I hate job interviews

[Martha]

So did you hire him, or no?

[bearkeley]

I actually interview folks for a living....I think the key is to think of it as just a conversation rather than an interview.* With the way the employment market is nowadays, it really is a two-way street out there...the days of IBM where they employer would sit across from the desk from an applicant and say:

"So tell me, why should I hire you"* has changed to an applicant, asking the employer :

"So tell me, why should I work for your company?"

So if you're the INTJ applicant sitting in front of an ENTP employer,* consider asking them questions to see if the job fits what YOU'RE looking for.* *Even better...if that doesn't work...ask them when they plan to make a DECISION

(For those of you not familiar w/ MBTI, ENTPs, like yours truly, are known for hating decisions!)*

[Spanky]

Quote:

"So tell me, why should I work for your company?"

That's kind of attitude I hold during the entire interview process.

[geeman]

I have an interview coming up on Friday at a goverment agency. I am the type of person that gets really nervious before and during the interview. I guess I put a lot of pressure on myself to get the position. Do you guys think that there is a difference between interviewing with the government vs. commercial? Any other tips for me?

Thanks

[justin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeman I have an interview coming up on Friday at a goverment agency. I am the type of person that gets really nervious before and during the interview. I guess I put a lot of pressure on myself to get the position. Do you guys think that there is a difference between interviewing with the government vs. commercial? Any other tips for me? Thanks

Yes. Talk slowly to the interviewer, and keep reinforcing your ability to show up at 8:00 am, take 2 hour lunches and leave promptly at 5:00 pm. You'll go far in government. Find out the political leaning (if any) of the department you are interviewing with, and then criticize/praise George Bush (depending on political leaning). Don't stand out too much or appear too above average. The hiring manager doesn't want you to take his job one day. Make sure you don't appear overly qualified.

Just my experience in several government jobs.

[BUM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha So did you hire him, or no?

No. Tough decision. There really was no position open.

[geeman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin Yes. Talk slowly to the interviewer, and keep reinforcing your ability to show up at 8:00 am, take 2 hour lunches and leave promptly at 5:00 pm. You'll go far in government. Find out the political leaning (if any) of the department you are interviewing with, and then criticize/praise George Bush (depending on political leaning). Don't stand out too much or appear too above average. The hiring manager doesn't want you to take his job one day. Make sure you don't appear overly qualified. Just my experience in several government jobs.

Haha, I love it!

[yAyA]

I agree with the gov. interview tips

I have an interview coming up soon and I guess I'm nervous because I'm breaking out in hives I plan to be more conversational with it, if they let me. I'm confident I can do the job but I may not have an answer for every question thrown at me and that makes me nervous. Also, I know for sure that two of the people on the panel are my bosses for my internship. I don't want to look like a fool in front of them, so there is extra pressure. THey know me and what I can do but I still have to do good on the interview because others didn't and they couldn't hire them even though they wanted to. One girl was X'd because she sweated too much

[wildcat]

Two more reasons to hate job interviews -

Recently I got turned down for 2 positions and in both cases I was one of the finalists which means a lot of time on both ends. The 1st one sent me a generic email that notified me I was not the chosen one (Neo). The 2nd one didn't even follow up to notify me either way so I just had to assume I did get it. Tacky if you ask me and both places were supposed to be well respected companies in their respective industries. Yeah I got some practice but I kind of expect some courtesy on their end.

[cube_rat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildcat Two more reasons to hate job interviews - The 2nd one didn't even follow up to notify me either way so I just had to assume I did get it. Tacky if you ask me and both places were supposed to be well respected companies in their respective industries. Yeah I got some practice but I kind of expect some courtesy on their end.

OMG! This happenned to me too. I hope this isn't a trend. I agree that an employer not closing the loop after you've spent so much time interviewing is downright tacky.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

One company, who will remain nameless because it was Cisco, actually made me an offer and sent me an offer letter. Oddly enough I didnt want to work there, i was just using their offer as leverage against the company I did want to work for. When I called to let them know I had taken another offer (although I didnt tell them that; I just said I wanted to discuss the offer) they never called me back. Ever. Four months later I received a very generic "Thank you for interviewing, we have no available openings suitable for your skills" letter.

About the oddest thing that ever happened to me interview-wise.

[wildcat]

Cube -

It kind of made me wonder how these companies have such great reputations and made me wonder if I really want to work for a place such as the one described.

[getoutearly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin I've just become the interviewer for my company.* Remember that the person on the other side of the table from the interviewee may not like interviews that much either* * I'm having a hard time recruiting enough engineers to keep our company's wheels turning.* *The economy sure has picked up this last year or so.*

I'm with you. I hate being on the interviewer side just as much as interviewee. And I hate it that I have to ask the inane questions that HR gives us (motivation based interviews to determine their "locus of control"... They do let us ask some technical questions also though

[Spanky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildcat The 2nd one didn't even follow up to notify me either way so I just had to assume I did get it.

It is plausible they are still interviewing more candidates or they may have extended an offer to someone and waiting for a response. You can follow up to see if you are still in the running.

[BunsGettingFirm]

Man, that sucks being age discriminated at 34 and 41. I wonder how even older workers find jobs. Perhaps the trick is to land at a cushy job before you're 40 and hold on for 10 more years until ER.

Quote:

Originally Posted by astromeria I loved interviewing, yet I'm an introvert. But as a tech writer/editor, I was being interviewed almost entirely by my fellow introverts, so we got along very well and enjoyed talking about the work. Plus I was able to portray my nervousness as excited enthusiasm to the boss. My follow-up emails always included things like how much I liked the team and how impressed I was that the team loved working there. (This was sincere, BTW.) Gets 'em every time...or it used to. Twice I interviewed for a job and didn't get it. the first time was a clear case of age discrimination. I was 34. Small office and all the Important Folks were men and support staff were single cute women in their 20s who went to a bar after work. I was a married mother of 2 who needed to get home right after work. They said I "wouldn't fit in." The other time I interviewed but wasn't hired, my group at a software company was being axed and they gave us a few weeks to find another position in the company or we'd be laid off. There were no open documentation positions at the time, but I shopped myself to 3 groups, 2 of whom made me offers. The group that didn't was the one I most wanted to be in--and they took the 2 younger, hipper doc folks from my group but not me (by this time I was 41 and coloring the gray!). I went back to my office and cried. Well, that trendy-product group was all laid off a year or so later, while the team I joined became the most important in the company, and I was very secure despite bad times. Careers move in mysterious ways!