In November 2004, I was at a conference in Boston. I brought the family with me. I was looking for a job because I wasn’t going to get tenure at Duke. I had set up some interviews.
The phone rang in the hotel room: “Dr. Kornish?”
Me: “Yes.”
Voice: “This is H… L… [I didn’t catch his name at the time] from University of Mississippi. Are you still available to interview with me?”
Me: “Yes, of course.”
Voice: “Where should we meet?”
I proposed meeting by the concierge’s desk in the lobby of the hotel. It was a little weird because the guy didn’t know what a concierge desk was. But OK. I explained it
I didn’t remember applying there, but I had been working on a list of several hundred schools as prospects, plus, I had registered for the conference job search process, so maybe I matched with them through that. I also couldn’t find a photo of him, or any info, on the web, but I hadn’t fully caught his name. I think the last name was Lee, which wasn’t a big help.
I was able to find him at the appointed time and place. He was a super awkward-looking guy in a suit and tie. Pretty young.
The next few minutes were really awkward. I felt like he was making me do all the work, getting the conversation going, and even finding someplace to sit down. Then, in a flash, it dawned on me, from something he said. HE was looking for a job. HE thought that I was interviewing HIM for a job.
Aha: his accent was strong, and when he had called the hotel operator, they found the closest name to the name he asked for, and he got me. Because the hotel was pretty full with academic conference people, he happened to get another academic (me!).
It took me another few minutes to figure out how to point out what was going on. I think I said, “Do you think I am interviewing you for a job? Because I am looking for a job, and I thought you were interviewing me!” We had a pretty good laugh.
I wonder what happened to him.
I haven’t thought about that story in forever. It’s my favorite wrong number story. And my favorite job interview story, the best illustration of “not what I was expecting in an interview” that I have. I wonder if it’s his favorite job interview story, too.