Around two weeks ago I was at an interview at a bank. The position was customer service employee. I applied for the position because first I wanted that job so badly, second it is related to economic degree and last the job would serve as a stepping stone in the economic sector.

I do not have any job experiences in banks, administration or the corporate life. I went for a three year course in economics at the university because I want to work in that field when I finish. I thought that with my background, it would be easy for me to get a job that I like and a job that would help me grow. But I am wrong, unfortunately the Norwegian economy is not on its top right now. As a matter of fact it is bad. Until now the unemployment rate is still rising and more companies are either going bankrupt or laying off employees. Some of the companies are also outsourcing their services to other countries in order to save taxes and labor costs. I did some research about some jobs here in Norway and I found out that one of the biggest companies within the economic and finance sector are looking for people who can work abroad for them. So it means that if I want to get a job within my field then I would have to travel and live abroad. It sounds good to me but in my situation right now there is no way I am going to move to another country.

Going back to the interview, it went well I thought. I told her about myself, I answered the questions with confidence and I asked questions about the firm and asked about their vision. Then the interviewer told me to wait for 14 days because she has other candidates to interview too. Deep inside me was this excitement. For the first time I did not feel any negativity in this job hunting game. The 14th day came and I waited for her call/message. It was already twelve noon and still no sign of her. Surprisingly, I did not worry. I remained calm and positive. After an hour I lost my patience so I sent her an email and asked if I got the job. It took an hour before she replied and when she did I got heartbroken. I did not get the job. According to her there were lots of really good candidates and it was hard for her to choose and she wish me good luck on my job hunt.

I reflected about the job application process, the interview and what could have I possibly done wrong. I asked myself. Was I overconfident? Did I miss something? To answer these questions, I need to go back to my application letter and CV. I read and evaluated them many times and they look good to me and then I tried to replay the interview in my mind. Did I say something stupid? Nope. But I have a theory, it is that I did not ask enough questions. I think I only asked three and that probably showed the employer that I may not be curious enough.

So yes, I have learned my lessons. I am still not over about it yet but I am moving on. It is just an interview not the end of the world! Besides I should be thankful that they gave me a chance to show them what I can.