Things I'm Sick of Hearing at Job Interviews...

[LizzieMaine]

1. (After glancing at resume) "Why would someone like YOU be interested in working HERE?"

2. "We just have whoever's handy write the copy. We think it's the visual element that's really more important."

3. "Fifteen years in radio. That must've been really fun for you."

4. "Wow, you work at the Strand? Could you get me a couple passes for that concert next week?"

5. (With supercilious shake of the head.) "Of course, there are no benefits with this position."

I'm sure you all could add to the list....

 

[GOK]

1. "You're overqualified"

2. "What would happen if one of your children was ill?"

 

[TheKitschGoth]

I'd be grateful to get as far as interviews right now.

So far I'm sick of total silence when places ignore my application.
Or hearing that I have no experience and no way of gaining experience. Grrr.

 

[Lady Day]

This actually happened to me. I had an 'interview' for Nickelodeon's tv animation department, and within the entire interview (a whopping 10 min)they looked at my work for about 10 sec, and just droned on and on about what they were looking for at NICK!

"What made you apply here?"

me in my mind "I need a job."

"Can you be a team player?"

me in my mind "I need a job."

"Well, all of our 2D animation is done overseas, what else can you do?"

:eusa_doh:

me in my mind "I need a job."

"Well...*naming list of thigs*

"Well I dont see that here...."

me in my mind "Well I just applied for a 2D job that you appear not to have."

"Well here is some info on how to aply online, and here is my card. When you get *naming off stuff I dont do*, please apply through the site.

me in my mind "Filler."

Sheesh.

LD

 

[BegintheBeguine]

I realized I have NEVER gotten a job I've interviewed for, except one at Macy's South. I have been so lucky to have jobs offered to me, and held for me. I'd rather work for the smart person who knows how good I am, as I said, I have been lucky. Big old meany interviewers anyway; mediocrity rises to the top.

 

[CanadaDoll]

What would you do if a customer had a problem?

Well for starters, what kind of problem?
I am always caught off guard with that one, cause I think it's obvious..help them!
Next time I get that though, I've decided I'll say "stand on my head." and see what happenslol

 

[K.D. Lightner]

No more job interviews for me, I think. I am retired now.

If you think the questions are bad now, you should have heard them back when I was just out of college, many are illegal now:

Are you planning to get married? (Meaning, we don't want to hire a 22-year-old female if she is ready to have babies)

Are you planning to have a family? (Ditto)

Can you work under pressure? (Amiable pressure, yes, put a gun to my head, yes to that also, but forget it)

You are over-qualified (Pacific Bell in 1965). We can only offer you secretarial work or telephone operator and you are a college graduate. (If I had been a guy, they would have groomed me for jr. executive)

Besides being a teacher here in our town, we also need a Sunday school teacher? Would you be interested in that, too?

Why were you unemployed for five months?

There were other repulsive statements and questions, too. I have probably blocked them.

karol

 

[carebear]

I think in many cases it's blatant -isms of some kind. Even today.

In my job interviews the big subtext is always, "if we invest time and training in you, will you jump ship for another job?" Once I convince them I'm loyal the door opens wide.

At first meeting I'm the "tall, fit, cleancut, good hair, white, well-dressed, well-spoken, intelligent, witty, respectful-yet-not-obsequious, energetic, go-getting young man" employers love.

Which is bushwah. There are assuredly plenty of qualified people that don't happen to meet the "ideal" that are written off the minute they walk through the door who are equally or better qualified than I for anything I do.

I'm not going to not take a job because of that but I have no problem acknowledging and decrying the injustice of it.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I'm not the best at interviews.

I've applied to many places and they just won't take me because I haven't much experience. How do you get experience if no one will hire you? lol

I guess volunteering could work, but there's no pay in that.

 

[Les Gillis]

yeah, we'll call you....

I hate the job interviews that they act like they love you and your resume and say things like "We will have a place for you", "when can you start" or "everything looks great" and then you never hear back from them. Instead of the bush off I'm much rather hear "You're goofy, you're hair style is out of date and your mother dresses you funny, thanks for stopping by..."

 

[John in Covina]

Where do you see yourself in X years?

(Hopefully in a position to fire you!)

 

[scotrace]

I start interviewing people in about two weeks. I promise to jot this stuff down beforehand...

 

[Barbigirl]

Sort of

fftopic:

Last week after days filled with problems because of an employee that reports to me I told my boss, "I never wanted to be a supervisor, I just told you that so you would hire me."

Fortunately for me he thought it was quite funny [huh]

 

[52Styleline]

After well over 30 years on the other side of the interview desk, perhaps I can give you a different perspective.

First of all, many hiring managers are really not qualified to interview you. They may have read a book or two, but many of them are convinced that they have an inate ability to interview applicants. That is why I insist that our managers have training and use questions that have been fully developed by Human Resources in advance. These questions are developed by formally interviewing the employees on our staff who are the very best at what they do and asking these employees and their managers to help develop the testing.

Even well reasoned questions may seem inane to you when you are sitting in the hot seat. Where specific knowledge,skills,and abilities are necessary to perform a job, situational questions are a good way of seeing what the applicant knows AND gives insight into the applicants reasoning ability.

Asking an applicant "where do you see yourself in x years" or "what are your long term career goals" are perfectly valid questions. The best reply to such questions is an honest one, not what you think the interviewer wants to hear. It's amazing to me how many people seeking work (I'm not talking minimum wage here) have obviously never given a thought to what they want from a career or what indeed their long term asperations are. Employment is a two way street. The employeer has needs and so does the applicant. The hope is that there is some potential for both being satisfied.

Personally, I have no problem with overqualified applicants if the reason they are applying isn't simple desperation. We hope everyone we hire will progress and advance. But no employer wants to spend the money it takes to bring someone on just to have them jump ship when the job they really want comes along. Many of the questions I use are really designed to help the applicant explore and explain their own motivations.

I agree firmly that every applicant deserves to hear the final decision, good or bad. I send a personal letter to everyone who is interviewed by my company and not selected. It is only fair.

We don't insist on direct job experience in every case. I hire more tellers than anything else because we have more of those positions than any other. I am looking for people skills, ability to learn, and desire to move ahead. If someone has worked for the Golden Starches successfully, dealing with customers and making change, they can be taught the technical side of the teller job. In other words, there are various ways to gain experience, yes including volunteering. I have even hired people away from retail stores when I have been particularly impressed by the way they conduct themselves. I hand them my card and tell them I would like to talk with them about employment opportunities. Again, it is the soft skills, attitude, and personal motivation I am looking for. I can always teach the hard skills.

(After glancing at resume) "Why would someone like YOU be interested in working HERE?" Some interviewers intentionally try to throw the applicant off balance, a technique of which I do not approve. Assuming you have done some research about the company before the interview, such a question presents a wonderful opportunity for you to tell the interviewer exactly how your past experience would fit the organization wonderfully. If you have done your homework, this is a softball question that you can easily hit over the fence. (that is unless HERE is really a lousy place to work and if so, why are you wasting your time interviewing anyway?)

Interviewing is the hardest job there is. I have been on both sides of the desk and even though I am an old hand at the business, I too have become discouraged when looking for work. I try to remember how hard it is when I am interviewing and try to give every applicant I interview my full attention and the respect they deserve.

I used to teach Human Resources subjects at a Community College and I spent more time teaching students how to interview than I did any other topic. I still wince when I receive an application where the applicant is asked what job are you applying for and the response is "anything". If you can identify what you are looking for, and then go about selling the interviewer on the fact that it was his lucky day when you walked in the door, you will improve your odds of being hired tremendously. Don't try to manage the hiring manager, or take over the interview, but do sell yourself with well reasoned facts and arguments.

Best Wishes for a successful job search.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Better words couldn't be expressed more!

Perhaps you should go back to teaching at that community college!

Finding work is a tough business, as is being the one who already has work and is looking to hire. You want people you can depend on, that don't necessarily need your guidance but are fully willing to take your advice and to not be a stubborn about it.

It's not as hard as you would think to find work. Every job is not
taken. There are always openings and even greater opportunities. I just have to find the right place, because "any old job" obviously is not going to hire me.

I fully agree with you that the workplace should inform you of their decision, whether good or bad. Even if they are the biggest corporation on the planet, taking an applicant in and interviewing them and then going on with the next applicant without even informing the previous one of their decision that you're not right for the job is disrespectful to me. I've gotten that at every interview.

I hope LizzieMaine find good work, and one that pays the bills plus a big bonus!

 

[Spitfire]

One thing I got fed up with 5 years ago:

"WOW. With a CV like yours, I think you have far too much expeience, for our agency!"
(Meaning: With a CV like yours, you are both more startegic, smarter and more creative than me!)

That's why I am freelancing. Then I don't have to listen to s... like that.:eusa_doh:

 

[MissHuff]

I realized I have NEVER gotten a job I've interviewed for, except one at Macy's South. I have been so lucky to have jobs offered to me, and held for me. I'd rather work for the smart person who knows how good I am, as I said, I have been lucky. Big old meany interviewers anyway; mediocrity rises to the top.

I've never gotten a job that I've ever interviewed for either. I'm horrible at the interview and the past couple jobs I had I didn't interview for. Ooh the joy nepotism lol. The last job I had, I was literally standing in the middle of the dining room of a restaurant as my boyfriend (who worked there) was talking to the manager. The owner walked in, pointed at me and said "You're pretty. We need someone pretty at the door. You're gonna work here." lol.

On to what I hate from the interviews... how can you be overqualified for a job and not have enough experience at the same time? Being overqualified has nothing to do with the fact that I have to pay bills and gain more experience. A job is a job is a job when you really need one. le sigh...

 

[carebear]

I've never gotten a job that I've ever interviewed for either. I'm horrible at the interview and the past couple jobs I had I didn't interview for. Ooh the joy nepotism lol. The last job I had, I was literally standing in the middle of the dining room of a restaurant as my boyfriend (who worked there) was talking to the manager. The owner walked in, pointed at me and said "You're pretty. We need someone pretty at the door. You're gonna work here." lol.

On to what I hate from the interviews... how can you be overqualified for a job and not have enough experience at the same time? Being overqualified has nothing to do with the fact that I have to pay bills and gain more experience. A job is a job is a job when you really need one. le sigh...

Good thing you weren't too pretty...

(not that there's any such thing)

 

[MissHuff]

Good thing you weren't too pretty...

(not that there's any such thing)

::blushes:: hehe

 

[Elaina]

Not interviews perse...

Been on both sides. Recently was "why do you want to write serial romances?" to a publisher.

And I gave an honest answer. "Because you pay the most and there is more name recognition out there for me then if I wrote these nasty long novels about families drenched in incest, malice and hedonisim."
Long pause "You can write stuff like that?"
me: "Well, yeah, but they certainly wouldn't pay as well."

I also read them and enjoy them, but that's the reason I have for writing them.

Another was about my short stories I write. I cultivated a "relationship" with a Jr. Ed (which means, I play nice to keep off the slush pile. Even if it's drivel, he'll at least read it.) He called me one day and asked to speak to me (which I use a pen name.) I said it was me and he replied "it can't be. E.L. is a guy."
(Really, now? Since when?) I didn't have a comeback.
"Oh <bleep>."
He called to tell me about the base topic for the mag in the coming months.

Of course, when I worked as a fast food manager, I did all the interviewing. Probably my favorite question at the end when I knew I was going to hire them (because the hiring is done on the basis of "Are you going to actually show up and work more then 2 weeks and not rip off the tills in the meantime?") was "And finally, do you have a pulse?"

One kid I hired said "Well, no, but I can work the close shift because I'm a vampire, so I can only come in from 7-1".

Sadly, he was serious.