Melissa Kruminas

Today I found myself chatting with a friend going through the job interview process. I listened to her concerns, gave her tips on questions to ask the interviewer, and reminded her that recruitment is a mutual selection process. And then, months after I had applied for a new position myself, I received a rejection call – the same day that my friend was interviewing for a new position.

I found myself instantly on the defensive.

Not on the phone, of course. The recruiter said they went with someone with more experience – I had 20 years in this particular area, though it was different from my current role. How much more experience did he want? Of course, I thanked him for his time and we ended the conversation. The funny part is that I knew immediately after the screening call that this was not the position for me. I just didn’t get a good feeling. You can have the skill set for something, and it still isn’t a good fit. And that’s ok. Not everyone will appreciate what you have to offer. They aren’t your target audience.

Strangely, it was through the interview process several months ago that I realized I am exactly where I should be. The position would have taken me back into skills I had used in the past. It would have provided new opportunities in a domain I’m excited about. But it wouldn’t have been the correct position for me. The elements I love about my current role – facilitating, connecting, being creative, and building relationships – I’m not sure how much opportunity I would have had to pursue those passions. Maybe this recruiter knew that – maybe there was really someone else who had 30 years experience.

But the key is this – recruitment is a mutual selection process.

And in this particular situation, my skill set was not what they were looking for. It was not an attack on my experience or my skills. It just wasn’t the right fit.