Interviews

[Jolima07]

For some reason, interviews are the ONLY time I enjoy "forced public speaking." (I'm in the finance/ healthcare world)...I think it's because in interviews:

1) They have to ask you specific questions...You're already nervous, but if you had to invent things to say, or make a lot of small talk feigning interest in their lives, it would be more difficult (welcome to my daily life).

2) They have to act nice, can't criticize/ critique you to your face

3) You get to act like the best version of you - you're talking about the amazing things you've done, how awesome of a person you are, etc.

4) You know you're there because they chose you - that makes you special

I don't know...actually listing out the reasons kind of makes me sound like a narcissist

 

[awkwardamanda]

Are we meant to take our partner into an interview? Is it standard, for proof of being society,to get a job? Never thought of it. Maybe that's why I don't get much work to do since 2001. My neurologist was surprised I went into the annual clinic without anyone else. Repeated questions: is it you, nobody else? Just yourself?

When not married, what are you supposed to do, when you don't have a wife? Is this the answer to life? I've been searching for a clearer reason for failure. I'm not doing anything wrong? I don't kill people. I'm not stupid or lazy. Why no work?

WTF?!?! I see no reason to take your partner along to the doctor unless it's something serious, or you're physically incapable of going alone.mg:

 

[jaim38]

I talk to little during job interviews. I would find myself repeating the same stuff over again. I don't have much to talk about because my life is boring.

 

[mikebird]

WTF?!?! I see no reason to take your partner along to the doctor unless it's something serious, or you're physically incapable of going alone.mg:

Something to reinforce status. I'd imagine someone in 'society' expect a person to be accompanied to show evidence of being. Neurologist disappointed by their patient, alone, as if I am a liar. Asked if I had a fit / seizure this year, they can't trust me. Going on at me. A parent goes to the supermarket and JobCentre with their partner and all their children, taking up too much space, and wailing. I guess you can't leave them at home, due to the responsibility. A way to prove your identity? Alone, you have no social status. Attending friends' weddings, I managed to take a girlfriend on two occasions. Since, many important others have been married, and didn't invite me. This is how you're judged :thumbdown:

 

[squidgee]

I haven't even been in an interview and am scared of them. I don't what I'd say to questions that relate to my personal life, its boring and empty and there is nothing I would be happy to talk about with the interviewer. Once, I was offered a place at one of the most prestigious schools here, but I had to have an interview with the principal first. Of course I declined.

 

[mikebird]

My 255th interview
Today's showed the same reaction. Some are different

This is my response:

"Dear Mike

Thank you taking the time to attend our interview on Monday for the above post.

Unfortunately on this occasion we will not be progressing your application through to the next stage. If you would like any feedback regarding the interview please call me on the below number.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in our company and wish you all the best with your future job search

Kind Regards
Laura Latham
HR Manager
Care Monitoring 2000 Ltd"

I suppose my usual shaking, sweaty palms on exit do the trick. They'd have to run for a wash. Never hire him. Simple
There was no salary or type of working. I was told that they were losing a lot of people. The want to attract any fool who'll get excited about something somewhere. It took my initiative to say 'two words' is not enough of a description and managed to get a very lame and limp barebones spec.

Yeah. A 280 mile journey is not enough interest. Who ever goes that far? I don't, until then. I stick to max 50 mile radius. I think it was the first question about 'jour journey'

It's rare to get anything back - if I do, it's all on the phone - to gabble at me and either criticise or say something pleasant. The worst time is hearing nothing. That has made me accept it in the first day and put it behind. I sometimes ranted at their rejection, applying logic to a reason to hire me

This was sourced by internal HR - no recruiter agents to pay. But it'd be the same result. Everyone knows how to get rid of someone.

Also, a new tact for two weeks' ago is to keep saying "I'm still in the running for this company - they are still searching, and it's a mess there - they're desperate. I'll keep you in the game"

I've known for decades that the recruiter's the knife-at-the-throat approach is to put you off-guard and see what happens. They apply any subjective fantasy method to show you up

 

[mikebird]

I don't like being shown the door

But today, after a 1-to-1 with an employment advisor,

heading home, I encountered a stranger who did more than an eye stare, frown and walking away. She introduced me to her little dog and talked all about him.

She spoke exactly the way I might do, to put people off. She kept going on about herself and the dog. Maybe she's alone, like I am? Our topics branch out about only ourselves. I've been advised to appear vacant and say nothing. I'm learning about me. I have plenty to say in formal meetings where I get dismissed. She wanted to make friends. We were on the corner for a while. I did listen for a very, long time. I brushed the dog over an over for hours in the street and told my stories about dogs. I've got time for people. A crossroads where I headed to my apartment block - I couldn't take any more from her. She was going to hers, with a nice wave.

All other people with dogs walk military-style with their dog, ignoring me, as I watch and smile.

 

[mikebird]

YESTERDAY

Results today was a scrambled speech on the recruiter's feedback

It took some mighty effort to get him to get that into a mail to me


Hi Michael,

Further to our discussion, The Royal College of Surgeons(RCS) will not be offering you the position of SQL Server DBA. The interviewers thought they built a better rapport with the successful candidate have a more rounded skills set for the ongoing project. BPM Tech and RCS wish you every success in securing employment.

Kind Regards

Ben Whiteley


So
They want a bisexual maid who does rounds of Tetleys on a tray in the office every 30 mins, never having anything to do with any databae

Trying to curb my opinion, the boss really described the main requirement just like this: "we have... this project to do... mumble... mumble" :thinking:

 

[mikebird]

My problem with interviews is I don't want to talk about myself. I just want to deal in objective facts: I have these qualifications, this experience, these skills, this level of understanding, if you don't like it find some one els.

That said I did once talk about a flat mate picking skin off his girl friend's feet and I got the job. After that I had no idea how this stuff works...

That's good to see. My family and psychologists severely criticise me for going off-topic on a tangent. I can't avoid it. It's personal. I'm easily prodded and bite back. All THE QUESTIONS are"what can you bring to this company?"
I want it to be the way you say. I see it all this way: job description. My CV. Hire me. Say yes or no. Why all this hubble bubble in the middle? IF I DIDN't like the job I wouldn't be there. If they didn't like the CV, they shouldn't invite me. I know it's a child's game. Invite is for them to laugh and expose my nerves. They decided I was a no-go. Drag me in to play with me

 

[Richey]

I find the calling up 2-3 referees to ask them if they don't mind being a reference part when you haven't spoken to them in a long time harder than the interview itself. That can be more of a dilemma then the interview itself. I remember last time i had to do that, calling them up, two of them weren't in a great mood and i could tell they couldn't remember me that well, but came around and finally would say "yeah, i guess it's o.k".

As soon as the phone call is over you still don't really know what they will say about you, and it's just unbelievably awkward. Because you've moved on, you don't work there anymore and you haven't for a long time.

So references for me is the part that makes me feel ill at the pit of my stomach. I've lost a few opportunities because i didn't have the guts to call to ask. You have to warn references if a job requires them, so they can prepare. It's hard to make the calls though. Unless you were friends with them.

 

[awkwardamanda]

I find the calling up 2-3 referees to ask them if they don't mind being a reference part when you haven't spoken to them in a long time harder than the interview itself. That can be more of a dilemma then the interview itself. I remember last time i had to do that, calling them up, two of them weren't in a great mood and i could tell they couldn't remember me that well, but came around and finally would say "yeah, i guess it's o.k".

As soon as the phone call is over you still don't really know what they will say about you, and it's just unbelievably awkward. Because you've moved on, you don't work there anymore and you haven't for a long time.

So references for me is the part that makes me feel ill at the pit of my stomach. I've lost a few opportunities because i didn't have the guts to call to ask. You have to warn references if a job requires them, so they can prepare. It's hard to make the calls though. Unless you were friends with them.

THIS!!! The store I was working at closed a few months ago and I haven't found a new job yet. I finished school a while ago so I'm trying to get away from retail which isn't easy. References are totally what kept me from finding a new job ages ago. I didn't know who to ask. I didn't want to ask someone at work if they'd give me a reference because you can't just go admitting to your boss that you want a new job. I had no one else I could have asked. So before the store closed, I asked two supervisors if they could give me a reference and they were glad to, but I still dread having to call them and let them know when that might be. It is really difficult for me to just call someone up out of the blue when I haven't spoken to them in a long time. The longer I stay unemployed, the harder it's going to be. Also, I kinda feel like it's a one time thing. I'm not just going to be able to phone them up and chat to stay in touch. I don't exactly see them as peers. So if I find a job, and then decide in a few years that I want to look for a new one, I'm going to be stuck. I don't want to call someone up asking for a favour, and it would likely be irrelevant at that point anyway. It boggles my mind how people can just go look for a new job whenever they decide it's time. Like, early in your career, who the hell are you supposed to ask?! They want references from your past 2-3 jobs. They want managers/supervisors, not colleagues. What if they don't remember you that well? What if you can't get a hold of them? You can't ask your current boss since they can't know you're job searching. Why should I have to keep in touch with people just so I can ask them for a favour some day? I really don't get it. If you aren't a people person, you're kinda screwed when it comes to this whole references and networking crap.

 

[Richey]

THIS!!! The store I was working at closed a few months ago and I haven't found a new job yet. I finished school a while ago so I'm trying to get away from retail which isn't easy. References are totally what kept me from finding a new job ages ago. I didn't know who to ask. I didn't want to ask someone at work if they'd give me a reference because you can't just go admitting to your boss that you want a new job. I had no one else I could have asked. So before the store closed, I asked two supervisors if they could give me a reference and they were glad to, but I still dread having to call them and let them know when that might be. It is really difficult for me to just call someone up out of the blue when I haven't spoken to them in a long time. The longer I stay unemployed, the harder it's going to be. Also, I kinda feel like it's a one time thing. I'm not just going to be able to phone them up and chat to stay in touch. I don't exactly see them as peers. So if I find a job, and then decide in a few years that I want to look for a new one, I'm going to be stuck. I don't want to call someone up asking for a favour, and it would likely be irrelevant at that point anyway. It boggles my mind how people can just go look for a new job whenever they decide it's time. Like, early in your career, who the hell are you supposed to ask?! They want references from your past 2-3 jobs. They want managers/supervisors, not colleagues. What if they don't remember you that well? What if you can't get a hold of them? You can't ask your current boss since they can't know you're job searching. Why should I have to keep in touch with people just so I can ask them for a favour some day? I really don't get it. If you aren't a people person, you're kinda screwed when it comes to this whole references and networking crap.

Hey Amanda I called up a few former places after drinking a beer to relax me and was able to find two people. I just kept thinking "there is nothing to lose" by calling, I mean, I found it really hard during the conversation, but both supervisors were really nice about it.

So if you end up needing to do it, just wanted to tell you that it's easier then we think it is, because most people will be nice about it and will be happy to be chosen. Even if you don't have a strong colleague connection with them.

 

[jc972]

I don't do either of those scenarios you mentioned but when I'm being interviewed by 2 or more people and it's just question after question I tend to get turned around.

 

[mikebird]

Next time I might try a new approach of "uummmm...... uhhhhhhhhhhhh... " accompanied by a hearty, throaty "ooh!! Hooooooooh!!" that's what politicians do, and the Royal smile so wide to stretch the cheeky muscles so hard for a full-on oral workout, poking the gums out, and maybe speak so damn loud

I've never paused for thought. I have a sentence ready to deliver in picoseconds of forethought, and a follow-up paragraph immediately, and on... it's tough to make me shut up. They just don't listen

 

[NamiraWilhelm]

I had a panic attack in my last interview...

It sucks, I'm basically doing the next job up at work without the pay, but because I'm so God awful at interviews (at my workplace you get interviewed by 4 people, 4 sets of eyes! Gah) I just can't get the job >.<

 

[mikebird]

I'd like an answer

and I'd like to make a survey:

Did any person ever attend any interview (it takes you by the balls)

and not suffer a panic attack before, during, and after it?

In order to succeed and life and not die, you have to enjoy interviews and be perfect

 

[awkwardamanda]

Did any person ever attend any interview (it takes you by the balls)

and not suffer a panic attack before, during, and after it?

I had a phone interview this morning which was dreadful because, well, it was on the phone. I was nauseated before, and I'm still nauseated hours later. Not quite a panic attack, but close enough.

 

[coyote]

In order to succeed and life and not die, you have to enjoy interviews and be perfect

you don't have to be perfect - merely better than everyone else who applied

i once was interviewed by a panel of six officials for a management position in government

afterwards, i felt that i had totally bombed - plus, i discovered that my fly had been unzipped the entire time

imagine my surprise when they called me back to tell me i was their top choice