Interview Pet Peeves
Jan. 22nd, 2008 11:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trickykittyPet peeve: being asked in a job interview, "So I see that you haven't been working since October. Why are you looking for a job?"
Yes, I was asked that.
Not "Why did you choose to apply for this position?"
Not "What are you looking for in a position?"
Not "What attracted you to our company?"
Not "Did you win the lottery?"
It reminds me of the Bill Hicks' Waffle House million-dollar question of the day: "Watcha readin' fer?"
How the hell do I answer that without totally mocking my questioner and without sounding like a desperate money whore?
Pet peeve: being asked the very trick question, "So I see that you were working with the YMCA for many years. Did you like it there?"
This one sucks because it's a great one to ask to put the interviewee on her toes, but it's such a black pit, foot in mouth type question. If I say yes I liked it, then questioner wonders if I will be happy at another job or if I'm likely to leave quickly if the YMCA offers me another position. If I say no I didn't really like it, the questioner wonders if that came across as shoddy work or attitude and that I might do the same in this new position.
Pet peeve: Not being interviewed by the person who would actually be your boss.
Now, this is a special case, because in some larger companies there may be multiple interviews scheduled and you have to work through each level of the interview hierarchy. This is understandable, but not in a three-person office. Even more annoying is when said boss was to attend the interview and then just didn't show up.
So what interview pet peeves have you ever encountered?
Yes, I was asked that.
Not "Why did you choose to apply for this position?"
Not "What are you looking for in a position?"
Not "What attracted you to our company?"
Not "Did you win the lottery?"
It reminds me of the Bill Hicks' Waffle House million-dollar question of the day: "Watcha readin' fer?"
How the hell do I answer that without totally mocking my questioner and without sounding like a desperate money whore?
Pet peeve: being asked the very trick question, "So I see that you were working with the YMCA for many years. Did you like it there?"
This one sucks because it's a great one to ask to put the interviewee on her toes, but it's such a black pit, foot in mouth type question. If I say yes I liked it, then questioner wonders if I will be happy at another job or if I'm likely to leave quickly if the YMCA offers me another position. If I say no I didn't really like it, the questioner wonders if that came across as shoddy work or attitude and that I might do the same in this new position.
Pet peeve: Not being interviewed by the person who would actually be your boss.
Now, this is a special case, because in some larger companies there may be multiple interviews scheduled and you have to work through each level of the interview hierarchy. This is understandable, but not in a three-person office. Even more annoying is when said boss was to attend the interview and then just didn't show up.
So what interview pet peeves have you ever encountered?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-23 04:56 pm (UTC)And then they didn't like my answer. Bah.
My favorite though was when they were explaining the ladder they used for employees, I asked what happens when you hit the final tier and he said "People like YOU won't ever get that far".
And then he gave me an IQ test.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-23 05:00 pm (UTC)Wouldn't it be nice if we had the guts at that moment to just stand up and say, "People like ME don't really want to work for someone like YOU after all."
I know I don't have those kind of guts, especially if I really am desperate for a job and figure that will just be the jerk-off that I will focus my hate towards if I do get the job.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-01-23 05:03 pm (UTC)Then I took the job and wasted 3 years of my life. In the last year, i=I've double my salary and quit letting people walk on me. It's amazing.