Looking for a job

I'm sure everyone of you will have to endure this period or already has. Writing CV's and doing interviews.

I myself am searching for a job for 4 months already, have done at least 10 interviews, countless IQ tests and personal tests, but none of them gave me a contract.

These were my problems:

1) I showed too less of emotion, enthousiasm.
2) I didn't really know what I was after, no focus.
3) Some huge mistakes like: coming an hour too early, asking stupid questions
4) At first I didn't wear a costume.
5) Didn't sound professional enough.
6) Mumbling, no articulation, bad communication skills, no structure in message transfer.
7) Didn't have good answers to questions like: what are 3 bad points of your personality.

What are your experiences? I want to learn more. You can also tell us what you did in the mean time while doing interviews. Sitting home doing nothing, working part time, playing games and all.

I don't know if you experienced it, but I also got racist questions threwn at me... I'm not white, but living in a white world, aiming for a high position.

I went to a job unprepared by not knowing the company well enough. Made a stupid statement about other programs when the interviewer said "We only focus on xyz programs". Whoops.

My first job went smoothly. I don't even remember the interview. I just got the job. Of course, it was a fast food place so....yeah.

My next place I remember filling out the applications, then applying. A few days later, the woman simpily asked me why I wanted to work there instead of my first job. My answer was the remarkably convincing, "Because...I want to work here.". Somehow, I did get the job. Again though, it was fast food.

THose are a few of my experiences. Overall, the higher profile the job, the more ways they will test you mentally (at least).

Originally Posted by katchum

3) Some huge mistakes like: coming an hour too early

What.

Seriously, that's a stupid reason to not get hired no matter what industry it is.

I usually make it a point to be exactly on time whereever I go (I'll even go so far as to wait around the corner, haha), but the expression is "to be on time is to be too late" for a reason.

Anyway, as a freelancer I get to go apply to a lot of jobs, and not all work out, sometimes you just never hear back, sometimes you're in the race with 60 others, and sometimes work comes to you.

It's a kinda crazy life.

My biggest problems with interviews are always the phone interviews because I find it very hard to talk on the phone, always have. Being in the Netherlands and since there are almost no jobs in my field here, I have had to get used to phone interviews, but I haven't really quite "gotten it" yet. There were jobs that I was practically overqualified for but I blew it on the phone interview. Well, more and more interviews seem to go via MSN these days which is a boon to me, but phone interviews are still really awkward for me.

When I'm out of work, I usually just try to work on one of my many "private" projects, or catch up on gaming. Sometimes I have so much work that I'll be working 14 hours a day and still barely make the deadline, and then other months I'll have absolutely zilch to do.

As far as formal interviews go, I really recommend going to lots of them. Think of it as interview-training. It doesn't really cost you anything to go to them, and the more you do, the better you get at them. They all ask the same questions anyway.

Oh they really do cost: transportation! I agree doing many interviews will get yourself more and more mature and you'll know yourself better.

And I have never ever heard of an msn interview! What kind of job is this I wonder...

Forget MSN interviews...

Originally Posted by katchum

4) At first I didn't wear a costume.

what kind of job are you applying for?


Anyway, you're getting the interviews, so you know your resume/cover letter is doing it's job. And you know what your problems are. Come up with some pre-prepared enthusiasm and focus (anticipate questions), dress well, and show up 15 minutes early. Have a coffee near the place if you're that worried about being late. Have questions ready, because it makes you look interested, and if the interviewing is talking you can just nod and look interested. Send a thank-you note after each interview and each rejection.

You don't have to answer racist/sexist/discriminatory questions, at least where I live. Gracefully dodge the question or decline to answer if you want.

About this thank you letter, only 10% of the people write this. Isn't it easier to just say thank you for the interview at the end of the interview?

It's considered more polite to write a thank you letter after the interview's over. It's not as commonplace as it used to be, but most people I've talked to that do recruiting say it's still seen as a positive.

Originally Posted by katchum

These were my problems:

1) I showed too less of emotion, enthusiasm.
2) I didn't really know what I was after, no focus.

This is exactly why I hate job interviews. I wish there was some other alternative. It's enough trouble as it is to assemble a nice cover letter with a nice resume, while having fingers crossed hoping one will get the job. Then when the time finally arrives, a fuck-up or two throws it all out the window. Then, it's back to the gas station for another few months.

Originally Posted by surasshu

What.

Seriously, that's a stupid reason to not get hired no matter what industry it is.

I doubt that's the reason why he wasn't considered. Employers are under no obligation to give you a reason why you were passed over for a job.

My recommendation is that you have a professional go over your resume, and also take at least one mock interview for practice. Of course that will only go so far as to tune your mind to your speaking habits and body language, it won't help you when it comes to your actual knowlege of the subject.

It was suggested that you know the company you're interviewing for, and although that's very good advice, you should also know what sort of job this is. That's more important.

I'm not saying that you don't know your field, but it sounds like from your first post that you're not very focused on what you want to do in your field so your knowlege about the specifics they may be looking for could be too thin on the ground for their needs. If you got any friends in the field, ask them what their employers/team looks for in terms of specifics.

Additional Spam:

Originally Posted by Erisu Kimu

This is exactly why I hate job interviews. I wish there was some other alternative. It's enough trouble as it is to assemble a nice cover letter with a nice resume, while having fingers crossed hoping one will get the job. Then when the time finally arrives, a fuck-up or two throws it all out the window. Then, it's back to the gas station for another few months.

Depends entirely on who's hiring you. If it's HR or a group of people who don't know the subject, than that is very much true. In my office, people from the department in question do the hiring, so they don't really care about stuttering problems as they care about technical competence.

Originally Posted by a lurker

In my office, people from the department in question do the hiring, so they don't really care about stuttering problems as they care about technical competence.

Yeah, I think that's how it should be (in terms of broadening opportunities) in most cases. In general, eliminating someone by being too picky and overlooking their stature that spells asset in technical competence for the betterment of the company can be a shameful disposal.

Any assessment experiences here? I got one next tuesday for the Total company.

I actually used a book called "knock 'em dead", to prepare for my interviews. They have the typical questions an interviewer will ask, and what they're looking for in your answers, and other useful hints.

And you may want to try one of those job workshops, if they offer it anywhere, to have a mock interview, as lurker mentioned. It sounds you just go right into the interview w/o practicing and doing research(I did this..and I've encountered the same problems). And I used some of my job interviews as practice, like surasshu mentioned--do that only if you can afford that luxury (I had 20 odd interviews in 3 months, but it drained the crap out of me.)

But the book, and the practice helped me nail some job offers (some I wanted--auditing, and not doing god damn brainless bookkeeping). And I know two other college friends who got jobs, because of the book; they're the ones who recommended the book to me=P

Also, when you do your thank you letter, state why they should hire you--like pointing out your specific skills that will complement the position, etc.

Quote:

7) Didn't have good answers to questions like: what are 3 bad points of your personality.

If you're going for a sales job the INSTANT WIN here is saying you're an impulse shopper.

Or you say "if I told you I was a pathological liar as my first bad point would you believe my next two?" If they dont laugh say you make lame jokes too often.

I've never had a job interview where I didn't get the job but whatever, I'm a suckhole. Just be a suckhole.

Well I'm really too serious, I'm not a joke person.

That book you suggested gives me inspiration, I'll read some books on google about assessment and the one you mentioned. I think everything is about good communication skills, being to the point and have structure in what you are saying. Making sure the person knows what you are talking about.

You have to make the impression you're a professional speaker, someone who can represent the company. They have to believe they can depend on you. You should also show off about being a team player, which I'm not, but I can fake it.

So you're aiming for a PR position or something?

No I'm going all technical, not commercial or management. But even then you need to speak with researchers, operators, managers, distributors, maintenance. I will have to maintain a good relationship with all of them, make a good impression. Ultimately I will have to delegate tasks to them, so I could be seen as a manager.

Originally Posted by katchum

Any assessment experiences here? I got one next tuesday for the Total company.

Based on my experiences with Special K Corp and Lucky Charms Inc. I'd say just to not milk it any more than you have to.

A nice tip I picked up while interviewing was to take a red bull like an hour before an interview to help with the enthusiasm.

It also helped when I shifted focus from answering their questions to telling them what I could do with them. They'll still ask questions, and you'll still answer them, but the goal in answering them is bragging about all of your accomplishments.

Also keep in mind, if they're hiring, then they've got a problem, and they need a solution. If you can match your skillset to their problems, that scores major points too.