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Speaking of interviews next Wednesday I'll be going to my third interview for a healthcare company to meet the department's director. My last interview went really well but now I'll be talking with the bosses boss. Any tips on what I should expect from someone who went through something similar since its pretty new territory for me?
A BIG FUCKING BLUNT fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 04:04
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Had a job interview this morning over Skype. They didn't give me any opportunity to schedule it, they were just like "it's at 10am, be available." Then as we were finishing they demanded (without any advance notice) I be available for the next 90 minutes to take a writing test, and it had to be done immediately. I wanted to be accommodating, but it's like, give me a heads up so I can clear my schedule. Thank god I have a job and can just tell people like that no thanks.
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Feb 4, 2014 17:59
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...were they aware you have a job? That you like, need to be doing/at 10-12 on a Tuesday? Thats totally insane. Especially just demanding an additional hour and a half. My question: I know its been discussed before but what is the protocol for follow-ups during the interview process to make sure you're still on track? My last contact was last Wednesday and I am thinking of sending a follow-up/status check tomorrow or Thursday. I believe my next round is supposed to be an in person so I assume setting that up will take some time (most people at this company travel a lot) but I would feel better knowing something hasn't gone off the rails.
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Feb 4, 2014 18:24
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Xguard86 posted:...were they aware you have a job? That you like, need to be doing/at 10-12 on a Tuesday? Thats totally insane. Especially just demanding an additional hour and a half. I mean, they had my resume. First they wanted me to fly out, which would have been fine on a Monday or Friday but I can't just fly across country mid-week. Plus I'd have had to pay for it myself...
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Feb 4, 2014 18:35
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I applied for a job just before Christmas a couple of years ago. I got an e-mail back on the 22nd of December, they were asking me to record a short video answering some questions and submit it by the 26th. This happened a day before I was due to leave town for the holidays, to visit family (and in this country almost everything shuts down from the 24th to the 26th). It had to be done using a webcam on a particular website, so I couldn't just record it on my phone and send that in. So then I had to find out if any of the relatives I was visiting had a webcam and a reasonable internet connection, and spend time during Christmas holidays stressing about this video. I really wanted the job so I did the video, and did it well enough to get asked to do a Skype interview, but I wasn't happy about it. Didn't end up getting the job, which is probably for the best. In retrospect, I don't think I would have fit in well at that company.
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Feb 4, 2014 18:50
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Xandu posted:I mean, they had my resume. Pay for your own flight? What industry is this, if I can ask? That's like so disconnected from reality in so many ways I almost cannot fathom a successful business operated by such people.
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Feb 4, 2014 19:37
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Xandu posted:Had a job interview this morning over Skype. They didn't give me any opportunity to schedule it, they were just like "it's at 10am, be available." Then as we were finishing they demanded (without any advance notice) I be available for the next 90 minutes to take a writing test, and it had to be done immediately. That's quite dickish. I had an interviewer just call me in the middle of the day for a phone interview completely out of the blue, and when I asked if it would be possible to reschedule because I was in a car driving my friends somewhere, they offered either now or in like three weeks when someone will return from vacation. I wasn't particularly interested in that job so when we got to the "where do you see yourself in 2-5 years" question, I just said I'd want to start my own business ASAP for greater freedom. They never called me back. For my current job they sent me their offer and expected to start on the first of next month... which was the next day, leaving barely enough time to go sign the contract, let alone consider the offer or negotiate anything.
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Feb 4, 2014 20:59
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A few years back, I half drunkenly filed out a job application at 2:00 AM on a Sunday / Monday night and got a call at 9:00 AM for a phone interview. I don't know if that saying about wearing shoes during important phone calls has any merits, but I'd advise against doing phone interview butt naked at 9:00 AM. And I'd advise against calling unemployed people at 9:00 AM on a Monday without prior notice, especially if you intend to ask them if they can be in Australia by Thursday. (They were offering roughly 60% of what I'd been making for 50% more work so I turned them down. It was the creepiest interview ever, too.) FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 21:42
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Speaking of 2AM job applications... I stayed up super late last night to polish up the resume before applying for an internal position located in another country. Filled in a web-form based copy of the resume and everything was great until... there's a question whether I'm legally authorized to work in the country, yes/no. Well I would be if I were offered the job, so... no? But then, what are the chances that selecting that would auto-shitcan my application?
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Feb 5, 2014 18:40
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mobby_6kl posted:Speaking of 2AM job applications... Either they can and will sponsor you, and you should say no so that they can get that ball rolling, or they are not willing or able to sponsor you and you should say no so that no one wastes their time. Unless, of course, you have a work visa or something and can work there without needing employer sponsorship.
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Feb 5, 2014 19:28
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Hey folks, just looking for some other opinions on my current CV. I am using it to look for summer software internships as a 3rd year comp sci student. Thanks! CV Download.
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Feb 6, 2014 17:08
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Has anyone ever went to a job interview that left them really confused? I had an interview the other day for a park ranger position at a state lake. It's literally being a cop on a boat. I'd have to take law enforcement training, be patrolling the waters 40% of the time (according to the information packet they sent me after they offered me an interview), issuing citations, and stuff like that. Basically law enforcement at a state park. During the interview they never asked me anything about if I could drive a boat, or if I had ever even been in a boat, or if I could swim. Guns were never mentioned except the one time I brought it up and the interviewers were dodgy when I asked them questions. They asked me 6 questions total, and I responded and they wrote down comments on their answers. That was the whole interview. They also passed me the printed questions on slips of paper. This was with a state government agency that's also co-run by the federal government so there were 2 state and 1 federal guy at the interview. I don't remember all of the questions but one was a generic "Why do you want to work here?" and the other was "What do you think are the duties of a park ranger?". One of the questions was "Describe your experience using and maintaining construction equipment". That's a pretty vague question so I asked "Can you give me an example of the kind of equipment that would be used on this job?" and the 3 people just looked at each other and one was like "Well you know, anything you would use for construction. Just anything you might use on a job site". They didn't want to answer any of my questions. I guess I was just pretty shocked that this position that is essentially a cop on a boat doesn't even care if you have even seen a gun let alone have used one, or if you can swim or are comfortable on the water. Or if you are comfortable in a position of authority. I just went in there totally unprepared. I studied up on state boating regulations and the law enforcement academy and all that stuff, expecting them to ask me questions that, you know, were actually related to the job duties which is literally being a cop on a boat. It was just so generic and weird. Every time I asked a question they all just looked at each other and gave me some non-answer. I asked them how they would define success in this position, ie what I would need to do/accomplish after a year or two for them to say they made the right decision in hiring me. They had no idea what I was talking about and one guy was like "well you have to fill out daily job reports every day so I guess you would have to do that". I just don't understand how they are going to find a qualified applicant for this position when they didn't seem to care or ask me anything about being able to perform the actual duties of the job. I answered all the questions and feel like I did okay, but I don't think I even want the job after that. It was weird. Also, the actual job application said NOTHING about boats or being on the water. I only found that out after they offered my the interview. Again, don't you think that might be something they would like to mention in the job application? That you'll be on a boat half the time? But on the upside, about an hour before the interview, I got a phone call offering me a phone interview for a different job that's more along the lines of what I actually want to do. I have that phone interview tomorrow and I am much more excited about that position.
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Feb 6, 2014 21:53
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I spent about ten years working on boats and around boats and no one ever asked if I could swim, for what it's worth.
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Feb 6, 2014 21:56
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Occam's Razor here says they probably just don't give a poo poo, and have some specific state and federal guidelines that they're supposed to ask in an interview so they just ask those. Chances are the job is just going to go to a cousin or buddy anyway.
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Feb 6, 2014 22:00
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SlightlyMadman posted:Occam's Razor here says they probably just don't give a poo poo, and have some specific state and federal guidelines that they're supposed to ask in an interview so they just ask those. Chances are the job is just going to go to a cousin or buddy anyway. That's what I think. They just get these generic questions passed down from above. The government has "diversity quotas" and they have to interview like, a woman and a black guy even if they're totally not qualified. I think I just was the female person they needed to interview. It was still weird. It was just odd how they dodged practically all of my questions. I tried to show interest in the position by asking specific questions and they just stared at each other and looked at the desk. It was as if they weren't expecting me to ask any questions. They also told me that they have a hard time keeping someone in this position and pretty much everybody has quit after a year.
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Feb 6, 2014 22:07
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It's probably paranoia about being equal opportunity. If they don't ask everyone exactly the same questions, they may be giving someone an advantage. Your enthusiasm puts them in a difficult position, since you put them in a position where they may give you information someone else doesn't get.
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Feb 6, 2014 22:30
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bort posted:It's probably paranoia about being equal opportunity. If they don't ask everyone exactly the same questions, they may be giving someone an advantage. Your enthusiasm puts them in a difficult position, since you put them in a position where they may give you information someone else doesn't get. I guess there's the reason why they can't keep people in that position then. I can see them having to ask everyone the exact same questions but not being able to answer my questions, or not even talking about my qualifications? Isn't it good if one person asks more questions and shows more interest? Don't they WANT the most qualified person with the most enthusiasm for the position? I felt like I got penalized for caring about the job and asking questions. I had copies of my resume and I gave them to everyone there when I showed up for the interview and they seem shocked like... holy poo poo, this person is PREPARED? What does this mean? What do we even do with this? I know one of the guys never looked at my resume because I met with him the day before and mentioned my master's research and he asked me a bunch of questions about it. He had no idea I even went to graduate school which is at the very top of my resume. So he was just blindly interviewing me and this guy would be my direct supervisor! I had an interview with a different state agency last year and it made a lot more sense than this one. I guess it's just different state regulations? This weird one I had was in New Mexico. I had an interview for a sort-of equivalent position in Kansas (minus the law enforcement part) and they asked me really insightful questions, had me ID native plants and birds on a powerpoint slide, talked specifically about the job and what it entailed, and actually had me talk about my qualifications. I guess the whole thing just left me scratching my head. As if everything I have ever read or learned about interviewing skills and what to do during an interview was completely rear end-backwards with this position. razz fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Feb 6, 2014 |
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Feb 6, 2014 22:40
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What do you mean, can I swim? Are you asking me that because I'm black?!
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Feb 6, 2014 22:44
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Feb 6, 2014 22:46
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There are two junior positions open at a local company that I'm interested in. Each position is distinct enough to warrant different job titles, but their qualifications are pretty much the same. It's a small company (no more than about 50 people) and you apply via direct email, so chances are my application(s) will be viewed by the same person. What's the protocol here? Do I make two separate pairs of cover letters and resumes as if I'm applying to different companies, or should I just make one application and say that I'm interested in either Position A or Position B?
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Feb 7, 2014 02:25
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I'd pick the one you are most qualified for and then tailor your cover letter to call out the other role: "I’m looking for a great place to work where my experience can help a company excel. If that isn't as a [position you are applying for], it could very well could be as a [other position you are qualified for]."
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Feb 7, 2014 10:18
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I disagree. I would send a separate resume and cover letter for each job. They might be similar positions within different divisions of the company or under different supervisors and they might not necessarily be linked in any way. I wouldn't count on some HR person to go out of their way to forward your resume to multiple people.
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Feb 7, 2014 14:46
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For a company with less than 50 people? edit: granted, it's not like they're going to toss your resume in the trash because you send two emails for different positions.
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Feb 7, 2014 14:51
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That's what I'm saying, why risk it? It will take an extra 5 seconds to apply to both jobs. What's the downside to applying for both? I see jobs like this come up all the time in my field - practically identical jobs with the same job descriptions at the same place but if you do a little digging or talk to someone at the facility, they're supervised by different people. And even if they're supervised by the same person, I don't see the harm in sending a job application for both. You never know. It's not like some hiring boss is going to go "Ha, look at this loser, sending two applications in for two different jobs!"
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Feb 7, 2014 17:35
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razz posted:I see jobs like this come up all the time in my field - practically identical jobs with the same job descriptions at the same place but if you do a little digging or talk to someone at the facility, they're supervised by different people. You're a field biologist, right? That's what these positions are for. I'll take your advice. Thanks!
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Feb 7, 2014 17:48
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Mak0rz posted:You're a field biologist, right? That's what these positions are for. I'll take your advice. Thanks! Yes. I just had a really similar thing come up with USAJobs. 2 identical positions, at the same place, same pay, same job description, word-for-word. I called a guy I knew there and one job was a 2-month position doing biological surveys and the other was a one-year tractor driver position. Neither job even mentioned a tractor (even though one job was literally nothing but being a tractor driver) and both were listed as one-year term positions so...yeah, just apply for everything. If you are applying for state/federal/any government biology jobs, the job announcements are just generic copy-pastes written by some random HR person in a different department that have literally nothing to do with the job. Really frustrating. Oh and to edit: If the jobs really were identical, and they really were the same job being supervised by the same person, there would generally only be one job announcement but it would say "Multiple vacancies available (2)" or something like that. In those cases you would just submit one resume/cover letter, because they will choose 2 people out of the applicant pool. This comes up a lot with USAJbos as well - multiple vacancies in multiple locations and you just submit one application and check which locations you're interested in. If the job is listed twice, it's definitely two different positions or the jobs differ in some way, like they may be the same job but funded by different agencies, meaning the hiring process goes through two entirely separate channels. You'd be surprised how often this comes up (multiple agency involvement) especially with biology. For example, you might apply for a job at a state wildlife area, but the position is funded by USFWS which is federal, so you have to go through the federal hiring process even though technically you'd be working for the state. Or it could go the other way around - I worked on a national wildlife refuge (which is federal) but it was a job that was funded through the University of Illinois so I was technically a state employee and only had to go through the state employment process and wasn't involved with the feds at all. razz fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 03:49
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razz posted:I guess there's the reason why they can't keep people in that position then. I can see them having to ask everyone the exact same questions but not being able to answer my questions, or not even talking about my qualifications? Isn't it good if one person asks more questions and shows more interest? Don't they WANT the most qualified person with the most enthusiasm for the position? I felt like I got penalized for caring about the job and asking questions. I had copies of my resume and I gave them to everyone there when I showed up for the interview and they seem shocked like... holy poo poo, this person is PREPARED? What does this mean? What do we even do with this? I know one of the guys never looked at my resume because I met with him the day before and mentioned my master's research and he asked me a bunch of questions about it. He had no idea I even went to graduate school which is at the very top of my resume. So he was just blindly interviewing me and this guy would be my direct supervisor! Before I landed my current position I had several federal interviews like that. They would ask standardized questions, and would warn you upfront that they wouldn't be able to answer questions. I think it's meant to make the interviews more equal, but it results in a rather awkward interview.
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Feb 9, 2014 01:40
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I have a bit of a weird references situation - all the people I would use as references are also people that I've been in recent touch with regarding work positions (I work in a very networking-heavy field). Basically, I either don't want them to know I'm looking for work (because I anticipate pursuing something with that person), or, I've already been in touch with them about possible employment and it would be weird asking them for a reference for a different job. I don't know that there's any solution to this. I'm going for a second interview at a place tomorrow and I haven't yet provided any references. If they specifically ask I'll have to dodge it somehow - would it be acceptable to say something like, "as I'm pursuing a number of employment options I think it might be a bit sensitive to provide contacts at this point". I know this isn't great, but I think its the most honest answer.
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Feb 9, 2014 21:52
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Sir John Falstaff posted:Before I landed my current position I had several federal interviews like that. They would ask standardized questions, and would warn you upfront that they wouldn't be able to answer questions. I think it's meant to make the interviews more equal, but it results in a rather awkward interview. So what's the trick then? Just answer their generic questions with equally generic answers? They never told me up-front that I couldn't ask questions. I guess I see why they do it, it's a government equality/HR issue. But how the hell do they find the most qualified applicant with such generic questions that have nothing to do with the actual duties of the job? It boggles my mind that they don't want the best person for the job, they want the person with the most generic HR squeaky clean answers. I guess this is probably at the root of the whole "government incompetency" thing.
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Feb 9, 2014 22:57
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Cyril Sneer posted:I have a bit of a weird references situation - all the people I would use as references are also people that I've been in recent touch with regarding work positions (I work in a very networking-heavy field). Basically, I either don't want them to know I'm looking for work (because I anticipate pursuing something with that person), or, I've already been in touch with them about possible employment and it would be weird asking them for a reference for a different job. I don't see the problem. Employers know that people who are job hunting may be (and probably are) looking at multiple companies at once. Just list them (after asking them).
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Feb 9, 2014 23:03
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I've never had to interview for anything in my short time looking for jobs. I have a mock interview through my school in the upcoming weeks. They sent a mock job position and some other information about the process. One thing that caught my attention is the “behavioral-based interviewing”. I had no idea that there were different 'types', I guess, of interviews. What might this entail? I know it's a mock interview to help with interviewing skills but any step up I can get at this point would be helpful. Rather be ahead of the curve going in than wait for whatever they might say after this.
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Feb 10, 2014 04:43
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Behavioral means you will be getting questions that start with 'tell me about a time when...'. They want to know how you behave in common situations. Conversely a skill-based interview would have you writing code or poaching an egg, depending on the job of course. Google for sample behavioral interview questions and information on the STAR method. Practice!
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Feb 10, 2014 05:21
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Situation/Task/Action/Result is pretty great, as Houston Rockets said. You can probably guess what sorts of situations they will be asking about based on the job description so you can come up with your examples ahead of time. I found that keeping "STAR" in my head while talking really helped me hit the parts I had rehearsed and not just ramble. Also I try to practice speaking my responses out loud in the car while driving to the interview so I get an idea of where I might stumble or what words I use too much. Some possible examples. "Tell me about a time when you..." - Had to balance multiple projects - Made a mistake at work - Had to deal with a difficult co-worker - Took a leadership role in [whatever] - etc. Honestly I think these are kind of bullshit and mainly screen for people who are good at talking and/or have prepared because it's not hard to come up with a BS unverifiable answer that makes yourself look good. That said, if you stumble all over yourself saying "Uhh" a lot and don't answer the question you won't look great, so practice!
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Feb 10, 2014 20:46
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Any suggestions on securing interviews in cities far away from your current location? I started applying for jobs this semester since it's my last semester of graduate school and I've been getting decent responses, though the majority of places want me to contact them or apply again closer to May (when I graduate). I just have a itching feeling that I'm not being considered in some of the positions because I live across the country from where I want to move. So, I'll be applying closer to graduation time, but wanted to know if there's anything I can do to help in this regard so I don't get thrown into a "Do Not Consider" bin just because of location. Chaotic Flame fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Feb 11, 2014 |
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Feb 10, 2014 23:45
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Chaotic Flame posted:Any suggestions on securing interviews in cities far away from your current location? I want to relocate so I pretty much exclusively apply to jobs in different states. I don't think it's been a hindrance at all, what with Skype interviews becoming popular and acceptable and whatnot. It's more likely that you're not being considered because you are applying to jobs 3 months before you can start.
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Feb 11, 2014 00:01
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Jesus I just had a long interview. It was intense but I think I did well. I am going to send thank you letters but I never had a chance to get the email of the interviewers, only the recruiter. Is it weird if I find their emails online and send them one?
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Feb 11, 2014 01:24
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OK, so, I have a decent resume written up. Said decent resume got me a job which looks better than anything else on my resume. This job starts in September, but for experience + food purposes I would like a job before then. Should I mention the future job in resume, cover letter, or neither?
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Feb 11, 2014 02:41
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The only reason to mention it is if you want your potential employers to know you you're only going to be available until September, and in that case it should go in your cover letter, but even then there's no reason to tell them anything about the job. No reason to mention in your resume/on LinkedIn/etc since you haven't worked there yet.
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Feb 11, 2014 02:46
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Xandu posted:The only reason to mention it is if you want your potential employers to know you you're only going to be available until September, and in that case it should go in your cover letter, but even then there's no reason to tell them anything about the job. No reason to mention in your resume/on LinkedIn/etc since you haven't worked there yet. Kk, makes sense.
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Feb 11, 2014 03:37
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I've been using this OP and thread for my job hunt and it has helped me refine my interview skills a great deal. I've interviewed recently with a company that I have been looking at for a while. They have a posting listed on their site, but are not actively advertising the position. (No Monster, Indeed, etc) I think I surprised them by showing interest in their posting. They've been asking a bunch of questions about what type of position I want. They are looking to develop/grow the area I'd be joining and they even mentioned me being the department lead. They asked my income requirements and I did my best trying to toss it back in their court. I finally realized that simply didn't have a clue about the position they are creating and what to pay the person who fills it. I've given them the amount I wanted to make, and they asked me if that was pre or post overtime. I told them that without knowing the offer package, I couldn't narrow things down further. The last two positions that I've pursued have had the same problem: They want me to define and create the position myself. I feel a little out of my depth when they ask me to do this. So far, the projects my new position depends on have fallen through and the position hasn't been created. (And I've not been hired) I've continued to toss the ball back in their court, each time, trying to impress on them that they need to decide and make me an offer. I keep getting back offers of moonlighting, freelance or questions about what I want my role, in their company, to be. Am I missing something or an opportunity or do they just need to figure out what they want?
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Feb 11, 2014 16:58
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