Had a gal come for an interview as a Drafstman. She wore her "party dress". After the interview, ALL the gals in the office descended on me to protest, "You are NOT going to hire that girl!" Yes Ladies. I didn't...
I hired a State licensed, professional engineer, college degree, whose age, experience, and career were markedly similar to my own. His longevity and places of business were known to me. His career, as far as I could tell when hiring him, was a success. He had filled two positions, which I had left, now filling a third that I was leaving after 14-years.
In 6-months, my new job didn't work out. Hired away, more pay, a LOT more stress, and new job NOTHING AS ADVERTISED for which I was hired. I QUIT, asked former boss to come back, was rehired, and found "a mad house" that demanded bodies to get the work unraveled and done on time. My former position, now filled by him (sort of), took me to a seat as "just another staff engineer", rather than "Department Head".
He had perseverance, persistence I suppose, and like me, "knew the territory". He met budgets (on most projects - like the rest of us), could "push a rope", got his work done, signed, sealed, and permitted for construction. I thought it odd that he was a "loner", not at directing, yet not inclined to mix in with staff. He stayed at the office A WHOLE LOT longer in the evenings than anyone. In a rushed email to a preferred client, the wheels fell off.
Turned out he was functionally illiterate, couldn't spell, written grammar was very poor, skills I wouldn't ordinarily "look for" in an interview with someone I "knew" to be a mathematical success. ALL of his former submitted reports for construction permits, progress meetings, project information, stuff I had read - ALL looked fine, but could not undo the one "rushed" email.
I was instructed to review EVERYTHING he did thereafter, a foretelling. I had no way to know how he got it done. It was all pretty much OK. I suspected his wife was correcting his written reports, at home, though I never got any confirmation in that. He left to further his career in government. I got my job back as Department Head and completed a 32-year career there.
