I'd applied for a copywriting job at an ad agency — I can't remember which one, but it was a great job that I really wanted — and had interviewed, portfolio in hand, with a guy who seemed to have it together. I showed my portfolio (which is the way these interviews work), asked and answered some questions and, I thought, done pretty well. The interviewer told me he was talking to several folks, but I thought my chances were good.
When he called me a few days later to offer me the position, my good feelings were confirmed. I was excited about working there.
Then he started talking about why the agency had chosen me. "We were really impressed with your work for Client A, Client B and Client C," he told me. My heart sank. The work he'd mentioned wasn't mine.
I told him I was flattered that he called, but he'd confused my portfolio with someone else's. I hadn't worked on the accounts he mentioned. "Well, whose work is it?" he asked me. "Who am I trying to hire?"
Since I didn't know who else he'd interviewed, I had no answer. I did, however, tell him that if he couldn't find the person he was looking for, that I'd still be interested in the job.
Surprisingly, I never heard from him again.
In retrospect, I thought I should have taken the job. I could have walked in the first day and asked, "What did you like best about my ad for Client A?" "The guy in the gorilla suit. We thought the gorilla suit was a clever idea." "Yeah, yeah, you can't miss with a good gorilla suit."
I could have finessed it.
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