I applied for HP's Europe & Africa communications internship in September 2020 and received an invitation for a virtual interview at the end of January 2021. The email invite included a pre-selected date & time (two weeks from the send date), the name & LinkedIn of my interviewer, and links to relevant information about the company (e.g. COVID-19 response, how to prepare for your HP interview, etc.)
I applied for the internship with the knowledge that I did not meet the following requirements: residency and education (I was a recent graduate). These details were included not only on my resume but in my cover letter and in the information I provided for HP's job application portal.
When I launched Zoom to commence the interview, I was greeted by someone different from the interviewer specified in my email invite (this is relevant because an official 2013 HP interview prep video recommends researching your interviewer). The interviewer change was never addressed by the host of the meeting.
The interview began with two questions: "Are you eligible to work in [the country of the position]?" and "Are you currently attending a university?" My response to both questions was, "No," to which my interviewer reacted with great surprise. He then informed me we could no longer proceed with the interview because I was not eligible for the position due to my recent graduate status. He apologized sincerely and encouraged me to apply to other roles with HP.
As previously stated, the reasons for which I was disqualified were details that were listed on my resume, cover letter, and HP application. I understand human error, but as a prospective employee, my enthusiasm for the company was ultimately affected by the thought of working among colleagues that do not read applicant resumes before scheduling interviews. I believe this error reflected poorly on the company.
I dedicated several days to studying for my HP interview, thus the outcome of this experience was extremely disappointing. If you:
- receive an HP interview despite missing crucial qualifications
- plan to commit significant time to interview preparation,
it may be in your best interest to confirm the team is aware of your situation before proceeding with an interview.
I hope this helps anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation!