Job Interview FUBARs
- Thread starter Walden4Prez
- Start date
When I got my most recent job, before I interviewed, I called a former supervisor who was a job hopper. He gave me a bit of an improptu interview to see what my answers to some questions were, so that helped.
This is true. I am going through that process now as I am relocating to Rhode Island. I interviewed with my current company about a year and a half ago so I am pretty fresh. However, there is so much pressure to not be who you are and to impress yourself on to your hopeful future employer.
Some tips that I do that may help. I generally do the STAR method of interviewing, so I have a document that is several pages long where I document some of my achievements. This helps me organize my thoughts prior to the interview. Additionally, have some prepped answers for the standard questions that may be asked (strengths, weakness, why are you looking for a job). Having these things written down and reviewed periodically will help you organize your thoughts and be prepared going into your interview.
A little late now, but a rehearsal interview interview, even by a friend or relative would be a suggestion. Ditch the fear and nerves; appear confident. Dress the part.
I was conducting intern interviews on a campus one time, and we ted to use more generic behavioral based questions. The student answered gave a lot of yes/no responses and couldn't elaborate when we tried to ask more probing questions. the interview was over in about 10 minutes for something that takes 30-40 minutes
This is eye-opening...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_punishments_for_murder_in_the_United_States
Second degree murder in Arkansas, minimum sentence is 6 years.
Idaho is 10 year minimum, eligible for parole after 1/3 of the sentence.
Illinois minimum is 4 years.
Maine minimum is 1 year. 1 year for murder. Don't go to Maine, I guess.
Virginia minimum is 5 years.
omg, I'm dying.
That's actually a good reminder to interviewers about being aware of their use of idioms during interviews- especially if candidates are not originally from the US.
I have a few and probably a lot I forgot.
One internal interview with a guy I knew fairly well. I walked in and tried to break the ice by saying "so you want to design cooling packages?" The response was "no I'm just looking for a promotion." At the end of the interview I asked do you have any questions that we haven't been able to answer in the interview. He replied "yeah I was wondering, did I really need to wear a suit?"
Another interview with an internal guy that did pretty well overall. This was a panel interview with several people. At the end he made a closing statement of "I've been looking for a position with a higher level of leadership for a couple of years. I've interviewed 46 times and haven't gotten any of the positions, but let me just say of those 46 positions this is the one I really really want."
This wasn't the interview but after. The guy didn't get the position that he interviewed for but there was another potential position that I thought he might be a good fit. I called him to tell him he didn't get the initial job and he immediately laid into me screaming over the phone that I made a huge mistake. I said thanks for the input and hung up without mentioning the other position.
One internal interview with a guy I knew fairly well. I walked in and tried to break the ice by saying "so you want to design cooling packages?" The response was "no I'm just looking for a promotion." At the end of the interview I asked do you have any questions that we haven't been able to answer in the interview. He replied "yeah I was wondering, did I really need to wear a suit?"
Another interview with an internal guy that did pretty well overall. This was a panel interview with several people. At the end he made a closing statement of "I've been looking for a position with a higher level of leadership for a couple of years. I've interviewed 46 times and haven't gotten any of the positions, but let me just say of those 46 positions this is the one I really really want."
This wasn't the interview but after. The guy didn't get the position that he interviewed for but there was another potential position that I thought he might be a good fit. I called him to tell him he didn't get the initial job and he immediately laid into me screaming over the phone that I made a huge mistake. I said thanks for the input and hung up without mentioning the other position.
Gag, I had someone do this as well. If you have a PhD or something of actual note to put there, I'll let it slide. But crap like "Social Media Analyst" yeah gag. Also, it's super great when you put a list of your top qualities in the resume with "detail-oriented" as number one............and that aforementioned title? In big font and bold? Spelled incorrectly.
This isn't an interview but after that previous post I just thought of it and was close.
Had a guy that didn't work out in his job and after working through various HR things etc we terminated him. A few weeks later I got an email from him saying he had a couple interviews coming up and wondered if he could list me as a reference.
Had a guy that didn't work out in his job and after working through various HR things etc we terminated him. A few weeks later I got an email from him saying he had a couple interviews coming up and wondered if he could list me as a reference.
Had an interview for my second internship, one of the questions was what leadership things I had done and activites I had planned. Told them about working on setting up a show in the new building on Mortenson. They asked me the name of the building and I went blank. The owner of the company had put up a good chunk of money so it was named after him. Thought I lost the position right there.
Still work for the company today.
Still work for the company today.
So, I had a female friend (note the past tense) who I used to work with at another job site. She left the area for a few years, but we occasionally kept in touch. A few years later, I get an email from her telling me she's back in town and desperate for a job, any job. We didn't have any openings at the time, but I steered her to a job I know of in Hawaii of all places at a sister company that is desperate for people. So desperate that one of the guys at our company was flown out there at their expense for two weeks, put up at a hotel, paid a per diem in addition to his regular salary and had a car rented for him. Tough work, but someone had to do it.
Several days go by and she's back in my email asking about jobs. I ask her if she applied for the one in Hawaii. She said no, she was "too nervous." I'm thinking she must not be as desperate for a job as she said.
Anyway, I steer her to another job I had just heard of that's in my same corporation, but a different company in a town about 15 miles from us. I gave her a good recommendation. About a week goes by and I hear from my boss that this woman went to that job interview and had just sat down, when she interrupted the interviewer and asked if they drug tested. When the interviewer said yes, she said, "well, let's not waste each other's time then," and got up and left.
I was furious. Here I was trying to help this woman and giving her a good recommendation and she pulls a stunt like that. I emailed her back and let her know that I knew exactly what she had done and I told her never to contact me again, until and unless she had cleaned herself up. I haven't heard from her since.
Several days go by and she's back in my email asking about jobs. I ask her if she applied for the one in Hawaii. She said no, she was "too nervous." I'm thinking she must not be as desperate for a job as she said.
Anyway, I steer her to another job I had just heard of that's in my same corporation, but a different company in a town about 15 miles from us. I gave her a good recommendation. About a week goes by and I hear from my boss that this woman went to that job interview and had just sat down, when she interrupted the interviewer and asked if they drug tested. When the interviewer said yes, she said, "well, let's not waste each other's time then," and got up and left.
I was furious. Here I was trying to help this woman and giving her a good recommendation and she pulls a stunt like that. I emailed her back and let her know that I knew exactly what she had done and I told her never to contact me again, until and unless she had cleaned herself up. I haven't heard from her since.
Did he go to school at THE Ohio State University?
Interviews are one thing but HR peeps screening candidates based off of a phone interview regarding a position they are clueless about is one of my sore spots as well.
Under the Hobbies/Volunteer section I had added a volunteer effort that I was involved in only a very minor role. I added this to my resume my freshman year of college and never took it off. So I was applying for a job in my 3rd year of graduate school and the interviewer said "tell me more about your involvement in this....". I totally had forgotten it was on my resume, and I basically had nothing to say about it other than I carried some boxes from one part of campus to another part of campus.
Turned out the guy that was interviewing me's daughter was the person that was in charge of this philanthropic effort for the entire campus, so he asks me questions about it for a good 3-4 minutes. I finally fessed up that I just carried some boxes and really didn't do anything beyond that.
Turned out the guy that was interviewing me's daughter was the person that was in charge of this philanthropic effort for the entire campus, so he asks me questions about it for a good 3-4 minutes. I finally fessed up that I just carried some boxes and really didn't do anything beyond that.
Something similar just happened where I work. We interviewed an intern candidate in Colorado. She was fantastic, everyone was hoping she would accept. We sent her the offer letter which includes language about it being contingent on a pre-employment drug screen.
She emails back to tell us that if she took a drug test today, she'd probably fail. Turns out her parents had retired and taken up pot smoking as a hobby, and she had joined them in a toke a week or two prior. She actually did it in a very professional way and said she completely understood if we wanted to withdraw her from consideration. We talked to HR and he told us that if she was lying and was actually a pothead, there's no way she would pass, but if she did only do it once, it should be out of her system by the time she takes the drug test.
Turns out she passed and is now doing a great job.
This is a HUGE issue for companies that are operating in Colorado but are not headquartered there. Most make their employees fall under the same cooperate drug use guidelines even though it is completely legal. These companies are having a really hard time finding new hires that can "qualify".
