Book Test

[eggwards]

So my interview yesterday - ehh.

I surprised many by being in my shiny suit. Someone described it as sharkskin, and I guess that's right. Way to shiny for me. So, that may just end up in the back of the closet for a bit. It seems more like a party suit than an interview suit, but my other suit is in Dallas, awaiting other opportunities.

I guess I should have known stars weren't fully aligned when the elevators weren't working right, and we got stuck two floors lower than where I was supposed to be. We were released from the chamber, and I had to walk up the to flights, leaving me a bit winded for the meeting.

For some other reason my socks and the slack seemed also to be having a static cling battle.

The other problem was the interview itself. I had sort of steeled myself to talk about the needs of the job, and what I wanted to do. I knew the challenges and I knew my talents and what Do for it. I also had the advantage of knowing the two interviewers. One I had worked with since I had started with the company, almost six years ago, the other had been an associate under my charge at one time.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that they are both familiar with my background, they are very unfamiliar with the interviewing process, and they played it safe - very safe, and pulled out the HR approved booklets. The booklets are generic questions provided by an outside company, and every question starts with "tell us about a time". The questions are professionally designed to try to get the interviewee to give specific examples of behaviors.

It's also screamingly generic, and if your like me, and you sit there and give off the first bad example that comes to your mind, you can really sink yourself. It's a generic, standardized test that's designed to keep the company away from asking inappropriate questions, but I feel it also keeps you from really getting to know a candidate. Personally, I don't use it, since it's devoid of personality.

So my two interviewers sadly don't get away from the book, no follow ups, no digging, nothing off-book. I have a little time to make my case in a basic "Why would you be the best candidate?" question at the end, but that's just fluff, and I know they will put more weight on the "star" system that goes along with the booklet the questions they read off.

I don't think I fully sunk myself, but I didn't help myself either. It's like taking a standardized test when you were preparing for the essay. Oh well.

Of course when you come out o the room, and everyone in the cube farm (since it's only 4 feet high) sees you in your shiny suit, they all know you interviewd. You get some questions. I wish I could have dodged them. I did a coupe of things, then ran off to go change clothes as soon as possible. Everything back to normal.

Comments

[redcub.livejournal.com]

I understand your frustration with the "standardized" questions, but they do exist for a reason. There are many questions which are essentially illeagal for people to ask during an interview. If these people are not trained in "what not to ask" they could get themselves and the company in a lot of trouble.

I know you were prepared for what you felt was the best interview technique which would have brought out your finer points, but it's never the obligation of the employer to provide you with that situation. They get stuck with the cards they are dealt, just like you are stuck within the scope of truthful answers you can give.

My question is, if they were asking "Give me an example of a time when..," did you take these as opprotunities to engage in a little monologue about the things you wanted to tell them, or did you give them a fifteen-word answer and shut up?

Even if nothing comes of this interview, you still have a couple of bright sides to look at.

First, you still have your old job. You didn't lose anything.

Second, you have let people know you have a long term committment with the company because you are seeking a larger position with more responsibilities. (OK, we know that if you got a chance to move to your BF you would be gone in a second, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW THAT - DON'T TELL THEM).

Third, you got valuable experiance in INTERVIEWING. People don't practice this enough when they are job shopping, trust me.

I do wish you luck, and I do hope all this works out.

[jrjarrett.livejournal.com]

I almost fell out of my chair, giggling with glee when I interviewed at a couple of places here, because they used the STAR (or SHARE as one place called it) interview methodology.

I had gotten training while at Kodak to interview using this technique, so I had an advantage knowing exactly what they were looking for. It was hard being the interviewer and trying to coax college kids into telling me what I had to get down to fill out the interview forms.

It's a fairly common interview technique; like redcub said, practice is a good thing. Research what someone who is using that technique is looking for, and prep yourself for the contingency that your next interview will use it, so you know what to give them. I'd be glad to help you out with it, too.

*hugs*

[davomatic.livejournal.com]

I am told that people know almost instantly if they will hire or not, so don't sweat the interview. Unless you told them you were a pedophile (or democrat *wink*), it doesn't amount to much anyway. : )