I interviewed for the Creative Account Manager role on Hilton's in-house creative team, supporting the Hilton Honors credit card. The hiring team had specific requirements for candidates, including a certification, which I had.
My first interview with the hiring manager was very positive. He seemed impressed with my marketing experience, particularly my background in leading cross-functional teams and managing end-to-end marketing campaigns. When he asked about my years of email marketing experience, his eyes widened, and he commented that he hadn't realized I had that much experience.
I was invited to a second-round interview, but the experience was far less professional. This round included a creative director and a designer. From the start, the director seemed frustrated, openly complaining about being in the office on a Friday and dealing with equipment issues. I tried to lighten the mood, but she remained visibly annoyed, which made for an uncomfortable conversation.
They asked me to tell them about myself, and when I mentioned my years of creative project management experience, their mouths dropped. Given that we weren’t that far apart in age, their reaction surprised me. They also asked thoughtful questions, including how I would handle a project error involving missed client feedback. I provided solutions that would maintain creativity while ensuring quality and catching issues before they reached the client. The designer seemed receptive, but the director's reaction was a contorted facial expression and silence, making it clear that she wasn't on board. It became apparent that the team might not fully understand project management methodologies, which are essential for meeting client needs.
In the end, I wasn't selected, with feedback from the recruiter that I had "too much experience." Perhaps they weren't open to making changes. While I understand teams seek specific levels of experience, the feedback, combined with their reactions during the interview, left me wondering if my age was a factor.