In the 'How NOT to get a job department'...

A young woman, about 26, came in to interview with a seasoned EP (20 years in the business) and a SP (with 11 years on the network and production company side). The young woman was more than qualified for the AP position she was meeting on. She should have been a shoe-in. We're a small team on this new series and personality was important. Her interview was painful. It went a little like this:

She answered each question 'yes' or 'no.' She had experience in both field and story and when asked, 'which do you prefer?' she answered, "both." When asked, 'what are you passionate about, what gets you out of bed in the morning?" Answer: my job. Question: "Do you know how to shoot?" Answer: "Yes." And so on. It was disappointing.

She called me first thing in the morning the next day to ask if she had gotten the job and I said, "we haven't made a final decision yet but would you mind if I gave you some constructive criticism?" She said okay and I said, in a nice tone of voice (three people were siting in my office at the time) "you are more than qualified for this position but you didn't show any enthusiasm or passion for the job. And you answered everything yes or no so it seemed like you didn't want to work for us. You didn't sell yourself" She answered, "I don't need to sell myself. I work for the same people every time and I do my job and that's that." "Okay," said I. "I'll let you know by the end of the week." But for her, it was far from over as I received the following email the next day. This is a small business, people, and we all know everyone. Why on Earth would you burn a bridge like this? And for such a young girl. Poor thing. Parents, teach your children well.

Hello,

I would like to withdraw myself from any consideration on this project. I have to say, I was quite perplexed by your statement that I did not "sell myself at all" during the interview. Your version of "constructive criticism" was neither constructive, nor appropriate. Your comments honestly make me think you must be confusing me with another person because they were completely inaccurate and not to mention completely incongruous with the "supervising producer" role that I have known for all my years in this business. Your lack of professionalism and obvious lack of experience greatly overshadow your rank. For future reference, when looking to hire a highly overqualified individual for a position like this and offering a pay cut as well as a title cut, you may want to reconsider offering uncouth advice.

Best,