Mitch checked the cable and then opened the sound settings. The meeting software appeared to have switched to the laptop’s built-in microphone, which was turned off, instead of his headset. He selected the headset and asked, “Can you hear me now?” “Perfectly,” she said, and the awkward moment was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

The interview went on. When she later asked how he dealt with unexpected problems, Mitch gave a genuine example from his last job and referred briefly to the microphone incident. He explained that his first instinct was to communicate clearly and calmly before searching for a solution. After the call he had no idea whether he would be offered the job. What he did know was that he had faced a difficult beginning without giving up, and that mattered more to him than he would have predicted.