The werewolf interviews

One of the things the werewolf intended to write about when this blog was quickening, was the style and haberdashery of the modern man. (It's unoriginal, I know, but they say write about the things you like and know about.) To be charitable, the werewolf can be described as a rabid clothes hound with an insatiable appetite for classic tailored clothes and styles. He fancies himself a bizarre blend of trad, preppy, and country gentlemen when he is at his best.

The attempted look was the understated financial services professional seeking to blend in, yet knows how to dress. The suit is an two-buttoned, medium shoulder padded, single pleated, made-to-measure charcoal gray Adrian Jules from the now defunct Michael Christopher in Atlanta; the shirt is a light blue herringbone with french cuffs and a spread collar from Robert Talbott, the tie is standard navy and red Hermes; the cuff-links are hunting hounds from England; and the shoes are black Johnston & Murphy cap-toes that the werewolf acquired during his first internship on Capital Hill in 2001(They are faithful servants on their second sole).  During the end of business school and throughout exile, I have lost a little weight causing some billowing in the shirt, yet somehow, I look like a chubby-fuck in those pictures. I would love any input on the look, as I am constantly trying to improve and I fear exile has dulled my sartorial senses.

Anyhow, last Thursday, the werewolf was in Washington, DC, interviewing for a management consulting position. For the record and despite being an Vanderbilt MBA, the werewolf wants it to be known that he harbors a healthy skepticism for lawyers, investment bankers, and management consultants. (The werewolf recognizes and embraces the value that the aforementioned trades bring, but the consensus of their alleged collective greatness stokes his contrarian flames on multiple levels, plus consulting promotes the wearing of black suits, a hell-bound and unforgivable style sin in the werewolf's book) He'll think of something pithy to have engraved on his headstone that captures the aforementioned sentence and his strong emotions on the subject.

Back to the interview, for whatever reason, something about the interview had the werewolf profoundly nervous and agitated the few days prior. It was some sort of uncharacteristic lapse in confidence that was a first for him. Perhaps it was the fact that the quiet desperation of exile has him considering career options he vowed never to pursue and that breaking his own internal code of honor for all the wrong reasons just causes indigestion. He conquered his internal defects and rallied to put his best effort forward. In retrospect, The werewolf gives himself a B for his interview performance. He didn't royally fuck-up, yet, yet he didn't knock the truck window out. Quick overview, the werewolf had two interviews with senior managers in the firm, both lasting about an hour. The first interview was with the chief of research officer, a nice and smart guy, who had the attitude of a failed academic. It was lively discussion; there was were a few small case questions bandied about, however, the interviewer fixated at the werewolf's three years as an insurance broker, and was obsessed with trying to get the werewolf to confess that there is no longer a value-add in that important financial service. Rest assured, the werewolf didn't buckle. The second interview was the head of new product development. The guy was nice enough, but had a sever head cold, and was doped up on some sort of cocktail of DayQuil/NyQuil because he asked the werewolf the same question three different times throughout the interview and kept being intrigued by the same answer. Plus, his runny nose and glassy eyes were distracting. That's the quick wrap on it all.

The company itself was a tad sterile and stodgy. However, they must have had an unwritten policy that dictates recruiting tall attractive women from the volleyball teams of elite universities. While waiting in the reception area, three exceedingly lust-worthy women who exceeded 6ft in height, floated down the marble floored hallway with the sound of their clacking heels heralding their approach. They all had that bitchy and entitled "I know I am hot, asshole" look about them bred exclusively in elite universities. The werewolf was proud to be caught by the second one in one of those head-turning scope the chick's best features as she walks by moves. Sometimes, discretion is overrated.

Back to Exile

The werewolf is back in suburban New York City after a great run with the highly competitive state house race in northeastern Texas(Today is ELECTION Day). Campaigns can be a great time, really. They keep you on your toes and have refreshing energy about them.

It is a strange sensation going from 0 to 60 back to 0 in quick succession. The thrill of being actively engaged and having purpose invigorates one's soul in the best of ways, especially after an extended period of involuntary idleness. However, just as quickly as the sense of purpose is satiated, a terrible vacuum and refreshed emptiness reestablish themselves. Right before he left for Texas, a series of positive developments had occurred on the job prospect front for the werewolf, or so he thought. Several first round interviews were conducted in mid-February for a variety of jobs ranging from the publishing industry, to nonprofit, to management consulting.

In an odd twist of fate, the werewolf will be proceeding to a second round interview with a management consulting firm later this week. The irony at hand is that this was the most competitive of the job vacancies that the werewolf has applied to lately, the one he thinks he is the weakest fit for, and also the toughest one to secure. He is still a long way from securing it, and the case interviews scheduled for later this week have him deeply unnerved for a variety of reasons. (Unlike normal behavioral interviews, case interviews run a gamut of possibilities and can be highly combative and intense) Yet, it also begs a fundamental question about how the labor market operates, how we find our fit within it, how to manage our expectations for ourselves and how to nurture ambitions.

Hopefully, a broader portrait of opportunity will be painted over the next few weeks and more call backs will occur. In the meantime, here's to trucking away and turning lemons into lemonade.

WSJ: Has the M.B.A. Class of ’09 Fallen Through the Cracks?

Over at the Wall Street Jounral's Laid Off and Looking blog, there is a great article about the rather dreary fate of the MBA class of 2009. Some of the content rings very true and speaks to some of the troubles the werewolf is facing in his search. Here is a worthy excerpt:


"The shift in how employers recruit M.B.A.’s has been especially tough for the class of 2009. No longer are employers looking to bring in talent and develop them. They are now in search of talent that has experience in the exact field in which they are hiring. Recruiters no longer have to hire the optimistic M.B.A.’s with huge talent and youthful vigor. Companies can easily hire workers with years of experience who are willing to take the same salary as only a freshly minted M.B.A. would have several years ago. This leaves thousands of students who hoped to use business school as a tool to switch careers unemployed. Further, those of us who were in very specialized functions and very specialized products pre-M.B.A. are left in the cold."

The werewolf has had one helluva of a time trying to secure stable employment since he graduated in the May of 2009. He has run into some of the aforementioned problems, but given his nontraditional post-MBA aspirations, he has also encountered skepticism, fear, and resentment of his MBA from a raft of perspective employers who are in the political sphere. Also, the equilibrium between supply and demand for people with his credentials and skill sets is way out of whack. There is an excess in supply and restricted demand, giving employers unimaginable leverage. However, beating up on employers misses the point, since they are operating in wildly uncertain times and have budgeted and planned accordingly. Several insiders are so focused on preserving their own hide, that opportunities are scarce. Adding another tightening dynamic to the current macro-situation.

Last spring the werewolf learned a hard lesson in negotiation and expectation management. He had successfully completed three rounds of intense interviews for a nonprofit foundation fellowship. Thought the fit with the organization was strong and he had a background that explicitly matched their desires. The werewolf was denied the fellowship because when compelled to answer what he valued his annual salary at, he put $70K. Mind you the question was roughly phrased where do you value your compensation rate? It then listed numerical values starting at $20K and moving all the way to $100K in increments of 10K. Although prepared to take a much lower nonprofit salary and not expecting to make anywhere near that amount in the role was he attempting to lock down, he thought it was a fair value given what most of his investment banking and management consulting peers were set to make, and was also a sign that the werewolf placed a respectable value on himself. Well, confidence, self-worth, and honesty were the wrong signals to send in that instance. The universal answer is negotiable, moving forward.

He has a few colleagues and acquaintances from other business and law schools such as Duke, Harvard, Columbia, Wake Forest, and the University of Georgia  who have run into similar humps with employment. The contractions in the legal market have mirrored the dearth of opportunity in the finance and consulting fields that have squeezed MBAs tightly. The werewolf will write more about this as time progresses. However, this article rings of some hard truths about the structural realignment of the employment market.