The Interview

300-word story: A discontented worker lands an interview for his dream job. 

After over a decade of working in a dead-end role, toiling over a production line with the same mechanical repetition of the equipment around him, Marcus had finally secured an interview for his dream job. If, no, when he got it, he could finally apply not only his degree, but also the vast ingenuity, creativity and drive that had been stifled for so very long.

With a week to go, Marcus invested all of his spare time into preparing. First of all, he brushed up on industry developments from recent years, putting extra focus on those that were currently in progress. This would allow him to demonstrate his knowledge and offer some particularly savvy insight, blowing the competition out of the water.

Next, he spent a full evening trawling through the company's website and social media accounts, reading about milestones and getting a genuine feel for its core values. In the process, Marcus discovered that fun runs took place every month in aid of charity. He made a note to mention the medal he won for the fifty-metre dash at primary school.

With one day left, Marcus got a haircut and bought a new suit, shirt, tie and shoes, everything he needed to look the part.

His final action was an incredibly bold one: he sent a text to his current boss, unloading a decade's worth of grievances and a few choice insults. This brought enormous catharsis, the finishing touch that made him feel ready to smash the early morning interview.

Lying in bed, Marcus went through a mental checklist, ticking off the essential actions:

Create digital presentation. Tick.

Print list of references. Tick.

Memorise names of interviewers. Tick.

Iron outfit. Tick.

Set alarm clock… It was here the list was cut short as his mind helplessly succumbed to sleep.

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Copyright © 2020 Rich Sutherland
Image: Paula Schmidt

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