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Author Topic: Really bad interview blunders
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 02:23 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I am at work right now, at a position I just started, and that I'm going to be leaving in a week and a half for something better. So it is necessary to interview someone new for the position.

As I have had temporary contracts for the last few months, I've had to go through quite a few interview situations in the last half year or so. Anyone got anything they want to share about interviewing?

I'm thinking of it because, right now, sitting in front of me (she can't see my monitor) is a person who is here for a 2:30 p.m. interview for the position I'm doing now. It's a tiny, two person office, and the reception area is small. She showed up at 12:45, an hour and 45 minutes early. The boss is out for lunch.

At first she said she wanted to get some literature on the organization to read before the interview. So I gave it to her. And what did she do? She said, "Okay, I'll read it here." And she did so. Then she went to the washroom after reading it for 15 minutes, and then came out, sat down and said, "I think I'll just wait here." This was at 1 p.m.

I said, "Until 2:30?" She said, "Yes," unconscious of anything strange about sitting in a reception area for almost 2 hours before an interview.

So here's my initial contribution to this thread: a Really Bad Interview Blunder is showing up way too early. I mean, it's bad form to show up half an hour or more early, but two hours!? Man.

What really sucks is that I'm hungry - haven't had my lunch yet, but I can't really leave the office unless I boot her out since I'm the only one here. Well, if the boss isn't back by 1:30, that's exactly what I'm going to do.


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
mighty brutus
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posted 24 September 2003 02:33 PM      Profile for mighty brutus     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Going to an interview and asking: "What's the company policy on theft?"
From: Beautiful Burnaby, British Columbia | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 02:35 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Haha! Or perhaps the more understated, "You don't need to bond me for this position, do you?" in a worried tone.

My interview blunders are less severe. Verbal tics like, "um" and "you know" and "like". Happens when I get nervous.


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
HeywoodFloyd
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posted 24 September 2003 02:39 PM      Profile for HeywoodFloyd     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Taking cell phone calls DURING the interview.

Checking your e-mail.

Checking your e-mail on the interviewers computer

Checking your e-mail on the interviewers computer while the interviewer is working on the computer.


From: Edmonton: This place sucks | Registered: Jun 2003  |  IP: Logged
kuba walda
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posted 24 September 2003 02:46 PM      Profile for kuba walda        Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
My interview blunders are less severe. Verbal tics like, "um" and "you know" and "like". Happens when I get nervous.

Me too. And also when I'm not sure of the "right" answer. One interview I went to -- Question: You are a carnival worker in charge of the ferris wheel. Its a very hot day and the ferris wheel stops with people on board. What do you do? What a dumb question considering it wasn't a carnnie job -


From: the garden | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 02:53 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Oh, I hate those kind of interviews where they ask you STUPID questions and you're supposed to guess what on earth they want you to say. Like, quit doing the mindfuck and just ask me whatever you want to know for the freaking JOB.

I'm lucky, I haven't run into any of the really stupid ones I've heard horror stories about. If I did hear one of those, I think I would just get through the interview and mentally write off that place anyhow. I figure, the interview should also at least partially be about whether the potential employee wants to work at that company, and if they're pulling crap like that the first time they meet me, I'm better off with a place that doesn't do that. In fact, if I were to have the choice between two offers - one from a place that did that kind of garbage in the interview, and one from a place that was straightforward, I would choose the place that was straightforward, and I would even consider doing so if they were paying less. (Not too much less, mind you. )

BTW, I can see the point of the carnival question - they want you to describe what you would do under pressure in an unfamiliar situation. When I talk about really "out there" questions, I'm talking about the really stupid ones, like, "If you had to get rid of one state, which one would it be?"

(Yeah, yeah, I know the Canadian answer - ALL OF THEM! )

[ 24 September 2003: Message edited by: Michelle ]


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
kuba walda
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posted 24 September 2003 02:55 PM      Profile for kuba walda        Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Problem is I already work here. It was for a promotion, which I ended up getting but it was still a stoopid question.
From: the garden | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
andrean
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posted 24 September 2003 03:02 PM      Profile for andrean     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
At one job interview, I wasn't feeling terribly well and I got lost, in the rain, on the way to the office. I showed up half an hour late, soaking wet, and feeling sort of weirdly giddy. When the hiring committee asked me why I should get the job, I listed a bunch of my qualifications and then added, "And because people like me." They were a little shocked by that, but agreed that it was important to have someone pleasant in the position.

The interview was on a Friday and I had to phone them back on the following Monday to let them know that they'd all been exposed to the chicken pox.

They gave me the job despite it all but insisted that I wait until the spots faded.


From: etobicoke-lakeshore | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 03:09 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
She's still sitting here. I can't believe it. She's really waiting until 2:30.

I told her at about 1:20 or 1:25 that I may go for lunch around 1:30 or so, in which case I would have to lock the office. She said, "Okay." I said, "In that case, we'd both have to leave." She said, "Okay. Just let me know."

I didn't bother because I've gotten interested in a couple of threads, so I don't really care. But I had a call to make for an appointment that is personal - but I don't really want to do so with someone sitting right next to my desk hearing every word!

Ha, the boss just got here. She said, "Oh, you're early," to the candidate. I refrained from saying, "Yeah, like you wouldn't believe."


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Mr. Magoo
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posted 24 September 2003 03:10 PM      Profile for Mr. Magoo   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
A few things to avoid:

- asking if the company drug plan includes "recreational" drugs

- eating a big hoagie during the interview

- when asked about qualifications that you've included on your resume, saying "You got eyes, doncha?"

- referring to managers and supervisors as "the screws"

- ending the interview with a handshake and "See ya - wouldn't wanna be ya!"

- absentmindedly doodling Pentagrams in the margin of your notes

- kicking your shoes off under the desk

- having to come back after the interview has ended, in sock feet, to get the shoes you left under the desk

- coming in at 2pm for interview with obvious pillow creases on your face

(All jokes aside, I once accepted a resume from a young man who wanted a job at the camera store I worked at. Of course when someone did this, we all went in the back to read their resume. Under "hobbies" - which is an unneccesary resume category anyway - this guy had put "scorpions". Seriously.)


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Tommy Shanks
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posted 24 September 2003 03:55 PM      Profile for Tommy Shanks     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Don't mention your history with Corrections Canada.

Don't ask how much and when you can take vacation.

Don't refer to an ex-boss as "fuck-head" or "lame-o".

Don't have grease and food stains on your resume or on your person.

Don't refer to women as "Hair-pins", "chickeepoos" or "babes".

Don't threaten to stalk anyone.

Wear a matching pair of socks and, if you have some, underwear.

Don't admit an intrest in being naked at work or a compulsive masturbation habit.

Don't admit that when you see any shade of red you think of blood. So much blood.


From: Toronto | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Briguy
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posted 24 September 2003 04:02 PM      Profile for Briguy     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I hate answering the question "What are your main weaknesses?". I've always wanted to answer with this list:

Um...let's see, I'm disorganised and a bit messy. I sometimes have trouble taking direction from others. I have a short temper with programs that don't work as advertised, and sometimes swear at the computer. I have little patience for managerial speak-of-the-week, and I'm not afraid to mock those who use it. My feet sometimes smell bad during the late hours of the afternoon. I eat too much sugar during the course of the day and have to burn off the excess energy by running down the hallways screaming. Much of my work ends up needing to be 'touched up' by those with more careful editing skills than myself. I generally don't care about this company nor my position in it. I'm not squeamish about describing my latest bodily functions to anyone who will listen. Every day is casual day to me, which of course means that every day is 'going commando' day. But besides for that, I'm a great worker!


From: No one is arguing that we should run the space program based on Physics 101. | Registered: Nov 2001  |  IP: Logged
Albireo
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posted 24 September 2003 04:09 PM      Profile for Albireo     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Well, when they ask a common pre-canned question, you just give them the common pre-canned answer: My greatest weakness is that I am too much of a perfectionist.

What do they expect to hear? My greatest weakness is that I'm hooked on a message board, and I will spend every possible moment of the work day on that message board, while doing the minimum possible in order not to be fired.


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Lima Bean
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posted 24 September 2003 04:11 PM      Profile for Lima Bean   Author's Homepage        Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I was asked that stupid question at the interview for the job I've got now. I told them that I was basically a scatterbrain, and it works best for me to have too many things to do and appear to have completely lost control...

I guess they bought it (cuz I got the job), and now when it looks like my desk was hit by a typhoon, they think I'm working at peak efficiency!!!

mmwaahahahaha


From: s | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 04:38 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by albireo:
What do they expect to hear? My greatest weakness is that I'm hooked on a message board, and I will spend every possible moment of the work day on that message board, while doing the minimum possible in order not to be fired.

Hahahaha! (It's funny because it's true!)

Actually, at my previous job which ended last Friday, I never babbled at work. I read it on my lunch break, but they had a professional IT department and I was afraid they'd catch me.

At this job, I'm not afraid of that, partly because I'm not staying here, partly because I don't like the job and partly because I have a new job starting in a week. And at the new job, I won't babble during work hours either. My work ethic isn't too bad that way, surprisingly. When I finished school and looked for work, the one thing I wondered was whether I was going to be able to control the surf habit at work. Then again, while the babbling and surfing habits were under control, I still wrote lots of personal e-mails. So I guess I'm not qualified for sainthood yet.


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
skdadl
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posted 24 September 2003 04:55 PM      Profile for skdadl     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Michelle, I can't believe it!

I have just read through this entire thread feeling so scared for you, and yet no one else -- including YOU -- seemed scared for you.

Why on earth did you not just tell her that she had to wait somewhere else??? Your office is not a waiting room??? Especially if you need food???

I mean, this can be done nicely. Maybe you know of a nice quiet bench outside somewhere.

But honestly! That is passive aggression of a kind I used to have to work with, and I swore: never again!

If it's your office and she doesn't belong there (yet), it's no good for her to pretend she'll just sit quietly. She is, in effect, giving you orders, and she must be stopped from doing that.

"Oh, you just go on with your work, skdadl. I won't disturb you." Yeah yeah yeah. I've met that before. Even if she wouldn't disturb me -- she would disturb me.

Her behaviour is an implicit order to you, and must be rejected at once.


From: gone | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 24 September 2003 05:05 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Nah, skdadl, it really wasn't like that. She was very young and timid and just didn't know any better. Also, she was quite nervous about the interview. So I think really it was just nerves on her part and not Nerve. She was really quite a nice person. If she were doing it like she owned the place, I would have gotten rid of her. I'm not shy.

She was very quiet and the boss got back a little after 2 and interviewed her right away (at which point I went out and grabbed some lunch - hey, skdadl, too bad I'm not staying at this job, I am literally two blocks away from you and we could've done lunch sometime). She ended up getting hired despite her timidity, which is nice - I'm happy for her. But nervous for her too. After all, I'm leaving for a reason.

[ 24 September 2003: Message edited by: Michelle ]


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
skdadl
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posted 24 September 2003 05:23 PM      Profile for skdadl     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Oh, well, then ... never mind.

The one time I had to interview people for a job in my department (for an editorial assistant at a national magazine), my major problem was the severe overqualification of all the applicants.

I knew what the job entailed -- being a glorified secretary, really, maybe being given a chance to learn some proofreading and copy-editing.

And one after another, the people I was interviewing had MAs at least, sometimes PhDs.

That was in 1973. I suspect that the world has not improved since then for people who want to put their love of reading and writing to work.


From: gone | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
mighty brutus
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posted 24 September 2003 05:48 PM      Profile for mighty brutus     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
How about asking the interviewer if they're single? If the answer is 'no', ask them "Do you fool around?"
From: Beautiful Burnaby, British Columbia | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
al-Qa'bong
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posted 24 September 2003 09:00 PM      Profile for al-Qa'bong   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Oh, I hate those kind of interviews where they ask you STUPID questions and you're supposed to guess what on earth they want you to say. Like, quit doing the mindfuck and just ask me whatever you want to know for the freaking JOB.

You realize, of course, that this type of question is used to assess, among other things, your ability to handle stress and difficult situations, your attitude and your reasoning abilities, so therefore it is a way of determining skills needed for the job.

And don't answer "I'm a perfectionist," or "I work too hard" when faced with the "What is your greatest weakness?" question.


From: Saskatchistan | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged
Tommy_Paine
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posted 25 September 2003 02:17 AM      Profile for Tommy_Paine     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Reminds me of a Tracy Ullman sketch where they gave the candidates for a job some matches, some clothes pegs and some other stuff, and told them to do something creative with them. The character Ullman played used them as props for a dance routine that would have shamed Bo Jangles himself.

In awe, the other character put the clothes pegs on his lips and quacked lamely.

I haven't had to interview for a job in almost 23 years.

I doubt I'd have the patience for it.


From: The Alley, Behind Montgomery's Tavern | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
rev biff mojo
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posted 25 September 2003 02:41 AM      Profile for rev biff mojo     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Dilbert was once asked his greatest weakness in an interview for a promotion:

"I work so hard that I forget about lunch and die and then stink up the place."

Other comments that should be avoided if you're being interviewed for a job (OK, these actually came from a list of really bad pick up lines, but essentially, it's all the same!)


- Wanna see where I got shanked in the pen?

- My, that's a very nice blouse you're wearing. And I LOVE what you've done with your bathroom! At least from what I could see from the bushes outside the window last night!

- Hmm, thats a good question; let me consult with the voices.


From: mortal coil | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged
batz
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posted 25 September 2003 03:19 AM      Profile for batz     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I have asked if the drug plan covered methadone, just in case. I have also asked if I could expense amphetamines for overtime. (No in both cases).

One interviewer asked me if I had ever killed anyone and I answered tearsely "I was acquitted, thankyou."

I recently told one interviewer "Well, it would probably cost a bazillion dollars for me to work for you, but the good news is that I'm here to sort out just how much a bazillion is."

The next interviewer who asks me where I see myself in 5 years I'm going to tell them,
"Firing you."

"Just kidding, but seriously, 5 years ago, if someone had asked you that same question, would you have imagined yourself sitting right there, as you are now, asking that question for the thirtieth time today? Grim isn't it."

Other things I've said to interviewers:

"Wow, that sounds excruciatingly boring, thankyou for your time. Goodbye."

"How long do you see yourself working here?"

"So how do you know when you've succeeded?"

"I'm sorry, I think you've missed a decimal place."

"Do I have to work for _you_?"

"Are you my manager or my assistant?"

And to my boss after being there for 2 weeks, (we became friends afterwards):

"Hey, I was wondering what ridiculous whim you intend to have me fulfill for you this morning, and whether I should expect any new ones for this afternoon."

He just looked at me in shock.

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Hah, too late now then isn't it. What can I do for you? "

[ 25 September 2003: Message edited by: batz ]


From: elsewhere | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
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posted 25 September 2003 08:56 AM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by al-Qa'bong:
You realize, of course, that this type of question is used to assess, among other things, your ability to handle stress and difficult situations, your attitude and your reasoning abilities, so therefore it is a way of determining skills needed for the job.

Oh, I know. And I don't mind questions like that Carnival question above. It's ones like "Which state would you get rid of" that annoy me. You can find out how people handle stress just by doing a penetrating interview with straightforward questions as well.

quote:
And don't answer "I'm a perfectionist," or "I work too hard" when faced with the "What is your greatest weakness?" question.

Yeah. Besides, in my case, it's just not true. They say that the strategy for that question has changed - giving a pat answer where you pretend that something that is actually a good quality is really a bad one (making yourself look good) is transparent. Now they say to give them a real weakness that doesn't effect the central focus of the job, but then to also show that you've overcome that weakness.

For instance, if you're applying as a job as a window-washer for a skyscraper, don't tell them, "Well, I'm afraid of heights." But for me, as an admin assistant, my answer to that question (and it's truthful too!) is that I am the type of person who forgets to do things unless I write them down. So you'll usually find sticky-notes on my desk with various jottings, a calendar with important dates and reminders on it, and to do lists on my desk, and that's what works for me when it comes to remembering tasks.

It works. Everyone in an office who has to multi-task can relate - there aren't too many people who can remember the 12 things that various people have asked them to do in the last 10 minutes. And most people come up with a strategy for dealing with it.


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Tommy_Paine
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posted 26 September 2003 03:28 AM      Profile for Tommy_Paine     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
It's too bad they did away with the old Rorshack test for interviews and such.

I always wanted to answer "dead puppies" to all of them, just to see the reaction of the tester.


From: The Alley, Behind Montgomery's Tavern | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Medea Callous
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posted 26 September 2003 04:59 AM      Profile for Medea Callous     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Sarcasmobri:
I hate answering the question "What are your main weaknesses?".

Yeah, I know. I've always wanted to say 'I'm a pathological liar. And I'm addicted to porno. Oh by the way, I was lying about the porno.'


From: Vancouver | Registered: Sep 2003  |  IP: Logged
Willowdale Wizard
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posted 26 September 2003 05:27 AM      Profile for Willowdale Wizard   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
in early august, i had an interview where i was asked where my girlfriend worked, what department she worked in, how long we had been going out and how we met. it was the first time that i nearly walked out of an interview.

a friend of my brother's applied to a sales job at futureshop, and the interviewer suddenly held out a ball-point BIC and said "sell me this pen" ...

my worst blunder was in an interview for bbc online in nov 2000 ... in the interview, they asked about a scenario about a "top stories of 2000" feature, and what five domestic and five international stories would you choose, and what video/audio clips would you use with them,

so, i started with international stories, and my first was the 2nd intifada with sharon's visit to the temple mount. and the video clip that i wanted to include was:

(telegraph, oct 2 2000)

quote:
Television footage of the boy, Mohammed al-Durra, holding on to his father while they hid behind a concrete barrel was repeatedly shown on all Arab stations. According to witnesses, the boy's father, Jamal, shouted above the gunfire, "My child is dying", but there was no let-up in the firing.

The boy cried in terror while bullets ripped into the breeze block wall beside him and his father waved wildly to attract attention. Then the terrified boy slumped as he was hit. A Palestinian ambulanceman tried to make his way across the road to the pair but was shot dead.


and the BBC interviewer stopped me, and said, let's flesh this out, how much of the clip would you show, and i said can you clarify what you mean, and he said, well, would you show the point of death, and i pondered and said i'd show as much of it as i could, and, whammo, he said it was against BBC policy to show the point of death.

the interview was kind of lifeless after that, since i knew that i'd blown it.


From: england (hometown of toronto) | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged
kuba walda
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posted 26 September 2003 12:58 PM      Profile for kuba walda        Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Its Easter week-end you have a luncheon booked with your team and plan to leave afterwards to go get your hair done. Then you have to pick up your mother at the airport, get the kids Easter eggs, make supper and go to Church. Your boss comes to you at quarter to 12 with an important task that needs to be done before the close of business. What do you do?

The wrong answer apparently was to stay????? Appparently team lunches are very important. Also folks got docked points if they weren't polite to the hair dresser.


From: the garden | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Doug
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posted 26 September 2003 07:59 PM      Profile for Doug   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
My answer: I shave my head, so I don't need anyone to do my hair. I don't have a car, so mom will have to take a taxi. I don't have kids, so I don't need to get eggs, and I don't go to church.

I'd so get that job.

quote:
Originally posted by kuba walda:
Its Easter week-end you have a luncheon booked with your team and plan to leave afterwards to go get your hair done. Then you have to pick up your mother at the airport, get the kids Easter eggs, make supper and go to Church. Your boss comes to you at quarter to 12 with an important task that needs to be done before the close of business. What do you do?

The wrong answer apparently was to stay????? Appparently team lunches are very important. Also folks got docked points if they weren't polite to the hair dresser.



From: Toronto, Canada | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Tommy_Paine
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posted 26 September 2003 11:53 PM      Profile for Tommy_Paine     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
All stuff and nonesense, all these interview questions.

I bet the interviewer makes up his/her mind within thirty seconds of meeting you.

The rest is just gratuitious sadism.

Not much outlets for sociopaths, you know. Pretty much limited to politicians, human resources managers, and serial killers.


From: The Alley, Behind Montgomery's Tavern | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
clersal
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posted 26 September 2003 11:59 PM      Profile for clersal     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I had a friend who applied for a job in a women's prison. One of the questions: The inmates are in the swimming pool and refuse to get out. What do you do?

My friend's answer was pull the plug and let the water out.

Wrong! The right answer: Call for help.

She didn't get the job.


From: Canton Marchand, Québec | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
rev biff mojo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4392

posted 27 September 2003 09:01 AM      Profile for rev biff mojo     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I would have said "Throw in an electric hair dryer".

I mean it's a prison after all.


From: mortal coil | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged
rev biff mojo
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4392

posted 27 September 2003 09:14 AM      Profile for rev biff mojo     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Speaking of "What is my greatest weakness?", I once received a job performance review that was written by an immediate supervisor but delivered by the divisional head. It read:

"Biff gets along well with his co-workers. He priorizes his tasks efficiently and executes them in a timely manner. However Biff tends to get annoyed by people who 'don't tow the line'".

I looked at the last line and asked if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The divisional head said he didn't know.

So I guess I've got my "weakness".

I think I'll patent it.


From: mortal coil | Registered: Aug 2003  |  IP: Logged
Mr. Magoo
guilty-pleasure
Babbler # 3469

posted 28 September 2003 12:59 AM      Profile for Mr. Magoo   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
[pet peeve]

Biff tends to get annoyed by people who 'don't tow the line'

Did you give your "perfectionist" claims some extra credibility by pointing out that it's actually "toe the line"?

[/pet peeve]


From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged
redshift
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1675

posted 28 September 2003 01:15 AM      Profile for redshift     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
you're assuming biff didn't work on a canal.
From: cranbrook,bc | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
dianal who asked to be unregistered
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4192

posted 29 September 2003 12:26 PM      Profile for dianal who asked to be unregistered     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
omg what a great topic! for me, anyway

I switched career gears a year ago.... not from 1st to 13th but a change nonetheless.... UMPTEEN interviews later.... I could write a book!

I always asked for feedback when I was called to be told someone with just a TICH more experience got the job...I was wonderful, amazing, nothing they could offer me to improve my education, experience, interview, etc. but.... I'm always the bridesmaid

I've now returned to my post secondary education...taking a year and getting some 'paper'

The interviews are all by 'committee'... I think because I am management level. I had a roommate who just needed to earn rent money while going to college... and her interviews were with one person who walked her around the plant store and asked her when she could start ? One interview I had was 1 1/2 hours of answering questions and scenarios (one staff person complains to you that another staff person isn't doing her fair share...how do you deal with that?) and another 1 1/2 hours of alone time to, among other tasks, schedule 42 staff for 2 facilities running 24/7 on 3 shifts. I was offered that job btw

A few other times I know I was discriminated against for being female. 2 men interviewing me and a disproportionate amount of questions about physical confrontations, weapons, and how would I deal with that? It was only after I left that I thought.. 'hey! they were challenging me on being able to physically defend myself!'

Is it just me or do many of us just KNOW when we've blown an interview. I ended one particularly painful interview with 'thank you very much for your time. I hope you find the right person'. ouch.


From: There is a deep lack of respect in the belief that we know what others need... | Registered: Jun 2003  |  IP: Logged
dianal who asked to be unregistered
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4192

posted 30 September 2003 01:32 AM      Profile for dianal who asked to be unregistered     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
okay..now I feel like a discussion killer.
From: There is a deep lack of respect in the belief that we know what others need... | Registered: Jun 2003  |  IP: Logged
kuba walda
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3134

posted 30 September 2003 12:22 PM      Profile for kuba walda        Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
My answer: I shave my head, so I don't need anyone to do my hair. I don't have a car, so mom will have to take a taxi. I don't have kids, so I don't need to get eggs, and I don't go to church.
I'd so get that job.

Sorry Doug you wouldn't have. Those were exactly the WRONG answers. You would balanace work and family and take your booked leave.


From: the garden | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
redshift
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1675

posted 30 September 2003 01:19 PM      Profile for redshift     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
i'm pretty sure this kid is now a union electrician.
Actual Job Application...

This is an actual job application that a 17 year old boy submitted to McDonald's in Florida... and they hired him because he was so honest and funny!

NAME: Greg Bulmash.

SEX: Not yet. Still waiting for the right person.

DESIRED POSITION: Company's President or Vice President. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying here in the first place.

DESIRED SALARY: $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.

EDUCATION: Yes.

LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.

SALARY: Less than I'm worth.

MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.

REASON FOR LEAVING: It sucked.

HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.

PREFERRED HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.

MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?

DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 LBS?: Of what?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"

HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearing house Sweepstakes.

DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job no, on my breaks yes.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy dumb sexy blonde super model who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.

DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Yes. Absolutely.

SIGN HERE: Aries


From: cranbrook,bc | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
Mr. Magoo
guilty-pleasure
Babbler # 3469

posted 30 September 2003 01:44 PM      Profile for Mr. Magoo   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Humourous, but Snopes says no.
From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged

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