Last week I was interviewed by a very high-profile managing director, who is known to have exhibited miracles in the corporate world. Although she was great as an interviewer and very patient with me, a question she put forth rattled me no end. A question on my attire for the interview. The entire office in the team was dressed in western business formals - suits, sharp skirts, ties, shirts - the works. I was dressed in formal trousers, formal shoes and a Kurti - mind you this was not the flimsy with flowing sleeves fashionable kind rather a collared, and a very smart one. Yet her question was - When you look around, you see us all dressed in our best business formals, so why did you not take the effort to dress accordingly, despite knowing that you were going to be interviewed by the MD?
I was flabbergasted! Excuse me, but a kurti and trousers is considered formal and is accepted in the corporate world as business formals. Western business formals are the norm in the Western countries, but in India even a sari or a salwar kameez is considered formal, as long as its elegant, pinnned in the right places and is not fiddle-some (if there is a word like that). How can you say that my attire was not appropriate?
In that one second post her question, a number of answers shot through my head including a retort - Have you seen the temperature outside? My attire is not just corporate but also comfortable. Secondly in a client facing job, although clothes do maketh a deal in a big way at least in creating a first impression, they also help in creating the right atmosphere. The way her team was dressed would surely intimidate someone, whereas the way I was dressed would ensure somebody would be at ease talking to me! and I am not wearing jeans, I am dressed formally! and the funny thing was, although her team was European and British, she was Indian!
However, like the typical me, I did not open my mouth for the retort, instead simply mumbled some crap excuse at her. The interview went on post that, and in the end she said that I am not ideally suitable because I don't have the gumption or to put it in a crude way -I don't have the 'balls' for this job. I agreed. And then kicked myself after coming out.
Why? because of all the above, when I did not have the guts to defend my attire which am sure was a test from her end to gauge my reaction, how on earth would I have the guts to negotiate or defend my case in with a client? and why the kick? because it was in my mind, I just had to speak out and she gave me an opportunity as well which I truly missed!
And then I wondered, how many times in life do we face situations like these? Someone on the train who is rude to you, the pervert on the road, the bully in school, the irritating neighbourhood aunty - all of them people who have possibly taken a dig at you, provoked your ire and yet haven't faced your wrath! Why? because you were scared to give them a piece of your mind or to tell them what you really think of their actions for fear of provoking them further. However, then you spend hours mulling over the entire scene and imagining yourself retorting sharply or giving the guilty one a dose of his/her own medicine or something similar maybe and then feeling like superman with the guilty chap cowering at your feet. Alas! this scenario is just a figment of your thoughts and will be forever, unless you take up the cudgel and develop the guts to deliver a blow. It need not be a big one, even a slight scratch will work wonders - not just for setting things right but for your own confidence.
Reflecting on that day made me realise that the reason I went numb and dumb, was possibly a combination of nerves, my eagerness to impress and a desperation for the job. All of which rubbed the wrong way. What's important is to understand that interviewers are not looking for a right or a wrong answer. They are trying to understand the real you and your reactions to real life. And the best way to succeed in these scenarios - Be yourself. It will show and when it does, things will turn out just fine.
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