Education & Work What to do in an interview (from a interviewers point of view)

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Gockie, 20th Nov, 2018.

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  1. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Here's a tip. When you are being interviewed, please talk about things relevant to the job on offer. Don't waffle. Unless you really don't want the job that is. Bonus points for enthusiasm.
     
  2. Tony3008

    Tony3008 Well-Known Member

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    I've worked for myself for 35 years so job interviews are long forgotten. It does though amaze me to hear reports of candidates who turn up for interview not having done any research on their prospective employer.
     
  3. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    ...or don't turn up at all, cancel at the last minute, come in to an interview for a customer facing role in torn jeans and T-shirt.....

    The Y-man
     
  4. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    ... or spend their time during the interview answering txt messages
     
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  5. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Ohhh... that would be an immediate fail.
     
  6. DeJ

    DeJ Well-Known Member

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    Some people can tend to ramble when they're nervous.
    Also some people don't go to many interviews.
    Interview practice before is a good idea.
     
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  7. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    That would amaze me
     
  8. neK

    neK Well-Known Member

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    I've done that... except I was the interviewer :p
    (I did it on purpose to see if the interviewee could tell they completely missed the question I had asked them and whether they had the ability to recover from it - definitely a skill required when dealing with customers).
     
  9. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    As an interviewee, I would fail you and your company based on this behaviour

    I would see it as rude at best and manipulative at worst and it would provide me with a strong inkling that you may not be a good boss!
     
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  10. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    It was
     
  11. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    And another. Interviewing testers. Candidate has a substantial and relevant CV for the role. In the interview the candidate spends the first few minutes telling us about her work history as a developer and testing her own work. Not such a favourable first impression and the Interview didn't improve.
     
  12. DeJ

    DeJ Well-Known Member

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    Sounds awful
     
  13. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    We recruit occasionally. The first question I ask people so, 'So what can you tell me about Depreciator?' It's amazing how often that draws blank looks.
    We had a QS come for a job once. When I asked him that, I think he told me more about the comapny than was known by some of the people who had worked in the business for years. Boy, he had done a lot of research.
     
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  14. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    It's ok if you were developing parachutes.

    The Y-man
     
  15. chylld

    chylld Well-Known Member

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    Love the broad, slightly off-kilter questions... I save them for the good candidates who would otherwise be hard to separate. I simply ask "What projects are we working on at the moment, and how are those projects going to help us stay ahead of the competition?"

    Last round, most candidates stumbled or came up with generic answers... but one candidate had noticed we implemented a new website feature recently (that our competitors didn't have) and upon clicking through could tell it was still a work in progress - he highlighted that and got the job.
     
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  16. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    If you are interviewing for role where they don't have much choice, this might work. For anyone in high demand industry, they will never consider working in your team. Interviewers sometimes forget that the evaluations goes both ways.
     
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  17. Andrew Allen

    Andrew Allen Well-Known Member Business Member

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    I've learned over the last decade what a skill and challenge hiring well can be, from an interviewers perspective, here are a few things that can make you stand out without a lot of effort.

    > Have a non generic and thought out CV, really simple things, make sure there are no spelling errors and include a photo, perhaps something personal, never really read one of those in much detail so simply a one page summary can work excellently, it's ok to include something personal about yourself also. Something that has a little effort and pride in it, straight away you can be top 1% if that document is well done.

    > Dress well, be a little early, smile and ask a few questions yourself about the workplace and team you will be joining, show's effort and research.

    > Be aware that your social media footprint is visible (usually).
     
  18. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    Well, it could have been better. The candidate really should think about what the employer wants.
     
  19. Gockie

    Gockie Life is good ☺️ Premium Member

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    > Have a non generic and thought out CV, really simple things, make sure there are no spelling errors. Agree on spelling errors! That's a first filter for a professional job. Fail that and there will be no chance of an interview. Actually, even the Airbnb cleaner should have good spelling. If my cleaner has bad spelling, that's bad because I get the cleaner to write welcome notes that go to the guest.... the cleaner must represent me in a good light.

    > Dress well, be a little early, smile and ask a few questions yourself about the workplace and team you will be joining, show's effort and research. Dress has to be appropriate. And yes, ask questions as you said.

    > Be aware that your social media footprint is visible (usually). Agree.
     
    Last edited: 21st Nov, 2018
  20. mimosa

    mimosa Well-Known Member

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    What if the job ad contains errant apostrophes?
     
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