I interviewed with a half-dozen managers that I'd be working with, the VP of Admin, and several contracts staff. One of the contracts staff took me to lunch, where I asked him why he wasn't applying for the position. He mumbled something then snorted a nervous giggle. I wasn't sure what that meant, and misinterpreted it to mean he was too embarrassed to admit he had no interest in a management position, which is fine: not everyone wants to manage others. I was emailed an offer, I counter-offered and negotiated via email with the VP of Admin and was hired. My fifth day on the job, the VP of Admin finally got around to awkwardly informing me that I wouldn't be heading the department, as I was hired for: my nervously giggling lunch companion would. The money was the same, so I stuck around. The giggling I soon learned was from his drowning in his own incompetence. When I tried to discretely mentor him so he would become competent, he misperceived it as a threat to his position and eventually terminated me as an "at-will" employee, for "not fitting in."