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Message |
sj2
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Job interviews
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Oct 30 17:00 UTC 2003 |
What irks you about interviews? What would you like to say in a job
interview but could never say? What tips could you give? Got any
comments about those HR droids??
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| 33 responses total. |
mcnally
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response 1 of 33:
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Oct 30 17:37 UTC 2003 |
I hate the kinds of questions that invite you to exaggerate your
skills or accomplishments, particularly the question I always seem
to get asked: "How would you rate your level in {skill X} on a
scale from 1 to 10?"
Answering that you're a "5" or a "6" in most skills with the potential
to become, in time, an "8.5" never seems to impress the interviewer
for some reason but what do they want you to say? That you know as
much about C as Dennis Ritchie but for some reason are choosing to
apply for their entry-level developer position?
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glenda
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response 2 of 33:
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Oct 30 17:52 UTC 2003 |
I hate the "expected salary" question. I never know how to answer that one.
If I go too high they won't hire me, if I go too low they may either hire me
and pay me less then they were planning for the position or they may feel that
but asking that little I am really not qualified. I would rather negociate
that when the job is offered.
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edina
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response 3 of 33:
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Oct 30 18:16 UTC 2003 |
I'm with Glenda on that one. I also hate the "Why are you leaving your
current job?" When I really want to say, "Because my current boss is a
fucking wanker and if I have to look at him one more time, I'll kill him."
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rcurl
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response 4 of 33:
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Oct 30 18:17 UTC 2003 |
While I haven't applied for many jobs in my life, those I have have always
been offered with a salary specified. Are there some jobs for which you
cannot just ask, what salary are you offering?
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glenda
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response 5 of 33:
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Oct 30 18:44 UTC 2003 |
That doesn't seem to be the current trend. Even when I worked for ManPower
and was sent on an interview with a couple other ManPower candidates for the
job I would be asked that question. ManPower sets the rate for crying out
loud..
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rcurl
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response 6 of 33:
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Oct 30 19:07 UTC 2003 |
Yes, you may be asked the question, but my point was, why not answer it
with a simple request for the offered salary? It seems to me that the
question is a form of intimidation. YOU should have the option of choice
of whether you will or will not take a job for the offered salary. (I do
understand that what you do may depend upon how desperate you are for just
getting a job - any job.)
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gull
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response 7 of 33:
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Oct 30 20:17 UTC 2003 |
Rigid, often unrealistic experience expectations irk me. I applied recently
for a job that I was well qualified for skill-wise, but my application was
rejected without even being considered because I was a few months under
their stated experience requirement.
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slynne
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response 8 of 33:
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Oct 30 20:31 UTC 2003 |
I always answer that question by taking the mean between the lowest
salary I would accept and the highest one I can imagine would be
realistic for the job and then putting some notation that the figure is
negotiable. Whenever I am asked to rate my skills, I rate them as
honestly as I can and then when they ask me about what my strengths
are, I say that I am accurate about judging my ability.
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bru
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response 9 of 33:
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Oct 30 20:56 UTC 2003 |
keep them coming guys, I need all the sugstions I can get.
I recently applied for a job on line that required an estimated salary.
Problem is, I have no idea hw to answer and no way to ask. I also recently
applied for a jkob on line and was rejected after taking three online aptitude
tests. pissed me off royal. How can a computer tell if I am qualified.
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tod
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response 10 of 33:
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Oct 30 22:47 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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other
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response 11 of 33:
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Oct 31 00:54 UTC 2003 |
When asked for salary requirements, I'd answer something like "Let's
see if the candidate and the job are a good fit before we discuss
compensation." If pressed on the matter, something along the lines
of "I'd like to find out more about the position before I try to put
a price on it."
Of course, I don't interview for a lot of jobs, though I do conduct
a lot of phone interviews of people I'm considering hiring. In
those instances, I'm just trying to get a sense of what sort of
person I'm dealing with and what relevant skills they might have.
It's pretty much always a very informal process.
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bhoward
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response 12 of 33:
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Oct 31 00:59 UTC 2003 |
Interesting. the human resources folks have a fairly minimal role in
the hiring process in my company.
Basically, HR take references, (sometimes) coordinate the candidate
interview schedule and sort out the paperwork for the final hiring
package. After the candidate is hired, they'll also help with sorting
out the paperwork for benefits and the like but for most positions,
the hiring process itself driven completely by the group hiring.
I don't think we've ever put a candidate in front of an HR person for
an actual interview.
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jep
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response 13 of 33:
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Oct 31 03:55 UTC 2003 |
I enjoy interviewing. It's an opportunity to brag about myself. If I
do so convincingly, I get the job. I've been pretty successful at
getting job offers, once I get to the interview stage. I think I
probably come off well at interviews because I *do* enjoy them.
An interview is also a place where I will establish whether I think
the company is a good fit for me. If the interview doesn't feel good
to me, the chances are good that I won't want to work there anyway.
If they ask me stupid questions, focus on things that aren't relevant
to what I want to do, waste time, etc., then the job was not a good
fit for me.
My least favorite question used to be, "What is your greatest
weakness?" I answered at one job interview that I was too modest,
that I'd come in 2nd place in a high school humility contest, but the
guy who took 1st was faking it and I was a lot more humble than him.
They offered me. (I accepted. Worst job I have had yet.)
Since then, I've taken the question more seriously in interviews, and
use it to talk about things I don't want to do and/or am not good at.
I don't want to speak to groups, and don't want to travel for work --
ever, if I can avoid it. At my current job, I have pointed to the
interview where I made these two points, and gotten out of both
traveling and speaking to groups.
I guess the thing I'd recommend about interviewing is to remember that
you're not a victim of the process. It's about you as well as the
company. You can take charge to some extent (but don't overdo it).
Answer questions enthusiastically, positively and responsively -- but
say what *you* want to say about yourself. There's probably no
question which can't be used to say something you *want* to say.
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gull
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response 14 of 33:
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Oct 31 14:01 UTC 2003 |
Re #9: Could you research other jobs in the same field to find out what
a typical salary is? This is kind of tough to find out in our society
because talking about money is one of the last big taboos.
Re #12: In a lot of the jobs I've applied for, the HR people act as
gatekeepers, discarding resumes they don't think meet the
qualifications. The problem, when you're applying for a technical
position, is that HR people don't understand technology; they're just
looking to see if your resume has the same keywords that appear in the
job posting. :P
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sj2
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response 15 of 33:
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Nov 1 05:15 UTC 2003 |
My last interview wasn't so good. I was being interviewed (over-the-
phone) for a pre-sales tech job. The guy seemed to be attacking me all
the time. When I told him that one of the companies I worked for had
closed down, he asked me if the next one too had closed down. Then
pointing to my work experience he said the work experience while I was
doing my PG degree would have to be discounted or they would've to
discount my PG degree. Then the guy says if we discount your PG
degree, there isn't much left (since my graduate degree is in commerce
and PG is in tech).
Then guy expressed surprise that I am only 26 (whats *only* about
26??).
Then he went on to give some *personal* advise to me since I was
referred by one his colleagues. He said your CV needs to show
stability (which he again rubbed in a bit) and a good brand (he hadn't
heard of the companies I had worked for). And gave a small lecture on
need for stability and how since he was older to me would like to give
me advise.
Of HR droids. I called up an HR droid to check if the resume I had
sent interested them?? She asked me the what were my skill sets and
searched for my resume on her PC. She started to read out my CV aloud
(Security engineer ... blah blah blah). She said she had no job
permanent openings for me. I called her up again to check if they had
any temp/contract openings. This time I mentioned "firewall" as one of
the skill sets, BINGO, she said they have a permanent opening for me.
DUHHH!!!
Salary is another sticky area. Most base your salary offered on your
previous salary which seems rather unfair to me because you are
expected to do more at the new job and shoulder more to much more
responsibility.
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goose
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response 16 of 33:
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Nov 1 15:44 UTC 2003 |
I thought asking age was one of those verboten topics, like religion and
politics. (During interviews that is)
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sj2
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response 17 of 33:
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Nov 1 16:50 UTC 2003 |
Even I thought so and was taken aback by the question.
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jaklumen
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response 18 of 33:
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Nov 1 23:27 UTC 2003 |
I understand that interviewers will ask illegal questions sometimes and
from what I remember, it's recommended that you don't answer the
question directly, but address the concern that caused them to ask the
question in the first place. They might have misconceptions regarding
age, for example, and so I if I understand correctly, you basically
assert your ability despite such false assumptions.
Anyway, for me, I need to learn to prepare a good script and have a
plan before I walk into an interview. I just *hate* interviewers that
have no idea what they are doing and I am left to conduct basically the
entire interview. I don't think well on my feet, so I need to practice
what I will say beforehand. Of course, I am out on the job trail, so
this is currently a work in progress.
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mcnally
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response 19 of 33:
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Nov 2 03:04 UTC 2003 |
I'm not knowledgable about employment law, so I'm probably wrong,
but I don't think there's anything illegal about asking an applicant's
age, but it can be a hazardous question to ask because discriminating
based on age is forbidden in some circumstances.
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tsty
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response 20 of 33:
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Nov 2 09:33 UTC 2003 |
... hr filters are teh absolute bane of getting fitted into work you
could enjoy... for a 'job', well, maybe nto.
btw. salary.com has soem tips taht might help. for the life of me,
my answer has alwas been 'it depends on teh function you need.'
also, 'your past salary history' answers ahve been indignant, at best.
what i earned 'before' has NO realtionishp to what i will accept 'now.'
i work for whom *I* choose, not he other way around. i hire an employer.
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jmsaul
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response 21 of 33:
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Nov 2 23:27 UTC 2003 |
Re #19: Sounds right to me.
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tsty
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response 22 of 33:
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Nov 3 08:30 UTC 2003 |
adn #20?
i work for whom *I* choose, not he other way around. i hire an employer.
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jmsaul
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response 23 of 33:
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Nov 4 01:50 UTC 2003 |
In this market? Great, if you can pull it off.
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tsty
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response 24 of 33:
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Nov 4 08:08 UTC 2003 |
heh-heh ... successful for over xxx# of years.
granted, though, that i accumulated control of most of my capital
during the *fan-fscking-tastic* reagen tax-cut yers.
some of my risks paid off quite well; some didn';t. the ones that
didn;t wer monatarlily insignificant. teh ones that did - - /sigh.
i was taught - adn i have followed - teh mantra of *never* being
*P R I S O N E R* to the monthly payment slavery that is emdemic
to capitalism.
that's endemic ... for the thought-impaired.
yes, 'great' in any m,arket.
"your money will ALWAYS work harder for you than you are capable
of working for yourself. pay yorself FIRST."
i lived on a lot of sardines and crackers .... i still like them
even though i *have* to, anymore.
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