Post by Iceman on Apr 25, 2008 12:14:27 GMT -5
OOA…I have a hilarious and slightly embarrassing story to tell. It may be a little lengthy but I had to share this…Excuse the length and follow me on this…..
So beginning last week, I started searching resumes for a potential candidate for a position in one of our startup departments in our Finance division at my company. So I narrowed my choice down to three candidates that looked pretty good on paper and had our HR dept. reach out to have the candidates come in to interview yesterday. The first two I met with were quality folks but the department VP nor I was completely sold that they had everything we were looking for. We told them we would be in touch. The third brother I met with was one whose resume was the most impressive. He just finished school last fall with a degree in Finance but also had some experience from an internship he was part of. (The other two were new grads with degrees as well but no specific experience in what we are looking for) So the third brother brought a different copy of his resume with him than we had on our online database. While I’m looking it over, I just noticed dude is MAD NERVOUS (his first job as a graduate out of school). So I noticed on this version of the resume that he is a member of a certain frat…..alright screw it…Homie was a Que that crossed in his senior year.
So seeing that the young homie was nervous (actually sweating), and still would have to meet with that department’s VP if I like him, I tried to help put him at ease. Mind you, this particular VP can be almost intimidating with his interrogation like interviewing technique and loves confident candidates. So knowing what was to come, I tried to help the brother out. I just wanted to break the Ice a little bit so he would loosen up and relax…So looking at his resume, I gave him “light” universal Greek jab and acknowledged that I had heard of those Omega guys…I told him I heard they were cool but not ice cold like The Alphas. He got it. We had brief chat about our frats, shared a laugh or two and he was straight, began to act confident and was good to go. I got into the interview portion and went into grill mode about his experience and education…and the brother was good money. I dug him. I told him I would be right back with the VP so he could meet him and get the final say. The brother looked confident and ready. The deal was just about sealed and he just needed to make a good impression on the VP. But Here’s where it gets a little ugly.
So I go to grab the VP of that department and tell him before we get to the room that I think this young man would be a very good fit as he actual had experience with some of the same things he would be required to do in our open position. The VP says great..finally! We go in so I can introduce the candidate and the VP says “I’ve heard some good things..Tell me a little about yourself” So the brother goes into his background (education & experience) and then says (For the life of me, I don’t know why) “Yeah and in talking to “Iceman” (me), I already got something in common with at least one of your companies employee’s.” The VP says Oh yeah? What’s that:
THIS DUDE says something to the effect of (in a cocky-type manner mind you) “Well, were both Black Greeks from BGLO's in different units. But we got that same fraternal bond that a lot of non Greeks that probably work here cant relate to or never really will understand ..ya know? I’m an Omega man…Dog team”.
Ya’ll….(sigh)….I swear I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Now how he thought that statement made him any more of a desirable candidate..I just dont know. Somebody help me..Anybody
Mind you the VP is 63 year old Caucasian fellow. So there is a brief awkward silence in the room and the VP just glances at me for some type of clarification, definition, or breakdown of what he just heard. Now on the inside, I’m just shaking my head and almost want to climb under the table out of embarrassment for the brother. But on the outside, I’m verbally trying to clean up his pointless remark to the VP by saying…“Brad, he belongs to Omega Psi Phi, a Greek fraternity whose members are outstanding leaders on college campuses, and are involved in community affairs and social outreach. Very similar to the fraternity I belong to and joined in college, Alpha Phi Alpha.”
So the VP asks him one or two quick questions, cuts it short , thanks him for coming out and says we’ll be in contact. I’m sitting there hoping, the brother didn’t blow it and that I was able to clear up his fumble at the goal line.
So here comes the cherry on top.
We walk the brother out to the elevators, say bye and start to walk away as he’s waiting to go down. My manager walks a few steps ahead of me, around the corner and out of immediate sight. I’m following behind slowly as I’m putting my notes back in my portfolio. So the young brother whispers out to me to turn around. Smiling, the brother says “You got me right Greek? And throws up his Omega hook with his tongue out (As if #1, I was a Que and #2, it was appropriate to do right there) . So at that moment (honest to goodness), the VP suddenly makes a stutter step, and turns the corner back toward us to see if I had my badge to get back in since he left his upstairs. So he immediately looks up and sees the brother with his Omega Hook up in the air and his tongue halfway out his mouth. The brother quickly fixes his posture and promptly steps on the elevator. Unbelievable (Still shaking my head as I type this).
As we are walking back to our offices, the VP just says…”He was..uh..interesting” with a chuckle. No other real comments..LOL. And finally I got the word today, that the VP wanted to go with one of the other less experienced candidates as they seemed more professional and a “better fit” (It was another brother by the way). But knowing this VP for the past 7 years, how he hires, he WAS impressed with "SupaGreek’s" (lol) resume as a fresh graduate...But at the same time, very “Weirded Out” by the brother in person.
It was an open and shut example of when leaning on Greekdom too hard (at the wrong time) goes horribly wrong. No disrespect to the good brothers of Omega either….this was just one man (who could have been a member of any org for all I care), who let all professionalism and poise go out the window for the sake of leaning on Greek credentials in a situation where it mattered none....It only end up costing him a job with a pretty attractive starting salary for a fresh graduate.
In my Charlie Murphy voice..”We Got To Do Better”…hahaha. Perhaps we should make some of our New Graduates take a post grad course on "Professionalism 101", and "When to turn the Greek in you On and Off 101".….LOL
Sorry for the long story..but like I said, I just had to tell somebody this....Ice
So beginning last week, I started searching resumes for a potential candidate for a position in one of our startup departments in our Finance division at my company. So I narrowed my choice down to three candidates that looked pretty good on paper and had our HR dept. reach out to have the candidates come in to interview yesterday. The first two I met with were quality folks but the department VP nor I was completely sold that they had everything we were looking for. We told them we would be in touch. The third brother I met with was one whose resume was the most impressive. He just finished school last fall with a degree in Finance but also had some experience from an internship he was part of. (The other two were new grads with degrees as well but no specific experience in what we are looking for) So the third brother brought a different copy of his resume with him than we had on our online database. While I’m looking it over, I just noticed dude is MAD NERVOUS (his first job as a graduate out of school). So I noticed on this version of the resume that he is a member of a certain frat…..alright screw it…Homie was a Que that crossed in his senior year.
So seeing that the young homie was nervous (actually sweating), and still would have to meet with that department’s VP if I like him, I tried to help put him at ease. Mind you, this particular VP can be almost intimidating with his interrogation like interviewing technique and loves confident candidates. So knowing what was to come, I tried to help the brother out. I just wanted to break the Ice a little bit so he would loosen up and relax…So looking at his resume, I gave him “light” universal Greek jab and acknowledged that I had heard of those Omega guys…I told him I heard they were cool but not ice cold like The Alphas. He got it. We had brief chat about our frats, shared a laugh or two and he was straight, began to act confident and was good to go. I got into the interview portion and went into grill mode about his experience and education…and the brother was good money. I dug him. I told him I would be right back with the VP so he could meet him and get the final say. The brother looked confident and ready. The deal was just about sealed and he just needed to make a good impression on the VP. But Here’s where it gets a little ugly.
So I go to grab the VP of that department and tell him before we get to the room that I think this young man would be a very good fit as he actual had experience with some of the same things he would be required to do in our open position. The VP says great..finally! We go in so I can introduce the candidate and the VP says “I’ve heard some good things..Tell me a little about yourself” So the brother goes into his background (education & experience) and then says (For the life of me, I don’t know why) “Yeah and in talking to “Iceman” (me), I already got something in common with at least one of your companies employee’s.” The VP says Oh yeah? What’s that:
THIS DUDE says something to the effect of (in a cocky-type manner mind you) “Well, were both Black Greeks from BGLO's in different units. But we got that same fraternal bond that a lot of non Greeks that probably work here cant relate to or never really will understand ..ya know? I’m an Omega man…Dog team”.
Ya’ll….(sigh)….I swear I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Now how he thought that statement made him any more of a desirable candidate..I just dont know. Somebody help me..Anybody
Mind you the VP is 63 year old Caucasian fellow. So there is a brief awkward silence in the room and the VP just glances at me for some type of clarification, definition, or breakdown of what he just heard. Now on the inside, I’m just shaking my head and almost want to climb under the table out of embarrassment for the brother. But on the outside, I’m verbally trying to clean up his pointless remark to the VP by saying…“Brad, he belongs to Omega Psi Phi, a Greek fraternity whose members are outstanding leaders on college campuses, and are involved in community affairs and social outreach. Very similar to the fraternity I belong to and joined in college, Alpha Phi Alpha.”
So the VP asks him one or two quick questions, cuts it short , thanks him for coming out and says we’ll be in contact. I’m sitting there hoping, the brother didn’t blow it and that I was able to clear up his fumble at the goal line.
So here comes the cherry on top.
We walk the brother out to the elevators, say bye and start to walk away as he’s waiting to go down. My manager walks a few steps ahead of me, around the corner and out of immediate sight. I’m following behind slowly as I’m putting my notes back in my portfolio. So the young brother whispers out to me to turn around. Smiling, the brother says “You got me right Greek? And throws up his Omega hook with his tongue out (As if #1, I was a Que and #2, it was appropriate to do right there) . So at that moment (honest to goodness), the VP suddenly makes a stutter step, and turns the corner back toward us to see if I had my badge to get back in since he left his upstairs. So he immediately looks up and sees the brother with his Omega Hook up in the air and his tongue halfway out his mouth. The brother quickly fixes his posture and promptly steps on the elevator. Unbelievable (Still shaking my head as I type this).
As we are walking back to our offices, the VP just says…”He was..uh..interesting” with a chuckle. No other real comments..LOL. And finally I got the word today, that the VP wanted to go with one of the other less experienced candidates as they seemed more professional and a “better fit” (It was another brother by the way). But knowing this VP for the past 7 years, how he hires, he WAS impressed with "SupaGreek’s" (lol) resume as a fresh graduate...But at the same time, very “Weirded Out” by the brother in person.
It was an open and shut example of when leaning on Greekdom too hard (at the wrong time) goes horribly wrong. No disrespect to the good brothers of Omega either….this was just one man (who could have been a member of any org for all I care), who let all professionalism and poise go out the window for the sake of leaning on Greek credentials in a situation where it mattered none....It only end up costing him a job with a pretty attractive starting salary for a fresh graduate.
In my Charlie Murphy voice..”We Got To Do Better”…hahaha. Perhaps we should make some of our New Graduates take a post grad course on "Professionalism 101", and "When to turn the Greek in you On and Off 101".….LOL
Sorry for the long story..but like I said, I just had to tell somebody this....Ice
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