I've been through a handful of interviews in the past few years, and this was a tough one. My interview schedule listed the first meeting with two managers, and the second meeting with two more program representatives. I was surprised, and a little intimidated when all four of them walked into the room with me at the same time. I was seated at the head of the table and after a 30-minute long explanation of the program, all four of them began firing off questions to me for the next two hours. All of them seemed to blatantly point out the criteria I did not have vs. the strengths and experiences I do have. One of them even told me that he'd advise I take some classes or certifications before continuing to apply for other jobs. I dont' think I've ever felt so awkward or uncomfortable in an interview in my life. All in all, it was a 2.5 hour waste of everyone's time. If I wasn't right for the job or didn't have the requirements they wanted, why did they ask me to come in and meet them?

I applied for the job online on Saturday. Monday was holiday and on Tuesday, I was contacted by a recruiter. I had a phone interview on Wednesday and was offer the job on Friday. The interview was friendly, informay and was with the person I would be reporting to. All-in-all, it was a very pleasant experince. I accepted the job.