The room was buzzing with anticipation as confident hopefuls filled the seats, each one silently gearing up for the fierce competition ahead.
Ivy, momentarily pushing aside her earlier run-in with Clara, found a spot and settled down to focus on the task at hand â the upcoming interview.
âNext up, Ivy!â
Hearing her name called, Ivy sprang to her feet, took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and made her way into the interview room.
After reviewing Ivyâs resume, the interviewer posed several sharp questions. They were indeed quite probing, yet Ivy had thoroughly prepared and managed to respond calmly and confidently.
Noticing a look of approval from the interviewers, Ivy felt a wave of relief wash over her.
They asked her to wait in another room while the first round of interviews concluded, after which they would select a few candidates for a second round.
Ivy thanked them and took a seat in the designated waiting area.
By the time she arrived, three men and three women, who had been shortlisted post-interview, were already there, now mingling and networking.
âHi there.â A woman clad in a sleek black suit caught Ivyâs eye and gestured for her to sit over.
Ivy approached with a polite smile and greeted her, âHello.â
âWhich firm did you work with before? Did you know that those who pass the interview will be joining one of the subsidiary companies?â
Ivy nodded somewhat sheepishly, âI⦠I havenât worked before. Iâd be more than grateful to join the subsidiary.â
âOh, I see. Well, fingers crossed weâll be colleagues soon.â
Meanwhile, Clara was on set to shoot a commercial for a product. It wasnât a high-profile brand, but for Clara, it was a decent opportunity.
âHey, can you check how Ivyâs interview went?â Clara asked her assistant during a break in the shooting.
The assistant returned promptly with news of Ivyâs interview outcome.
âWhat? Ivy made it to the second round!â Clara frowned in dissatisfaction, âHow can someone so beneath me get a job here? Ivyâs so out of my league!â
Clara, who hadnât worked in a while, was exceptionally cooperative during the shoot, which proceeded swiftly and smoothly.
After wrapping up, Clara suggested that she would like to take a walk around the company.
The Harris Group staff obliged and assigned someone to accompany her, while the rest returned to their duties.
As Clara neared the interview area, Ivy was coincidentally in the midst of her second-round interview.
Clara paused deliberately at the door, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
The second interview delved into Ivyâs thoughts on ad design and her career plans moving forward.
With a Bachelorâs degree in design, Ivy had her own vision for advertising, impressing the interviewers with her ideas.
Ivyâs confidence grew as the interview progressed, her expression visibly easing. This job could be hers! It would mark a fresh start, a new beginning she earnestly needed.
âHold on a momentâ¦â