Interview questions

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Originally Posted by Stuart

I find that off the top of my head I tend to struggle with "Name a time that...." questions. I'm sure I have examples, but since those scenarios are just part of the job, nothing ever stands out for me. In the past I've never really prepared for interviews (I never had any career jobs before) and did okay. Now I'm finally in a place that I can better answer questions though.

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Those are crappy questions. Most of the time it's about things you do on a daily basis and oughtn't remember specifically. A lot of the questions are really meaningless, but people feel like they must ask something, and don't realize they'd be better off setting up a test instead. Like for IT stuff, you take some computers or an environment, create a few failures and require some tasks to be executed, but nothing specific to the environment that they couldn't know.

That's why networking (not the computer kind here!) is so important -- you can reduce the impact of "I don't know them, don't know what they want, they don't know me" and maybe that whole dance of how much do you want to get paid vs. what is the pay range they are offering. I've had a pretty good glib answer on the last lately. I tell them I won't expect the same salary I had at my last company if they promise not to make me live in a dusty crappy desert and won't shoot at me.

River answer...
Forget about the river...
Just forget about it...
http://www.randall.k12.wi.us/gifs/canoe.gif

He didn't notice for ten minutes... had to go back ten minutes...
20 minutes total....
so...
1km in 1/3 of an hour.
1*3=3
The rate of change of position, or v = 3km per hour.

http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Spor...oats/Canoe.gif
Displacement over time.
The river is a distraction from the equation...
You start thinking about the river and all the implications - when they specifically state: "the river flows at a constant rate".
Ignore it.

[Tooth]

Questions I hate:

1.What are your strengths/weaknesses?


2. When was the last time you "thought out of the box".

Number 2 is an ironic question if they are reading it off of a sheet of paper.

I also don't know what to do with questions about achievements and times that you saved the company millions of dollars. I haven't done that. I show up to work and do my job. Those questions are in the same class as any questions about management. The corporate world is very focused on having a company full of managers and weeding out everyone else.

What am I supposed to say if I DON'T want to manage people? I've noticed that when I apply for claims positions, it goes over fine if I tell them that sales is not my cup of tea, they totally understand. If it was, I wouldn't be applying for the position. I kind of feel the same way about entry level positions as well. I was talking to the Regional VP of a company we sold insurance with, and the only question he asked me was, "Are you looking to get into management?" I wasn't sure how to answer that question. I want to be honest and tell them that if I was interested in managing people, I'd apply to be a manager, and that right now I'm interested in managing my own files. Unfortunately, saying that you haven't wanted to run a company and be a manager since you were five years-old makes you sound unmotivated.

I hate "What is your biggest weakness?", I don't want to tell you what sucks about me...

Not necessarily a question but part of management jackassery, I have had two different jobs not pan out because HR people decided to not forward my concerns higher up but instead say "Oh, it'll be fine not a problem"

Also just watched this again and thought it was just about right for this thread

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZeJlUD68Hc

Easiest interview I ever had was when I applied to be a weldor for a vendor for Burlington RR. The foreman saw me ride up on the Harley I had at the time and checked it out for about 15 minutes. He finally asked me why I wanted to work there. I simply told him that some day down the road I wanted his job. He hired me on the spot and a year or so later when he went to the front office I was given his job.

I quit 3 months later to go to work for the State[Tooth]

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Originally Posted by Bailey Guns

JeffCo Sheriff's interview in 1989. Little, short corporal named Ron R. asked this question of me:

Q: What's the strangest thing you've ever done sexually?

A: Uhhh...you mean like with animals or people? Ha, ha, ha!

(Nervous laughter from other board members...I'm not sure they were prepared for the question/answer)

I got hired.

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I was a Captain at Jeffco in '89. I probably chaired that board.

Track records and achievements. Talking about track records and achievements questions are one of the hardest for me.

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Originally Posted by Stuart

Number 2 is an ironic question if they are reading it off of a sheet of paper.

I also don't know what to do with questions about achievements and times that you saved the company millions of dollars. I haven't done that. I show up to work and do my job. Those questions are in the same class as any questions about management. The corporate world is very focused on having a company full of managers and weeding out everyone else.

What am I supposed to say if I DON'T want to manage people? I've noticed that when I apply for claims positions, it goes over fine if I tell them that sales is not my cup of tea, they totally understand. If it was, I wouldn't be applying for the position. I kind of feel the same way about entry level positions as well. I was talking to the Regional VP of a company we sold insurance with, and the only question he asked me was, "Are you looking to get into management?" I wasn't sure how to answer that question. I want to be honest and tell them that if I was interested in managing people, I'd apply to be a manager, and that right now I'm interested in managing my own files. Unfortunately, saying that you haven't wanted to run a company and be a manager since you were five years-old makes you sound unmotivated.

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Originally Posted by StagLefty

I was asked if I spoke Spanish. That is a requirement for this position I was told. My response was why wasn't this on the job posting or at least why wasn't it brought up during phone conversation.

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I wonder if HR people get some sort of bonus for wasting peoples' time.

I recently replied to a help wanted ad with my resume and salary history/requirements (just like the ad requested).

Well after a long drawn out interview (full of the latest corporate psychobabble "behavioral interviewing" crap) at the end I caught a glimpse at the HR lady's info sheet on the position and I noticed the top figure on the pay range was a hair over half of what I make now. I didn't say anything at the time but got a nice "thanks but no-thanks" letter a few days latter. Apparently they decided not to offer me the job because they couldn't come close to my salary requirements. [Bang]