I was referred to a recruiter through a colleague, through LinkedIn. The recruiter was great, very personable, very engaged in conversation. He ran through the description very quickly though so it didn't give the best overview of the position. But that was fine because I had already researched it on my own and knew the product I would be selling very well. He set up a call with the hiring manager for a few days later. I spent an entire weekend learning more about the product and was very excited to discuss it because it really was awesome! I already sell a product focused on generating prospects and leads, with a huge emphasis on social media, so it was almost a no-brainer; I could sell Sales Navigator in my sleep. I bring a lot of creative techniques to the table too, especially being a sales trainer outside of my current position. I have a very strong understanding of the industry and a proven track record in sales, so I was really pumped about the call. ...Until the call came. Unfortunately their interview structure is just set up poorly. He was very robotic, gave me a timeline of what we will discuss, stuck to exactly that without any interest in real conversation. Each time I attempted to make it more conversational and discuss the company, the product, or my experience, he redirected to his timeline and asked very rehearsed typical old-school interview questions, like "who inspires you", which made it very clear he wasn't really listening to me either. This is disappointing because in social media and sales alike, nothing is more important than connecting and engagement. He really didn't have the ability to do either, or maybe just didn't have an interest in it. This sort of turned me off not just as a candidate, but as a consumer as well. Another thing that was strange was that even though I sent him a copy of my resume to refer to during the call, he told me he never looked at my resume to begin with. So going into the call, he wasn't prepared to discuss my skills in any way and wasn't aware of my experience. A couple of days later I received a call from the recruiter and based on his message to me, it was clear the hiring manager wasn't really "there" during our call to begin with, because his feedback sounded as if he mixed up notes with another candidate. (lol). He said I wasn't prepared and didn't have enough knowledge of social media. Two things that were just blatantly untrue. I was over-prepared and I am an expert in social media and sales, we just didn't have any conversation regarding any of that, despite my many attempts. Anyway, I am happy about the outcome. I am a very creative and energetic sales person, and I didn't get the impression that is the energy he had, or what he was looking for. Sometimes it just isn't a fit! Looking forward to growing revenue with my current company for another awesome year of sales! #COFFEESFORCLOSERS