The job interview. It’s the necessary, angst-ridden big step in the process of landing a job.
It’s no wonder we get jittery: we all know that we’ll be asked some outlandish, abstract or just plain ridiculous questions. What’s more, there’s a hidden code — a language of interviewing that the hiring manager knows, but doesn’t tell candidates. If only we could be in on the secret.
6 comments:
This article has some really good advice about how to act in interviews. I especially liked how they talked about doing a lot of research about the job before the interview and to show what you learned by telling the interviewer how you will "hit the ground running". I think too many people just send out applications without really knowing what they are getting into; they just want to find a job. This is all well and good, but I can see how it would really help your chances to focus hard on researching the job thoroughly.
I also liked the tip on not saying how much you really want the job. Of course you would not know if really want it beforehand because you can never know what the workplace will really be like until you yourself are in the workplace. People can tell you what they like or don't like, but your experiences are different so your view on the workplace could be better or worse than what everyone else says.
It's so easy to allow the desire to be hired blind you in interviews. I love the advice to be yourself by giving an answer that's truthful and original, as opposed to a part played by someone who just wants the job.
Also, if you put yourself out there, instead of an eager and false persona, you risk the possibility of getting a job that work well with you, or that will make you ultimately miserable. Companies want to find the best candidate for themselves, but the relationship has to be mutual.
Someone who hates their work can't be performing well.
There is no such thing as a dumb interview question! I think all interview questions are really smart. I truly believe that Interviewers don't ask random questions in interviews for no reason. There is always a reason, and that is to get to know you. They want want to get to know you beyond your resume and cover letter. Because you can have amazing experience but if they don't feel like they can work with you aren't getting the job. I also think is an amazing opportunity for the person being interviewed to learn more about the representative of the company who is interviewing them. However, the greatest part of interview questions is that it allows the interview to become a conversation, and I feel like these are always the most successful.
I've said this before and I'll say it again, if I have the option of working with a really talented person with a horrible personality or a mediocre person who's great to collaborate with, I'm going to go with the latter. If I was hiring people for my theoretical production team, I'm going to look to if I get along with them. Right away. I can usually tell whether or not the person is going to fit into the scheme. Asking someone "why should we hire you?" is a crap question, I agree. You're either asking the person to brag about themselves or spill some bull. It's the question I hated the most in college interviews. Asking "what can you bring to the table?" is a much better question.
Some of the best and most successful interviews I've had eventually wandered off script in some way or another. And in terms of potential employers wanting you to be yourself, it's true. They don't want you to interview like a robot who's prepared to answer these questions in one sentence with no personality. They also don't necessarily want a fan-boy/girl who thinks their company is some majestic being in the industry. Being a personable individual and professional speaks louder. On another note, I've just completed a project for a management class in which I had to develop ten interview questions, which gave me an interesting perspective. Approaching the job from the other side of the table made me think about the questions in a different way than I have before. What I ultimately found was that, having secondary or follow up questions is really where meat of the answer is hidden. Someone might ask me what my five year plan is, but when they ask me how I plan to achieve that is where the really get their answer. they want to see my drive, my goals, and if their company is actually a part of that, or if they're a stepping stone along the way. Everyone has different objectives, and what's important to note is those objectives can change at anytime, especially if you're the first interview or the last interview before lunch or the end of the day.
The article brings some good insight as to the misgivings of interviews, some of which I’ve participated in first hand. It does become a process, and that process is one which I must say I have thought ahead as to the type of questions that would be asked, and I would recite the answer upon which I’ve rehearsed. I do think it is smart to get a little bit of background about what the company does. Some of the jobs I did back in high school were just simple jobs and the tasks weren’t very demanding. I think everyone understood what the company did. Going to work for a theatre, getting that type of background would put you just that much higher on the totem pole for the list of applicants for the job, because it does make you a bit more memorable than everyone else. Making assumptions I feel might be one of the worst things you could do, because I think it could hurt you more than help you in the job process. I don’t think it the interview would turn out as well nor as promising as you might have previously hoped.
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