Job Interview Tips

Good luck norn!

 

Good luck mate, let me know how it goes, am also in the long, tedious process of applying for grad schemes so i'd be interested to hear how it went!

 

If it's team based listen to your team and don't be the guy who thinks he's always right.

Last year we advertised for 2 graduates, and had 4 come in for the assessment. Out of the 4 there was this lad who would jump in with the answer to a question before it was finished, quite often getting the answer right but to a different question. During the team exercises he'd impose his idea and try to out-perform the other 3. Ultimately we decided to get 3 grads, and he wasn't one of them.

Good luck!

 

Good luck brother!

 

I despise all this time-wasting nonsense. Tests and 2nd interviews and 3rd interviews and presentations and teams and work a day's trial free of charge to see how you get on.

Whatever happened to the days of going for the interview, them asking you if you were a serious person or not and then getting asked to start on Monday?

Now these employers have the upper hand, they really like to put us through the mill and squeeze every last humiliating drop out of their advantage, don't they? They've got their foot on our throats and they like us to know it.

I have been unsuccessful many, many times at interviews and I think it's because I don't put up with any of their old tomfoolery. Give me the job and I'll come on time and give it my best effort during my working hours. Don't need any 3rd interview or video presentation to find that out.

 

Congrats man! Glad you succeeded where I fell short haha

 

You're probably right. Giving the interviewer attitude is a great way to not get hired.

 

It's not so much giving attitude, it's more about mutual respect. It's an INTERview. That means it's supposed to work both ways. They see if they like you and you see if you like them. If they start off giving it stuff about "Of course nobody here takes their lunch pretty much and although it's not compulsory, most people stay behind after their time to get things finished up, how do you feel about that?" - well by then, I'm halfway to getting my coat on and waving goodbye.

That sort of stuff is just barely disguised code for "we're going to sweat you as hard as we can and if you have the temerity to complain about working hours and hours free of charge to the detriment of your family and home life, we'll refer you back to the answer you gave in this interview."

No, my approach to interviews is that I'll give you a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. Can't do no more than that. As I said before, I'll be there in good time and give it 100% all the time I'm there. I am a completer. I don't like to do half a job or skimp and slapdash. Don't waste time fiddling around with my wireless telephone like so many. I'll do my very best during the 8 hours I'm there, but when my day's up, my day's up and I'm off home.

If that doesn't suit then both parties will just have to keep looking.

 

Most employers just want to ensure they get the right person with the right attitude, as the wrong appointment is an expensive and time consuming mistake.

I think it is pretty clear why you are usually unsuccessful.

 

I agree interviews go both ways, but you walking away doesn't equate to being unsuccessful. It's only unsuccessful if you want it and don't get it, i.e. they turn you down.

I actually told someone in the interview once I was no longer interested and left. By the time I got home, I had a message on my answering machine offering me the job.

That one was a laugh.

 

You're one of these bosses aren't you ZZ? Do you go in for all this old tripe then? Waste people's time with six interviews and forms on forms on forms and then tell them they haven't got the job?

 

In my own businesses, I have never used an application form.

But applicants tell lies (or at the very least, exaggerate their achievements and ability) and it does neither side any favours to employ them in the wrong job. So I have interviewed extensively on occasions. I have rarely made bad appointments.

But if I ever interviewed you, you need not worry, it would only last about 5 minutes and you wouldn't be asked to come back for another.

 

Why's that then?

More interested in fawning obsequiousness and servility than ability to do the job, is that it?

 

Nope - completely the opposite.

I like people who can teach me/us something, who will challenge me/us and tell me/us when we are wrong or could do things better.

But they have to be thinking for the business that pays them rather than the clock watching or have the adversial employer/employee attitude you have with your gigantic chip on your shoulder.

In return, they get the security of a successful employer and benefit from good pay, bonuses and flexible/forgiving working arrangements. Most importantly, work is enjoyable as we all feel we are on the same side working to the same ends.

(Not that I actually do much work there now)

You really have it all so wrong.

 

Clive you sound like an absolute nightmare in the workplace.

 

In a way you both are sort of agreeing that the employer/employee relationship is essential. For the vast majority of jobs, anything that pays less than £60k say, two interviews should be suffice for a company to work out whether you would be a good fit for them or not. If they're torn between 2 candidates then further interviews should be unnecessary, just make a decision even if it's on gut feeling.

With regards to Clive's comments, any decent employer should respect someone's family life, as he implies a happy employee is more likely to give 100% for the time they are there. When it becomes an expectation to work through lunch and work late a dissatisfied employee (particularly one with a family) is hardly going to be giving it their all. At my last job it was forbidden for staff to take lunch at their desks, they were expected to go out or if they wanted to stay in the building eat in the kitchen or meeting room. However I would work late in exceptional circumstances, and I do, but the minute it's taken for granted then it's time to move on.

 

That's the problem with staff in much of the charity sector and places like councils. Out the door at 5pm.

What if the client changes a brief last minute for a vital contract that the printers/builders/production lines are waiting for? If the engineering, advertising, army, police or vital NHS staff thought like this, things would never get done.


What you're demonstrating is that you're not a team player.

 

The Interview process for graduation schemes is so excessive, but I completely understand why. It's incredibly frustrating though. For Sky, I wrote an essay, completed 3 online tests and then had a video interview and I still haven't heard anything back and it was in October. If I get through that stage I will have a phone interview, followed by an assessment centre, followed by a final interview. It's crazy and I've already lost motivation to apply for anymore grad schemes just because of how long and drawn out the process is.

 

Really ?

 

I genuinely despise interviews, probably because I suck at them and have failed at so many - I've got another HEO Civil Service interview coming up on the 19th, the competency framework is infuriating.

 

Going to use this thread to try and get more freelance work. Sue me.

Anyone who is getting married in 2016 I am a wedding videographer, check out my work here

[video=youtube;utsj6zuLDpM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utsj6zuLDpM[/video]

 

OK I have nothing against several stages of an interview, but that is completely excessive!

 

It's pretty standard for most grad schemes unfortunately, because of the sheer amount of applicants they get. Pretty much all of them have an Application form - Online tests - Phone interview - Assessment centre as a minimum!

 

Tbh showing it in widescreen doesn't do much for the bride

 

be the boss, interview them, that'll throw them

 

[video=youtube;Y15AiEeKxg0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y15AiEeKxg0[/video]

 

Of course things will get done. They'll get done tomorrow, that's all. In a real emergency I don't mind staying late and helping out. But that has to be a proper emergency, not something silly like a client changing their mind at the last minute. That's not an emergency, that's them being inconsiderate.

If working shedloads of unpaid overtime free of charge, night after night, is being a team player then you're right - I'm not one of those. Used to be and found out that team playing turned out to be a lot like exploitation, sweating and taking advantage.

The employer in this case left several posts vacant and piled all the work onto those remaining making 'urgent' work requiring free of charge overtime a regular necessity. How would you feel about that?

Oh you would find few who are better at teaching you a thing or two, challenging you or telling you how wrong you are! I'm an expert at all of that!

 

.....

 

Well I didn't run any teams, I just did the work of three people each day. I was also suitable and capable. My bonus came in the form of being given 5 mins to get my stuff into a bin bag and being escorted out of the premises. 8 years I was there, but then they got bought out by a different young capitalist master, so I was out on my ear.

Whoever said I was a nightmare to work with is wrong. I have always been popular with the capitalist masters because of my capability and effort. I cannot do a bad or sloppy job. If I do something, I do it properly and accurately and to the best of my ability. They seem to like that. I have often been told with sorrowful shakes of the head that I've "chosen the wrong path" and things like that, because I'm not interested in becoming an overseer, spy or boss's boy.

Of course, in Cuba, where you have the motivation and growing enthusiasm of realising that you're working for peace, socialism and humanity rather than the distant, grubby interests of some rich people, it was a very different matter indeed. A different world and a glimpse of the possibilities.

There I became filled with revolutionary fervour and was the first to volunteer for any and every voluntary work. At that time, Fidel would hold a rally and speak at some town around the country on every Saturday morning. I was honoured and privileged to be selected for unpaid voluntary work translating Dr Castro's righteous, indignant and rebellious words for the English language website.

When there wasn't a rally on a Saturday, I would go anyway and clean the building's windows and such things. At the time of the harvesting, I volunteered to cut sugar cane. Anything and everything I volunteered for. But of course I wasn't always selected, because there is a lot of competition from comrades who want to volunteer. That is the way in the socialist enterprise and partly explains why it is immeasurably superior to and more efficient than the old-fashioned capitalist sweaters and exploiters.

I was very pleased to be voted 'exemplary worker' (trabajador destacado) in three trimesters by my comrades and then to be awarded the status of 'national vanguard worker' (trabajador vanguardia nacional) and to be presented with a banner to that effect. I was also rewarded with an all expenses paid day trip with other comrade exemplary workers to visit Che Guevara's monument and museum in Santa Clara. There was even a slap-up tea at the local communist party HQ afterwards.

Such things are worth 100 million times more than progressive employer Baron Top's proud boast of 'flexible hours' and luncheon vouchers with which he vainly attempts to motivate his poor, wretched, indebted wage slaves.

 

R

You are right, no way could I compete with a "slap-up tea".

BTW, Luncheon Vouchers?. ;D