Interview #1
Bay Street is the Wall Street of Canada, although I wouldn't try to make too much of the comparison. Our apartment lies just north of the Financial District, right off of Bay Street, and we can see the entire region from our window. In fact, at night, the Scotiabank tower emits an eerie red glow that makes me think of the Eye of Mordor surveying its territory.
The BearingPoint office is all the way at the southern end of Bay Street, where the city meets the lake. It was a nice thirty minute walk for me to get from home to BearingPoint for my interview.
The interview went well. My inquisitor was the Managing Director of the Canadian office for BearingPoint's financial services practice. The interview was fairly standard. He asked what I though I brought to BearingPoint and why I wanted to work there. Thankfully, he didn't ask any of the typical, banal questions. The question that really surprised me was, "How do I know that you'll still be here six months from now?" Apparently, he had gotten the impressions from my resume that I am a wanderer who hasn't been able to stay in one place for long. I admit that I am well-traveled, and my lifestyle is more peripatetic than most. But I never considered myself to be a "rolling stone," never gathering any moss. If this is the impression he took from my resume, then I've done a poor job of explaining my past experiences.
I gave him my response, and I put my cards on the table. They tell you not to divulge personal information during job interviews, but there was no other way to set the context. I told him that I'm in a same-sex relationship with somebody who is not a U.S. citizen. Therefore, Canada is the only place where the two of us can make a life together. Moreover, we both are ready to settle down and begin our careers. He seemed to like this answer and was put at ease. I think.
The rest of the interview was spent with him telling me more about the company and the practice in Toronto. It gave me a much clearer idea of what they do, and his description left me feeling like this could very well be a good opportunity for me.
Showing another sign of a good manager, he told me that he wanted some other members of the team to meet me. That means I will have another round of interviews on April 3 with a few more people from the office.
Hey, getting to round two is always a good sign! Send me your good vibes on April 3 (or any other day, too).
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