I was a smart kid. I always did well in grade school and I found it easy to navigate the world’s requirements. I actually looked forward to taking tests and exams because it allowed me to prove to myself (and others) how smart I was. Hey! I said I was smart, not modest. Anyways, I eventually learned that I wasn’t all that and a bag of chips. And became much easier to live with in the process, I’m sure. You’d have to ask my mom.
I was contacted on Friday afternoon by a recruiter to request a second interview. She warned me, the second interview wasn’t going to be easy like the first – they were really going to “grill” me. Hmmm. I accepted the second interview and set it for Monday at 11:00 am. As I was driving to the interview, the recruiter called me again to let me know the HR person called to warn there would be a lot of managers in the room – “Don’t get intimidated”.
This is where my childhood desire to prove how well I know my stuff came into play. Grill me? Bring it! Intimidate me? Just try it! Ha! Ask me anything about Materials Management, Manufacturing Philosophy, Management Principles! I’m ready. Pshaw! Grill me, will you? I Grill You!
And they tried. The questions were intelligent, appropriate, and normally perhaps difficult. But I’ll tell you this – once you’ve worked at a well-managed company that eventually went into receivership during the midst of unprecedented upheaval in your industry (automotive) and watched the American financial system collapse, there isn’t much that can faze you. And afterall, I am a Materials Manager and that’s was they were looking for – its not like I had to name all the bones in the human body.
May 14th, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: That was no grilling – that was a tanning bed.
Maintenance May Day 14:
Packed a healthy low-calorie lunch to eat on the drive home from the interview (body).
Asked the President of the company why there was a sign in their lobby that Read “31 Years of Excellence. 1980-2011”. Did the excellence stop? (career or not?)
Extremely courteous and friendly to the cashier at Shopper’s Drug Mart who was having a terrible day. (soul)
The Daily EO 
Dying to know how the President answered your question.