My very first industry interview was in college, interviewing for summer intern
at Deloitte Beijing. About 10 students are assigned to a big group, given a
case, and we had to “fight” to shine. I did poorly. While everyone else was
actively discussing and brainstorming, I was off-topic, and trying so hard to
think of something to say but failed. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw the
partner filtered out my resume, and discarded it like a worthless scratch paper.
That was somehow devastating for me as a college student stepping awkwardly and
timidly into the adult world, and I was afraid of interviews since then until
last year. However, the fact that these interviews are crappy themselves doesn’t
bother me. Being more like a techie nerd now, I won’t go interview at any
company that assesses one’s ability and “leadership skills” in such a rough way.