(Cross posted in all my personal online areas and blogs)
I recently went for a job interview with a business that I really think I would like to work for. I had sent my resume by email along with a brief cover letter which I think pretty much covered everything a potential employer should know about me. I'm not sure if I received an interview out of courtesy because I sent a resume in, or if there was something in it that sparked enough interest in me as a potential employee. Whatever the reason, I did have this interview. I walked in feeling confident with myself, and with a positive outlook. I walked out feeling a little dismayed with the interview. But I still had my positive outlook. I was positive I would not be called back for a second interview.
Everything was fine, until he came to the part of the interview where he said "Tell me about yourself." Okay, to start with, I'm a relatively modest person, I don't believe in bragging about myself and that's what the directive amounts to. Build yourself up, give me a reason to want you to work for me, based on your personal 'you'. I couldn't sit there and said "I am", as I had already listed all that in the resume and cover letter. There wasn't anything else I wanted to have come out of my mouth to try to impress a stranger, that I wasn't going to be dating, about me personally.
Talking about myself usually amounts to "I like" and "I dislike" which isn't relevant to the job I was being interviewed for. So there I sat, totally stumped on what to say about myself. I pretty much told him that too. His response was, "I used to ask canned questions" but I would get "canned responses". I'm guessing maybe he should have been more creative in his canned questions in order to elicit more real and honest responses. I have no problem talking, as long as I have a specific 'topic' to respond to. I am not a great interviewee, and I don't do interviews. I just chat and whatever results from the chat helps me to learn about others and them about me. In an interview, you are on a time constraint, there really is not a lot of time to sit and just chit chat. So I left the interview feeling like I left him not knowing enough about me to make him want to know more (job related). I will have to remedy this for the future.
Now I need to create a self manual. Think about all the questions that I would like answers to that would give me enough of an idea about someone's abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and personality fit. Then turn around and answer those questions about myself so that I won't be sitting in another interview where they have canned the canned questions, and be stumped on a reply to "Tell me about yourself."
I guess every day and every experience really IS a learning experience.
I hate interviews, they are
I hate interviews, they are so degrading. The is also no way I can ever hope to do well in one. Mainly, for the exact same reasons you have already pointed out. In fact, the kaka that a prospective employer looks for in an interview is the type of stuff for which I reject people.
One example. Once I had an interview for a job in which I told the person I was more than will to relocate myself 150 miles. They were not relocating people. In fact, I wanted this job bad, it really looked good to me. I had to spend a great deal of time saying how much I wanted the job and explaining that no, I was't that over qualified for the job, I wouldn't get bored, it was exactly what I wanted I considered it to be a rewarding learning experience.
I thought I had that job locked up. A month later, I get a letter telling me it went down to the wire, but they picked someone with more experience and who was more qualified. Go figure, I certainly never could figure out how to interview.
I do know that it is much better to be interviewing for a job when you already have a job than when you are unemployed. So go for it CC and ask for a further interview. Show them you are still interested and now employed.
Life only goes around once, have fun and love, people. -VicNormal
I just had the interview
I just had the interview last Thursday. I don't know if I'll be called for a second interview, I just got the feeling that I won't be. I wasn't the least bit impressed with myself,so I don't expect he was impressed with anything I had to say either. <shrug>
Well, when I got my current
Well, when I got my current job 17 years ago ~ I was totally unimpressed. It last 10 minutes, a was an interview setup by the state unemployment agency and I totally felt like I blew it. Got a call the next day asking if I could start on Monday. I got my fingers crossed!
Bye-bye, fish time
Life only goes around once, have fun and love, people. -VicNormal
Be open to surprises. We
Be open to surprises. We never come across to others the way we think we come across.
I suggest trying a remote viewing in advance, next time. It could give you a sense of the interviewer, and what s/he and the company are looking for. It would be good practice, plus it would be fun to see how close you come to the target.
"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
I'm pretty good at knowing
I'm pretty good at knowing things. I felt good going in, not so good coming out, basing it on the empathic feelings I got. Like the interview was going downhill as I was losing confidence in what I had to say to sell myself
Where was the interview at?
Where was the interview at? Things have started getting a little better for you, think positive!
Oh I'm thinking
Oh I'm thinking positive!!! LOL you guys just seem to take my positive feeling polar opposite. ;)
I can't help what I know.....and there are good things happening. I actually have a little reserve cash now, earmarked for that major situation I'm trying to resolve. Full deposit. Now I just need someone to say Yay, or nay. <shrug>
I tend to over talk at
I tend to over talk at interviews. I end up putting my foot in my mouth and say something wrong. Sometimes its best just to answer the questions they give you and if you don't have a good answer not to elaborate too much. Always try to be confident though. Good luck!
I tend to do the same, get
I tend to do the same, get me started and I'm a chatter. But Rat what do you do when the question is so open, that you can't just answer it with a short answer. 'tell me about yourself'.
CC, one reason people say
CC, one reason people say "Tell me about yourself" in an interview, is that is vague enough to let the applicant start spilling their guts either about their professional or their personal qualities. It's a good way of getting personal information that it's illegal to ask about, such as whether or not your married, have children, etc. There are a lot of places that count a single parent as a strike against you because they feel you'll be taking off work for sick kids, dr. appts., etc. It's a good idea to sit down and do some serious meditating before an interview. Make a mental or written list of the qualities you possess that might be attractive to an employer. Then when you're hit with one of those questions, you already have the list of things in your head to talk about.
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