Job Interview

In a big, shiny office in the middle of a busy city, there was a company called Techtronics Ltd. They were looking for a new employee. But our hero, Sam, didn't have the right stuff for the job. His qualifications consisted of a degree in Art History and a minor in Eastern Philosophy. He didn't know much about computers and technology.

Still, Sam dressed in his best clothes, put on a very colorful tie, and went into the office for an interview. The lady at the front desk, Ms. Button, told him to walk into a room where some very serious people were waiting to talk to him. They were all very smart, with lots of fancy titles.

They asked him a lot of tough questions. Sam didn't know the right answers because they were about things he had never learned. But he was good at talking. So, he talked about computers and numbers like he was talking about paintings and big ideas from his art classes.

“Database management is fundamentally about harmony and structure, similar to the composition of a Renaissance painting. Each piece of data is a stroke of the brush contributing to the overall masterpiece...”

The panel exchanged glances, confused, intrigued, and oddly charmed.

An hour of similar responses followed, where Sam compared coding to haikus and spreadsheets to minimalist art.

The people who were interviewing him didn't know what to think. They were used to hearing the same old words and phrases. Sam was different. He made them think and he made them laugh.

After the interview, the interviewers talked to each other. Sam sat outside, feeling a little worried about how he did. Then they called him back in.

The boss told him, “Sam, you’re not what we usually look for, but there's something special about you. You got the job!”

Sam was so happy he could have jumped. “Thank you... I’ll do my best!”

So Sam walked out of the big office with a new job. He didn't have the experience, but he had something just as good: a way of making people listen and a sense of fun. The city street shone in the sun, just like his new opportunity.

Questions 

1. What is the name of the company where Sam goes for the interview?

2. Why does Sam not have the right qualifications for the job at Techtronics Ltd?

3. What are Sam’s qualifications mentioned in the story?

4. How did Sam prepare for the interview in terms of his appearance?

5. Who directed Sam to the interview room?

6. How does the story describe the people who were going to interview Sam?

7. Why was Sam unable to answer the tough questions correctly?

8. How did Sam handle the tough questions about computers and technology?

9. What creative comparison does Sam use to describe database management?

10. How did the interview panel react to Sam's responses?

11. In what unusual way did Sam compare coding and spreadsheets?

12. How did Sam's approach to the interview differ from what the panel was used to?

13. What worried Sam after the interview?

14. Despite not having the typical qualifications, why did Sam get the job?

15. What does Sam promise to do after being offered the job?

16. What attribute does Sam possess that the story suggests might be as valuable as the right experience?

17. How does the city street represent Sam's new beginning at the end of the story?