An Interview to Remember

By Dana Arschin

This is a follow-up to my last post.

Disappointed? That’s an understatement. I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up, that opportunities like these don’t really exist, and if they do, why would I be the lucky one? But then I got the phone call: “Congratulations, Dana, with over 700 applicants you are now a Top 20 finalist!”

How could I not get my hopes up now??

The next step was to have a phone interview and promote my video online as much as possible in order to make it to the Top 10. A phone interview? Piece of cake! I’m personable, smart, funny and cute, right? Or so I thought…

If you ask almost anyone who knows me they’d probably say that I’m very outgoing, a little quirky, confident, and definitely not someone who would get nervous during an interview.

I waited on my bed the day of the phone interview—résumé in my right hand, cell phone in my left. I was literally shaking. What has gotten into me? I brought my computer over to my bed and opened up my iTunes. Louis Armstrong and classical jazz should do the trick, I thought. I listened to some Louis until my phone rang.

I answered with as much energy as humanly possible, trying to hide my quivering voice. During the 20-minute interview none of the questions I expected to hear was asked. Why didn’t I prepare better? Why didn’t I research STA Travel more thoroughly? The “why” questions were racing through my head as I tried to concentrate.

“Dana, what three words would you use to describe a World Traveler Intern?”

Hmm…these words better be good, I thought to myself. “Can I use ‘open-minded’ as one word?” I asked, trying to sound cute and throw some personality in there. “Sure,” she answered.

“Okay, well the intern should be open-minded, pertinacious, and willing. And by willing, I mean willing to do anything and everything.”

WHAT!!! Did I really just say that??? Pertinacious is an SAT word that I remember very vividly for some reason. Little did I know that after speaking to several people, including my friend who is an English major at Yale, I am probably the only person in the entire world who knows what this word means.

Okay, open-minded is fine. But pertinacious and willing to do anything and everything? Those are both just bizarre things to say. I honestly think I was possessed by the STA devil during the interview.

By the way, pertinacious means to be extremely determined or tenacious. Maybe we can spread the word around a little bit? K, thanks.

So, the interview continued while my mind was someplace else, still wondering why I said some of the things I said. I made the mistake of placing more emphasis on selling myself instead of focusing on how I should best promote STA Travel.

As the conversation came to an end, the interviewer said, “Dana, what’s your favorite Spanish food?” Finally, a chance for my personality to shine, a chance to show them that I’m cultured and a chance to show them that I really get to know the countries I travel to.

“Well, I know most people would probably say ‘paella,’ but it’s not my favorite. I’d have to say…”

PAUSE. LONG PAUSE. I completely lost my train of thought. I lived in Spain with a Spanish woman for four months and knew the name of every dish she ever cooked, yet I couldn’t think of a single food in that moment.

In a final state of desperation to say something clever, I blurted out “You know, I’d have to say jamón and queso. It just tastes so much better on Spanish soil…”

HAM AND CHEESE??? REALLY DANA??

So, yeah, I will be working at an overnight camp in Pennsylvania this summer.