3.13 模拟面试
“Mock interview, Ding ding ding, Mock interview.”还没有来得及消化这封初读起来都是常识,但是仔细想过又觉得非常有指导意义的信。蓬着的头垢着的面遮不住程弈田一脸的惊喜,她在开门请进尹伯文的当口问:“How did you get in the main entrance?”
“You never know how many French students I know.”骄傲,而且是大写的,布满了整个脸庞。法语,在美国是继西班牙语学的人第二多的语言。最近几年,学习中文的人也越也越多。不管是法语,还是汉语,都让这个跨越两种文化的法国人骄傲。目前,他是不承认自己是中国人的,就像弈田认识的MIT里很多的ABC只认同自己是有着中国血统的美国人一样。“Napoleon did not need to sleep at all, Yitian!”他没有手表,把手机开机页伸到程弈田眼前, 10点25分.
“That's why he is dead now, don't you know that?”
“Haha, smart, you petite!”尹伯文丝毫不掩饰对程弈田如此反应的赞许,“Alright, it's your interview day, get dressed, in suit, please.”
当程弈田再次出现在尹伯文面前的时候,他连忙掏出一张名片,塞到弈田手里,说:“Dear Madam, my name is Jean Jacque, nice to meet you. What makes you apply for our operations manager position?”弈田双手恭谦地接过名片,并伸出手要跟他握手。“Jean Jacque, nice to meet you too. My name is Yitian. I read your ads online and browsed your website, your product line and company culture made me click the 'send' button a few days back.”对答如流。倒是尹伯文绷不住先笑场了,“Ok, let's go to the real mock up interview, I can't do that, I know you too well.”
波士顿的金融街区跟世界上任何一个都市的CBD都一样。高高的,灰色的,抑或是深蓝色强烈反射着日光的水泥丛林。大鸟们忙碌地出没于水泥树上靠外侧有些风景的大隔间,要不是大鸟们经常开门放些小鸟们进来商讨事宜,外面看,没有人会以为森林里还住着那样的小的不起眼的鸟儿们。Roy Takenaka 和 Bernard Berenstein就是两只这样的小鸟,至少尹伯文刚才跟程弈田介绍他们时这么嘲笑他们,还说自己连小鸟都当不上。他们说,尹伯文没有选择跟他们一样成为鸟儿,可惜了,像他这样外表谦和,但内心强悍,有强烈的号召力,并且可以成功地把自己被圈到某只特大鸟羽翼下的小鸟也有可能很快成为大鸟。程弈田不懂外国人是不是一见面都是这样嘲笑和自我嘲笑,他们看起来都挺友善。
上了18楼,在一个拐角的会议室里,他们坐了下来。Roy给大家从靠门的冰箱里拿来几听碳酸饮料之后,就和Bernard 并排坐到程弈田对面。尹伯文摆弄了一下Roy身边的电脑,跟Bernard小声说了几句,拍拍弈田的肩旁,说“I thought it's a mock up interview, but the hiring manager told me that it’s a real one,加油!”然后,就走开了。他们刚才说什么,弈田听不懂,但是用大二那年选修的半年德语课的些许知识来判断,他们说的是德语。中文,英语,法语,德语,天哪,弈田听到过尹伯文说的,就有四种语言。程弈田还曾经自诩自己懂三种语言呢,中文普通话,英语和徽州宁安话。最近跟她在北大上计算机语言学的表妹交流之后,她才确知徽州宁安话虽然跟普通话千差万别 - 大学四年同屋同学每个礼拜都听几次弈田跟妈妈的家常对话,四年之后仍旧听不出来到底她晚饭吃的是什么 -但还是属于同一个语系,同宗同源,甚至就是同一个东西,只不过,宁安话比较靠近中国古代白话文。程弈田了解到英语,法语,德语除了有时会有些共同词根衍生来的词以外,发音方式和语法结构都极为不同。当然,他还通不过中文4级。
尹伯文走后,Roy就开始了对公司的介绍: “This company, 'BRJ associate', was cofounded by Jean Jacque, Bernard and myself a year and half back,when Jean Jacque and I finished our Ph.D. He had the idea first and approached us, at that time; Bernard had been working in BCG for 2 years already. The main product we are trying to develop is intervertebral discs which is grown in vitro environment and can be implanted to a human back. A person who is suffering from back pain and/or sciatica pain can be pain free after the surgery.”13秒钟,Roy把公司的历史和产品一应交代齐全,简洁明了,难怪被世界上最顶级的咨询公司网罗到名下。
“Very interesting. Thank you. I haven't read the job description, would you mind sharing the details of the current opening?”用词恰到好处,语法准确无误,平缓略升的语调中能听出程弈田对这个公司有着浓烈的兴趣。
“We currently have an office manager position available, the main responsibility of the job is to help me to organize all sorts of legal paper work and keep records of our internal meeting and document important email exchanges externally. “Bernard说道。他的话听起来有明显的德国口音,声音比Roy的要厚重些。也可能是因为他很高大,每说一个词,程弈田都觉得那是从天花板上用扩音器冲着自己放下来的 - 却不刺耳,好似经低音过滤器处理过了。
法律方面的东西,程弈田没有接触过;如果要做所有的会议记录,那时间上跟自己要在几个月内写完毕业论文可能也有冲突。虽然,这份工作目前看起来不是多么的理想,不过,能够跟这些顶尖的人才一起工作一段时间,还是一个不错的锻炼的机会。思考了一分钟,弈田抱着诚实的态度,回答“I don't have any background of legal education, and it's not the ideal job I am looking for. Yet, I am still interested.”
“Thank you for being honest, as a COO of the company, I don't feel I can handle all those work with my 70% of time being on the road for the day job. I suggested Jean Jacque to hire an office manager, he recommended you. Good to talk to you today. From what I see out of you, you are organized, and honest. You have got the two main attributes we are looking for. ”
“Congratulations Yitian!” Roy说着就伸出手来要恭喜程弈田。这就是mock up interview?穿一身清爽利落的套装,带一个暗红色的装着两份简历的文件夹,面试的时候认真做笔记,就是有规划啦?重复两次表达自己对这个工作感兴趣就可以了?当然弈田还是比较满意自己的诚实。不过,这COO和CTO当的,这样敷衍的公司自己还真不能去呢。
还在消化这惊讶,尹伯文闯进门,大声对那两个家伙嚷道,“Hey, Roy, dude, Bernard, what the heck are you doing here? You are fired, with this kind of interview quality! I saw it all from the webcam! Ok, Yitian, you are the COO now, I will be the CTO and CEO。”过家家呢?程弈田还没反应过来,三个大小伙子已经拳脚相加,笑成一团。
Roy是最活跃的一个,一路上跟程弈田介绍个没完:“I am the fourth generation Japanese. Believe it or not, I am still 100% Japanese blood wise. I grew up in Japan Town in the heart of San Jose, well, you may not know, it's in San Francisco Bay Area.”弈田知道的,她最近申请的几家公司都在硅谷,都在这个著名的圣荷西城周围。
程弈田没有急着问他们刚才面试是不是作数,挑了个自己感兴趣的话题“Wow, fourth generation, that means your family was already living in the U.S. when Japan bombed pearl harbor! ”话出来了,弈田又有一点后悔,怕这四个车轮载着的小联合国要掀起第三次世界大战。当然,这个担忧完全多余。
“My grandfather joined the U.S. army, he wasn't in the air force, but he was one of the marines! “Roy非常为自己的祖父自豪,“He was the second generation only, but I am proud of him. That was the most rightful thing he did in his entire life. ”
“你中国人,不知道。”尹伯文冒出了这么一句,程弈田猜他的意思是中国来的第一代新移民,也就是弈田这样的,不能理解这种想法。不要说是战争了,就是去年夏天的奥运会,弈田去Ashdown的活动室看电视转播,几乎所有ABC看到美国队得分比中国队高都会放肆欢呼。只有没有美国队参赛,或者已经被淘汰的情况下, 才会为中国队叫好。程弈田当时跟奚涛抱怨这些,奚涛的解释是他们有他们选择的自由。
“Good for him, he was right, and I am proud of him too.”Bernard开着车,也分神参加讨论。“I am happy the justice won that war.”
“德国人,厉害。”尹伯文是不是就是喜欢显摆他的语言能力啊。说中文,他们两个显然没有任何反应,弈田都懒得跟进这个话题了,问道:“Roy, you said congratulations, I am hired, right? ”
"Yeah, sure! ”
“I just wanted to make sure I am hired!”不知哪里来的勇气,在两个见了面才半个小时的生人面前,弈田居然振臂一呼“woo hoo!”
“傻妞!”他怎么学的都是一些边边角角的中文的啊!
“你二愣子!”哈哈,这下你被人数落也当傻子一样乐呵了吧!
“二,我知道,你二!”证实了,是去过北京的,祖上真是燕京大学毕业的,这么个二子。
程弈田第一次来日本餐馆,决定先学了别人,最后一个点。“I love Blue Fin, you get all you eat sushi for $12.99 from 1 to 3PM every Saturday!”尹伯文首先宣布了他要吃这里的buffet。
“Dude, next time when you go to San Jose, come to my Dad's restaurant, you get all you eat at the cost of electing me as the CEO!”Roy好似古灵精怪,比Bernard矮一个头,但是看起来精气神十足,用中国武术的话说是站如松坐如钟。“Ok, you, Jean Jacque, get to be the president.”Roy哈哈一笑,转身对服务员说:“Get me a bowl of beef ramen, please.”Roy点了一盘拉面,还没有完,“Ramen, the simplest thing in Japanese cuisine, you can tell how good the chef is by tasting the broth and how tender they cook the beef. Yitian, if you ever went to San Jose, remember go to this restaurant on the 3rd street. Call me from there, 617-912-0645617-912-0645, I will let my Dad get you the most special combo. Take your most special one there too.”说完,瞟了尹伯文一眼,皱皱的眼角露出一些得意的坏笑。
“I'd like some Sashimi, sir.”德国人的香肠是出了名的,超市里除了香肠商家会用“德国出品”来提高价格,其他的要卖的贵些都要写个“Frenched”。这个德国人倒是喜欢日本的刺身。
程弈田试过一次河对面的star market里卖的装成盒的快餐寿司。撒了些盒子自带的小袋装酱油,沾了点绿芥末,腥腥的味道去掉不少。那次看见奚涛被芥末呛得难受,她下过决心以后不再买那个东西的。人走了,心空了,决心,从何而来?“I'd like to have the caterpillar roll, please. I would appreciate some wasabi please.”
"Aya, 你土,you get wasabi for free, no matter how much you want.”
“你才土,点了个最便宜的,大饭桶!”程弈田也跟他干上了,跟刚才那个出人意料的“woohoo”一样,弈田冲着坐她对面的尹伯文吐舌头翻白眼做鬼脸,看得Roy直掉眼镜,直呼“Waiter, waiter, I need some ice water! Lot of ice!”
“Yitian, seriously, would you please take the job?”不愧是一个礼拜要工作80小时的顶级咨询分析师,也不愧是尹伯文相中的COO,Bernard想的还是工作。
“Yes. But I don't think she should take this job.”尹伯文替弈田回答了,但也同时指出她不应该接受这个工作。Roy第一个对尹伯文的这句话表示抗议,“Jean Jacque, we like her!”
“She doesn't belong to us, Roy.” 尹伯文的反对直接而坚定, “She doesn't have H1B visa, we can't sponsor her, and we are too new and too small for her.”
“But, Jean Jacque, I thought you and Yitian... ”Roy 没有接着说,嘣地一下把冰水杯跺在桌上,开始叹气,摇头。
“I truly think she is going to be a good employee, she is going to work for me, not you, Jean Jacque!”沉默了好久的Bernard也表示不理解。
“Listen, guys, she is a Chinese, she doesn't have a visa, and I can't afford her, we don't have the money. We don't know if we can make it!”见Roy和Barnard都几乎要剑拔弩张,尹伯文保持着他的语速,尽量不让弈田看出他有任何情绪,“Yitian, we all like you, a smart and sweet helper, but, you belong to the West Coast, you will find lots of your Tsinghua alumni, you will learn a lot in big firms, you will have your own life there very soon. We are too risky for you; I don't want you to share the risk with us. Even these two guys, they have their day job, they will be fine. I am willing to be the only one full time employee until I get the first round of big funding. I hope you will understand it. ”
“Why don't you take a day job too?”程弈田很感激尹伯文的周全考虑,同时感同身受他的风险:“Why don't you only work on it full time after you get the big funding?”
“He is stubborn, Yitian, don't be nice to him. He is devoted to his passion, he only likes to share his joy and likes to take the rest on his own, stupid guy!”明明是Roy的气话,程弈田听起来字字都是对对面这个面无表情的男人的赞美,她的奚涛也是这样把自己往外推吗?弈田啊弈田,你想到过奚涛可能也是从心里明白程弈田要的是一片全新的天地,怕她跟自己回国会后悔没有完成内心的愿望才拒绝自己的吗?