I had a nice conversation with the recruiter. A week later the manager reached out and I provided two generous windows of availability. He apparently ignored my email because he just threw another time on my calendar when I wasn’t available. At this point I also noticed the job posting was taken down. We got on the phone and the interview was going so well that we ended up talking twice as long as the allotted time. He said he was very impressed with my resume, was taking notes on my questions and could tell I was ambitious and would excel. In the last few minutes he threw various sports-related questions at me. Admittedly this is not my strong suit as I only follow certain sports. The job doesn’t involve creating content so I didn’t think this would make or break my interview. However, his tone completely changed. He mocked me for struggling with my answers and told me I wasn’t a good fit. I couldn’t believe I was rejected on-site for not knowing sports facts I could easily Google. You can’t Google relevant experience! To top it off: That Friday evening I got what seemed like an alcohol-fueled email from the manager giving me advice on “improving my candidacy at ESPN.” No thanks.

Multi-step interview process. Screening, first interview and usually second round required to meet with senior management. Expected to be well prepared and knowledgeable about the brand. A passion for sports a definite plus. Educational background must check out and qualify.