You’re probably here because you’d like to hear the story about when I blew an interview with the biggest record label company in Africa. Before you ask what a Technical and Web3 writer was doing at a creative studio hub for some of the most considerable music talents in the country, I’d like you to grab a glass of water and a pen to take down some notes.

As the saying goes,

“Do as I say, not as I do”.

To better understand the context of that quote, let’s go back to the beginning……..

INTRODUCTION

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? No, I’m not talking about the anxiety-filled Zoom call with your potential employer or the scary trip to the office for the first time.

I’m talking about the gutted feeling of failure as you read through that rejection email. I’m talking about the sense of realisation you come to terms with when you haven’t heard back from the company in 4, 3, or 2 weeks.

That’s the stench of failure.

But in the corporate world, I've learnt that failure is very different from what I was used to. This isn’t that one test that you took back in high school that would determine your entire grade.

Failure in the corporate world can be a stepping stone to success…..

THE BEGINNING

I had just joined LinkedIn and in a week I got a message from someone who worked at the label.

I couldn't believe it! I quadruple-checked her profile and she was the real deal. We spoke for about 5 minutes before she finally requested for my resume and some other documents to be sent to her email.

I quickly sent them over alongside a status report message on LinkedIn. I didn’t hear back from her for an entire day. Fear hit. I felt like my resume was probably not good enough or that she had been put off by the supporting documents even though i had only included what i considered to be my best work.

A day later, I decided to send her another message on LinkedIn just asking if she had received my mail. She responded in not time with an apology saying that she was responsible for putting together an interview and that she would get back to me pretty soon.

Interview????? Would I be a part it???

THE INTERVIEW.

An in-person chat? I was shocked as i read through the email. An in-person interview was very different from the Zoom calls I was accustomed to. This made me very nervous.

Before going in, I said a little prayer. Thankfully, the LinkedIn Lady complimented my pink flats as I walked in which made me feel nice. Shortly after, another interviewer joined us. He asked all the questions while pacing around the little office.

Most of his questions were centered around my background and career goals. It was going fairly well until he asked one question that changed the course of the interview.

‘Could you write a story on one of our artists, can you tell their story?’

‘Yes, I can. I love telling stories but I prefer facts to fiction anytime’.

The interview came to an end shortly after and we said our goodbyes.

THE VERDICT

I didn’t get the role. I think i knew that as soon as i got into the Uber that took me home. I flunked that interview, just like i had flunked that math test a few years ago.

But unlike the Math test which contributed in getting me a solid D in my overall grade, this failed interview set me up to ace my next interview (this time with a tech company ;) and land a job.

There are a bunch of things I could have done better at that interview. I narrowed them into 5 solid points.

THE 5 GAME CHANGERS.

Educate Yourself: The very first thing you should do before going into any interview is to do a background check on the company.

What do they do? What are their strengths? Who are their competitors? What is their position in the marketplace? What are their socials like? Do they have any scandals?

The purpose of this is to get yourself acquainted with the company. You won’t feel so strange sitting in the waiting room or in the Zoom call if you have an idea of what, who and why you would like to join the company

PRO TIP: Search them up on LinkedIn and find employees who work there, see how long their oldest employee has been there for and go through their content and network.

Remeber, it’s not stalking, its research :)

What can you offer? You should have a clear understanding of what you’ll be bringing to the table. What deliverables would be expected of you from the position that you’re applying to? Going into that interview, I didn’t have a clear view of what was expected from me. Would I work from home or from the office? What is expected from an in-house content creator working for a record label? I really had no idea and that left me clueless during the interview.

Here’s a simple way to find the answer to this.

What product or service does this company offer to the public? What contribution does your department offer to that service or product? What would you do differently from the already existing team? What new industry insight do you have?

Make a list: Going into any interview, make sure you have a clear understanding of what you expect from your role and the company as well. I had no idea of what I wanted from the record label going into that interview. What would I accept? What wouldn’t I accept? It was no wonder that I let out a gasp when the male interviewer told me that I would be assigned to one or two artists and that I would literally have to eat, sleep and breathe next to them during album and single releases. That didn’t sound so great to a mini introvert like me.

How many hours would you like to work a week? Would you prefer a remote or hybrid role? What core values do you expect your future workplace to have? What salary range are you comfortable with?

Write down questions: Usually, you’ll be asked to share questions at some point during the interview. Since I wasn't really prepared for my interview, I only managed one question. Before you go for any interview, I recommend writing down questions…good questions. If you actually did what I recommended in steps 1-3, then this question-making process should not be difficult. Write down at least 3 questions about anything. About the company culture, about future products, about your role, about the company’s long-term goals. Don’t be shy because the ability to ask good questions is a plus for you.

Have a good summary of yourself at the tip of your tongue: For some weird reason, I always feel uncomfortable introducing myself. If you’re anything like me then I have some bad news for you. During an interview, you’ll more than likely be asked to introduce yourself. I advise that you have a ready-to-go comprehensive summary of yourself just waiting to roll off your tongue. A useful way to put this together would be to consider a few things like:

Who you are? What you do? Why you do it? And What you hope to accomplish in the future?

Don’t be like me, going into an interview without being able to give a brief and confident introduction. Think of it as a one minute sales pitch and feel free to practise in front of the mirror if you want.

FINALLY,

Finally, maintain eye contact, speak assertively and don’t nervously tap your shoes on the floor like a tap dancer. Trust me, it won’t help even if they are pink ;)

And lastly, Good luck!