I came across a job posting on LinkedIn and applied for the position by submitting my resume and cover letter. Subsequently, I received an invitation to participate in the initial stage of the interview process. Surprisingly, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) conducted the first-round interviews, which struck me as unusual since I expected to interact with the hiring manager, the person I would potentially be reporting to.
Upon joining the Zoom waiting room, I experienced a delay of nearly 10 minutes. Concerned about a potential technical issue on my end, I reached out to the COO via email and discovered that she had forgotten about our scheduled meeting. During the actual interview, I noticed the COO eating lunch in a rather impolite manner, and she appeared to be somewhat inattentive. This initial impression threw me off my usual interview game, and the COO's fast-paced, rapid-fire questioning further contributed to my difficulty in maintaining clear thinking.
I must admit that I did not perform at my best during the interview due to the challenging start. However, upon reading the only employee review available, I now realize that I may have been fortunate to avoid working at a company with such apparent issues.