My Cruel Boss Wants Me

Chapter 3: The Job Interview

While waiting for the video to connect, Elisse did her best to look as appropriate as possible, given the short amount of time she had to prepare for the interview. She did not have time to even brush her hair, so she opted for a messy bun on the top of her head. She couldn’t put on her contacts in five minutes, so she just wore her glasses. She also wasn’t able to change into more professional-looking clothes, so she opted for what she is currently wearing, which is a black hoodie. It’s a good thing the interviewer will only see her from the top of her shoulder up, so she didn’t have to worry about the boy shorts she’s currently wearing.

Elisse wasn’t really expecting her initial interview to be conducted by Matthew Kim. She thought that initial interviews are usually done by HR teams.

Elisse gasped as the video call connected and her screen displayed a breathtaking specimen of a man. He looks Asian, but his skin is not too white. He has double eyelids and well-defined jaws. She can see his wide shoulders, and although he’s wearing a long-sleeved button down shirt, his bulging biceps is apparent. What shocked her the most are his blue-gray eyes, which is probably the only indication that he is of mixed descent. She couldn’t stop looking at those eyes. Her heart started beating fast, and she can’t seem to force any words to come out of her mouth. She seems to have forgotten what she’s doing.

Matt: “Ms. Velasquez!” 

Elisse was startled when Matt called her out loudly.

Matt: “I’m pretty sure you can hear me, but for some reason you didn’t even say hello, or haven't responded to me calling you out. I’m not sure how many job interviews you have been to, but let me tell you that you are being very unprofessional by not even acknowledging me.” 

When Elisse finally realized what’s going on, she sat up and went into interview mode.

Elisse: “I’m very sorry sir, I can hear you. I forgot to unmute my mic. Good morning.”

Matt: “My name is not sir, it’s Matt. Did you also forget to turn on your camera? It’s a video interview so I’m supposed to see you as well.” 

Matt seemed irritated when he talked.

Elisse realized that she forgot to activate her camera, since it was set to not turn on by default. She  went into a slight panic. She turned her camera and made sure to stay as professional as possible. She knows she can turn things around and can nail this interview. She is a very good speaker and very confident in interviews.

Elisse:, “I’m sorry Sir--. I mean Matt. It’s on now. Can you see me?”

As Elisse’s face showed on camera, Matt seemed to have gasped a little, as if he got startled. He looked at the screen without uttering a word for about 10 seconds. Eventually, he seemed to have woken up and put his head down, seemingly looking at something on his desk.

When Matt spoke again, he sounds calmer than he was earlier, and has taken a serious and professional tone.

Matt: “So Ms. Velasquez, good morning. My name is Matthew Kim, but I prefer to be called Matt. I’m the President and CEO of TechnoLabs. We develop cloud-based softwares and applications. Our headquarters is based in Atlanta, Georgia. We also have more than 30 remote workers, based in different countries in the world.” 

Matt paused before resuming his introduction.

Matt: “We have received your application and I have reviewed your resume`. This will be the only interview you’ll have and afterwards, I will decide whether we’ll extend a job offer to you or not. Is that clear?”

Elisse: “Yes, I understand. Thank you.”

Matt resumed with the interview.

Matt: “Very well, tell me about yourself.”

Elisse took a few seconds to take a deep breath and psych herself up for the interview.

Matt: “My name is Elisse Marie Velasquez, and you can call me Elisse.” 

As she continued with her introduction, she became more comfortable and got into her zone. 

Matt asked some questions about her previous work and what she knows about the industry. Although she doesn’t have a background in working in the software development industry, she feels confident that her previous experience working in call centers makes her more than qualified for the Customer Support position. She felt like she was nailing the interview so far.

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As Elisse continued with the interview, she felt more and more comfortable talking to Matt. She even saw him smiling a few times, which made him look more handsome and attractive. She noticed a tiny dimple in the corner of his left lip, which made him more attractive. At some point, he rolled his sleeves and she saw the veins on his arms. 

They eventually started talking about hobbies and interests and found out that they both like reading crime thrillers, and they are excited about the new Michael Connelly novel that is coming out.

She’s thankful that she at least read up about the company before dozing off earlier. She did not sound like a complete novice when talking about the software development industry. She also made sure to insert some questions during the interview.

It’s been almost an hour since they started talking. Elisse didn’t even notice that it has been that long. Matt’s phone rang and excused himself for a bit while he took that call. He just told the caller that he’ll call him back. When he ended the call he looked at Elisse again.

Matt: “I got everything I need. Do you have any other questions for me?”

Elisse: “No I don’t. I believe you have already covered everything I need to know about the job and the company.”

Matt: “Well then, it’s time for my feedback.”

Elisse was very hopeful, and felt that the interview went great. She was prepared to get a job offer right then and there, and even got excited with the prospect of working with Matt.

Matt: “From the moment you answered the call I’ve had a bad impression. You didn’t acknowledge me and when you showed up on camera, and you didn’t seem prepared for the interview. Although this job wouldn’t require you to come to the office, I still expect you to look professional when attending video meetings or conferences. You’re very immature to think that wearing a hoodie to a job interview is appropriate.”

Elisse was dumbfounded with what she heard. She couldn’t believe that what she thought about the interview is different from what Matt thought. She was completely blindsided!

Matt stared at the camera seriously and continued.

Matt:  “I don’t understand why you thought that you didn’t have to turn your camera on for a video interview. I’m sure you’re not that stupid. Since you’re not stupid, you’re probably thinking you can get away with a lackluster interview just because you were referred by your friend who works with us.”

Elisse tried to control the tears from falling, and kept a straight face. However, she’s still vulnerable and felt like she can’t just take what Matt is saying without even reacting. She also felt that he was being unfair.

After a few seconds of neither of them talking, Elisse just had to say something. She can’t believe that she was being insulted by this man whom he just met.

Elisse: “Well, Mr. Matthew Kim, if you thought I was unprofessional, why don’t you look in the mirror and evaluate yourself? You scheduled a meeting without giving me enough prior notice, and not giving me enough time to prepare for it. You should be thankful I even showed up at all.” 

Elisse was trying to stay calm while she continued.

Elisse: “Yes, it’s my fault that I didn’t dress up properly, or even answer or turn on my camera right away. I tried to make up for it during the interview. You didn’t have to insult me and you should have just given me feedback based on how I did in the interview itself and whether I qualify for the job or not.”

She had to gasp for breath before continuing. She felt like she was holding her breath while talking.

Elisse: “I’m not even your employee yet, yet you felt like it’s appropriate for you to talk to me like that. You are the President and CEO of the company for heaven’s sake. Act like one!”

Elisse: “If this is how you treat your employees, then I don’t think I want to work for you. Thank you for your time Mr. Kim. Goodbye.”

Afterward, Elisse left the conference and exited out of Zoom. She turned off her computer and just lied down in her bed. She took her pillow and screamed into it, while cursing on the jerk named Matthew Kim.