interviews..

[pjam76]

I've had many interviews over the years because I've worked as an IT consultant... Some went good, some ok, and some bad... The futher I moved along in the process, sometimes the worse my interview went....

Anyway, the other day I had an initial interview for a great opportunity. Lots of travel, some tech stuff, some interaction, some creativity, some documentation, and some management.. It was a great opportunity and the interview lasted about 50 minutes... I thought it went well. The guy who interviewed me complimented me, said he wanted to move forward in the process(more tech interview would be next) and everything seemed to be going great...

But who knows how it really went because in the past, interviews where I thought went great, I never heard anything back. Interviews where I bombed, i got the job... So I'm always confused on what anybody is really looking for.........Sometimes it seems they want you or not even before you are ever interviewed.

Like I said, the interviewer liked my past experiences, my talents, my personality and many things that I would bring to the company. He complimented me on many things, but the only thing that was weird was the interviewer, very friendly guy, told me that he liked how I was a laid back kind of guy and that I had a dry sense of humor. But he also said that I should loosen up a bit and that I was selling myself short. Then he asked me how I felt about that.... If I thought it was true or not....

I honestly didn't know how to react. Being laid back and having a Dry sense of humor is one thing, but saying I need to loosen up and that I'm selling myself short just seemed like a bad thing.... I don't know...

Even though the guy seemed to like my talent, skills, personality, it was weird he would tell me I'm selling myself short and that I should loosen up...........

Problem is, I was as loose as I probably could get.. There have been many interviews in the past where my hands were sweating, i stuttered and seemed nervous. This time it went well I thought....

so only way I'd loosen up more would be to take a couple of shots before my next interview.. I don't know.

What do you guys think if an interviewer told you "that you should loosen up and your selling yourself short"?

 

[SouthernBelle]

WELL DONE!

I think you did AMAZINGLY
Dont take his comments to heart, he was giving you constructive criticism and who is he to judge you anyways, he doesnt know you personally!

interviews are my WORST fear and lately i have got myself into such a state before every interview that ive organised that ive cancelled at the last minute.

The fact that you put yourself through interviews takes a lot of guts and you must really pat yourself on the back!

I wish i had the confidence to get myself in the door!! xx

 

[pjam76]

thanks

Thanks for the comment and compliment, but at this point in my life, just going to an interview doesn't win any points with me....

I've been to tons of interviews, canceled plenty because I didn't want to feel awkward, embarrassed or what not.......

But the problem is, my career needs to move forward and I need money to pay my bills........ I was doing ok for awhile, but money has run dry, and it's been since June when my last career type of IT contract ended..

And that was only for like 6 months.....Before that I worked some IT contracts, some pt jobs, and so on but for like 2 years, I struggled and used most of my money up then..

Interviews aren't all that bad, but then again, maybe people look at me as too "stiff" and not loosened up.. I don't know.

Maybe I can learn from this, but like I said, the last interview was about as loose as I felt in a long time.. So the only way I'd feel more loose was if I was on something or had a little buzz going.

Again thanks for the comment, but I"m not gonna pat myself on the back because in a month or so, my property taxes are due, and if I don't have the money to pay them, i'm out on the streets........And where I live, they really don't care..Late one quarter and they take your house..........

So patting me on the back won't help me put a roof over my head.

 

[Sable]

Some interviewers seem to have set questions, and techniques for seeing how you cope when put on the spot, and things like that. Maybe he says the same kind of thing to everyone to see how they react, like a trick question. There's so much psychology involved in interviews these days I wouldn't be surprised. I've always found it's pointless to try and second guess what your interviewer thought of you. It's over now, and you've done all you can. There's not much point in stressing yourself out over it (having said that I know it's not easy and I would probably be stressing too).

I have applied for a ton of jobs this last week. I have a load more I want to apply for, but they are all phone numbers I have to ring to arrange an interview, and I have a big problem with phones. I actually had a couple of large vodkas in the middle of the day to work up the courage to make a phone call the other day. Now I'm dreading every time the phone rings incase it's someone who wants me to go for an interview. It's doing my head in, I wish I could pull the thing off it's hook.

Anyway, that wasn't very helpful I know, but good luck with the job, let us know how it goes!

 

[Predacon]

Yeah Interveiws can be tough, whenever I send a CV in. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see if they call.

 

[pjam76]

interview feedback..

The recruiter that's working with me on this position got back to me... He said they thought I had tons of potential and that for the next part I should smile alot, be comfortable, confident, and relaxed.... He said they thought I had talent, creativity, skills and so on.. So I guess that's good.

But the next part, the tech interview, is going to be the weirdest interview I've ever had.....

Because while it is in IT, there will be a lot more client and department interaction than in previous roles.. I will also be working with the sales team, but I'll be the technical liason I guess... So I'll have to explain what the systems does, how it would benefit the client and so on..

It's a great opportunity, but the tech interview is going to be at the same building(like a 6 story building) where I had the first interview, but there is a restaurant on the first floor.... a place like applebee's i guess, and that's where two people will be asking me the tech questions, having conversations and so on in the evening.

I don't know, it's kind of my worse fear because the recruiter has told me I need to bond with them, ask them some questions and relax....

I hate speaking to my own wife when we go out to eat because, for whatever reason, I always feel like everybody is watching me and listening to my every word when we go out....

And since i'll be the center of attention, 2 people speaking to me will be tough...

I don't have problems giving presentations, as long as it's not about me, but ask me questions that I don't know well, I might freeze..

It's just weird that the tech interview will be at a restaurant with 2 people.......

I hope I do well because, while there will be stress and lots of customer interaction going on for this company, I have always been more stressed when I don't have a job and can't pay my bills

Jobs always cause a certain amount of stress, but for me, I can deal with the stress because at the end of the day I know a job that pays me well won't cause me to stress about paying my bills...

Stress is nothing compared to having no money for food or a place to live... I've been down that path and I'd rather put up with stress for a job I sort of like, than be stuck without any prospects and no money.

I guess that's where I just don't comprehend some people on this forum or on other forums that can't work or don't work because of the stress and fear of a job......

Yeah kids and college kids make sense, but people in their 30's.... it makes no sense to me because in the end, if i don't work, I'll be living on the street.... I guess other people don't have that fear.........

Because at the end of the day, SA or no SA, living on the street is far worse than having SA and working.

 

[pjam76]

update

I had another interview with the same company.. the head HR/manager guy thought I at least has some potential.....

So they brought me back to interview with two other guys who were more invovled with the company on a day to day basis.

The weird part was it was at 6pm in a restaurant/bar kind of like applebees... Only there was an outside part near a bay and an inside part with another bar area and tables and seats...

I got up enough courage to ask a few people if they were So and So.. it was awkard cause I had no clue who these guys were or what they looked like.. And it was right after happy hour, so the place, at least in certain areas was packed...

Finally They were at the inside bar and we moved to a more private area in the back... Well, not private, but an area where there weren't as many people.

So they asked me some questions. I asked them some questions. We shared some conversation... But I'm not sure it all went that well, I laughed, tried to listen and reply, and ask plenty of questions..

Then another guy came down later, a more technical guy, and he asked me a few more questions... I felt nervous here because, hey if i look like an idiot in front of one person, it sucks but who cares... Looking like an idiot in front of 3 people whom I just spent like 1 hour with 2 of them, made things more nerve racking.

All in all, the interview ended a little after 8pm.... While I won't win any awards for being the most talkative, I thought I did an overall good job..> I laughed.. Shared conversation, answered questions, smiled, tried to feel and look comfortable and so on...

Well, the recruiter who is handling all this for me, shot me an email early this morning asking how the interview went..... I told him I thought it went well for the most part.... While I know my socialization skills aren't the greatest, I felt I did a very good job this time...

Anyway, haven't heard back from the recruiter all day.. Which isn't a good sign, cause he's usually gotten back to me quickly in the past.

I don't know....i'd like this job, i need the money, but i'm just getting tired of driving to interviews, having another one scheduled, everything looking and sounding good, and then hearing nothing..

I mean the job would require me to relocate... Which isn't a problem. It's about 4 hours away from where I live now. The problem is driving up 4 hours, interviewing, then driving back home... Doing it all over again the next week.................and then hearing nothing...

If the recruiter got back to me and said, "they are going in a different direction or they thought I was too "uptight" or whatever.... I'd be fine with that......

I hate when they don't even get back to me... Especially after driving 4 hours one way for an interview at 6pm.