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Gen Z interviewed me for the first time, and it was…
I am searching for a new job, and the current job market is not good. I also experienced having a Gen Z interviewer for the first time.
It was early in the morning. I took my cup of coffee, put a bottle of water in a glass, and opened my laptop. I applied for an engineering manager position at a Munich-based startup, and the first step was a get-to-know meeting with talent acquisition. It was a 60-minute meeting, which is excessive for a get-to-know meeting because they are generally 30 minutes.
She joined two minutes late, and no, sorry; it was normal. She was not smiling and seemed exhausted in the morning.
I am a smiley and energetic person, and once, my manager told me, “You are too happy and smiley” (I still couldn’t figure out where the problem was). So, as usual, I smiled and said, “Good morning!” She was physically in the meeting, but her mind was not there.
After we said our names with the correct pronunciation, she grabbed her phone for 10–15 seconds in silence, then took a candy. I am nearly twice her age, so I kept calm and understood. Usually, these are red flags for any interviewer or interviewee, but being emphatic should not hurt anyone.
