The recruiting team was accommodating; I initially applied for one position, and they suggested a different position that matched my years of experience. I had the first interview with a manager, which was fine. I sensed that my skill set was not an exact match; however, I was called back for a panel interview-I was thrilled!
This is where the wheels fell off.
The two people interviewing me came on camera. Dressed in my suit, I sat in front of one in a hoodie, the other with feet on their desk and hands behind their head.
They seemed to know that my skills weren't the match they wanted for a team member. While most other places tend to let you off the hook gently, these two smelled blood in the water (one more so than the other), and the interview devolved into a borderline misogynistic free-for-all. Note here, Dell, please provide HR-approved question guidelines. They did ask standard questions, one of which was the typical 'What is an example of a difficult application you had to learn.' I explained and included that it was especially hard for me because I am not a numbers person. This answer was quickly followed by a logic question (Why are manhole covers round). I legit don't know why they are round - but I gave some answer about aligning round pipes with the round-ish tunnels below. Reminder - this is for a content development role. I asked if there was a correct answer - which was yes - they are round so that, if tipped, they won't fall in. I googled this - and no - that is NOT a fact -at all. But thanks for the condescension.
While there were additional logic questions (which I am not good at - hence my career choice NOT in engineering) - The real kicker came at the end, the question that haunts me now, the one I share with friends and family. I started my career building computers, crimping CAT 5 cables, troubleshooting hardware issues, prepping for Y2K (aging myself). I moved up to training (which involves learning ALL sorts of applications). I could go on. So, I was asked, "But can you learn technology?" This is the only time I have ever felt anger in an interview. To this day, I keep going back to that question, and I am still so profoundly insulted by it.
I wasn't a good fit. I am glad I wasn't a good fit - working with these two would have been like the not-so-distant past of that geeky boy's club where condescension and Misogyny were the accepted norm for females breaking into the industry.