Job interview
- Thread starter Blood Lust
- Start date
I am not sure whether the interviewer is lying or not, because she can hardly say "I took an instant dislike to you", but she probably took an instant dislike to you.
You don't seem like the sort of person that needs to open their mouth for people to dislike - I have never heard you speak and I managed to take an instant dislike to the way you applied yourself to this thread. It made me think 'If I had to decide right now if I could work with this guy - the answer would be no'.
Believe it or not, intelligence is not that hard to find in people, the difficult part is finding the full package. If your written responses were intelligent but exuded any of the egotistical attitude that is abundant in your earlier posts on this particular thread, then I am not surprised at the result.
It would have been interesting if you had answered more of the maths questions to see what her excuse would have been then. I say that because I still don't think you would have been invited back for an interview.
Having said all that, and having read the whole thread, I can see that you are not teeth-grindingly irritating all the way through - you seem to become more personable over time. This is why first impressions shouldn't count, even though in reality they do.
You don't seem like the sort of person that needs to open their mouth for people to dislike - I have never heard you speak and I managed to take an instant dislike to the way you applied yourself to this thread. It made me think 'If I had to decide right now if I could work with this guy - the answer would be no'.
Believe it or not, intelligence is not that hard to find in people, the difficult part is finding the full package. If your written responses were intelligent but exuded any of the egotistical attitude that is abundant in your earlier posts on this particular thread, then I am not surprised at the result.
It would have been interesting if you had answered more of the maths questions to see what her excuse would have been then. I say that because I still don't think you would have been invited back for an interview.
Having said all that, and having read the whole thread, I can see that you are not teeth-grindingly irritating all the way through - you seem to become more personable over time. This is why first impressions shouldn't count, even though in reality they do.
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Simon-M
Come on, with a user name like blood lust you should be well up for badger baiting season
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Interviews these days seem to be so complex..
My son is a qualified commercial pilot currently unable to get a job in his chosen field, so recently applied for a job a a train driver. Of 4000 applicants, he was one of only 150 selected for first assessment. he got through to 2nd assessment, approx 50 left by that point. He thought he had done well, and to be honest was quite confident knowing his existing qualifications, but no, his application is not being progressed any further.
Whether he will get any feedback we do not yet know, but at this point he has no idea at all why he failed, when on paper he thought he was a strong candidate.
And a friend of mine is involved in recruitment for a national company and she interviewed someone who was perfect for a job, but when the lady sat the computer based customer service she failed it. So although everything about her was positive, because she didn't tick the right boxes they could not offer her a job.
It was a lot easier in the old days...........
My son is a qualified commercial pilot currently unable to get a job in his chosen field, so recently applied for a job a a train driver. Of 4000 applicants, he was one of only 150 selected for first assessment. he got through to 2nd assessment, approx 50 left by that point. He thought he had done well, and to be honest was quite confident knowing his existing qualifications, but no, his application is not being progressed any further.
Whether he will get any feedback we do not yet know, but at this point he has no idea at all why he failed, when on paper he thought he was a strong candidate.
And a friend of mine is involved in recruitment for a national company and she interviewed someone who was perfect for a job, but when the lady sat the computer based customer service she failed it. So although everything about her was positive, because she didn't tick the right boxes they could not offer her a job.
It was a lot easier in the old days...........
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Jacob F
Sad state of the times. Securing a train drivers job is akin to winning the lottery these days, people are enticed by the 35k-70k earnings potential and 4 day weeks (most companies). Competition is insane. I'm guessing the same can be said for airline pilots, young people taking their qualifications and finding that there just isn't the jobs there for them.
Interviews these days seem to be way over the top.
1) Online application and personality questionaire
2) Psycometric testing
3) Telephone interview (sometimes several)
4) Interview at offices (sometimes several)
5) Assessment centre
Even some retailers are adopting these sorts of processes for shop floor work. What is most disheartening for candidates is you can pass through many stages of this "hoop jumping" exercise and find that the company can't even be arsed to reject your application.
I practically walked out an interview once when being interviewed by a clueless HR manager for a technical position in a laboratory (simply processing samples) who proceeded to ask more and more ridiculous questions. "Give me 10 uses for this glass other than to drink out of...if you could be a tree, which type would you be"... I honestly think some of them sadistically enjoy baiting candidates with bulls**t knowing how desperate a lot are for jobs. I personally let them know that I'll answer any questions regarding my abilities, my general demeanour, my C.V, my experiences but I won't answer what I deem to be a pisstake. Funnily enough, most SME's don't engage in this crap but large employers feel the need to ask you to drink a litre of orange juice while standing on your head. If you won't do it, someone else will.
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- Original Poster
- #50
I failed the maths test not because I got any wrong but because I didnt answer enough of the questions.
The lunacy of the situation is that if I went down the questions filling in the easy ones that dont require a calculator first I'd have got enough marks to have passed. I'm so annoyed that I spent up to a minute figuring out some of the answers.
I'm also a qualified engineer and I can do some pretty complex maths. By that I mean algebra equations covering several blackboards. Yet I fail a maths test!
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- Original Poster
- #51
I've had some bad job interviews in my life.
Lancashire Double Glazing
This was for the position of office administrator and was the worst job interview I have ever had. For some reason they seemed to advertise the same job every 2-3 months but I made the mistake of applying anyway -
1. Got there and discovered it was a female manager.
2. She did a poor interview lasting only 30 seconds.
3. When it got to my part I decided to check why they kept advertisng for the same position so I asked why did the last person leave?
4. At that point she became unprofessional and abusive towards me during the interview. She went on about the last member of staff falling out with them and threatening to kill them. I'm sat there taking in how shes being towards me, listening to the story and theres no doubt in my mind that shes demented. I even thought to myself 'Never mind the guy I've only been here two minutes and even I'm getting the urge to lean over this table and crack you one'. I dont remember her name but that woman was a nut job.
Sainsburys
I applied for the position of assistant manager. Their online testing hasnt been written by someone with a management degree. If you give management degree answers you'll fail the test.
TK Maxx
I got sexually propositioned by the store manager in return for a management job (its was a bloke too!). I didnt.
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Jacob F
Lol @ TK Max.
I generally feel I interview well if I respect the interviewer. I think interviewing should be left to the more senior persons/directors/partners of an organisation, you'd be surprised how you are often left to field questions from some gormless HR person whose skills I assume to be far less in demand than those of the advertised postion. I expect to be quizzed by people with knowledge, who hold themselves well, clearly have experience and are genuine about finding someone to help their team or business, that would give me a great impression of the company I was putting myself forward to. When you're being interviewed by some recruitment consultant (or C.V salesperson as I call them) its hard for me to even take the process seriously. Its not a job interview as they would make you feel it is, its a tedious chat with a salesman with you and your tradeable skills as the commodity. I'm sorry but I expect the person the other side of the table to be further ahead in life than I am, somebody I could aspire to be like, if not I feel I don't need to prove myself to anybody else.
Interviews are two way streets and when I sit down I'm making my own assessments of the company and my interviewer as well. Quite frankly if when being "interviewed" by a 18-21 year old recruitment consultant he says "cool" or "cool thing" after every one of my answers to his insulting "questions" then I'm going to point out the rudeness and make my polite exit. Actual experience. When you're job hunting, I'm afraid you have to put up with an element of this bulls**t otherwise you're damned.
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All I can conclude is that you are an interview weird magnet!
When it comes to international travel, that's where I attract the nutters. The last flight to USA, a little old lady next to me kept turning off my television with her elbow on the arm rest. I have a different story for each flight.
However, my interview experience has been quite boring compared to yours. You seriously should find a ghostwriter and put this into a Dilbert style book. It would be read en masse.
When it comes to international travel, that's where I attract the nutters. The last flight to USA, a little old lady next to me kept turning off my television with her elbow on the arm rest. I have a different story for each flight.
However, my interview experience has been quite boring compared to yours. You seriously should find a ghostwriter and put this into a Dilbert style book. It would be read en masse.
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Suzuki
Its not surprising that he didn't get this job. He's way over qualified for it and its painfully obvious to the interviewer that he's going to leave as soon as he gets offered a pilots job. So why would they want to spend money training him, to then have to train his replacement and pay the recruitment costs twice also?
He'd have been better off lying and saying he didn't finish the pilots training...
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Seems like you can be easily profiled.
Your worst interview was with a female manager (like why?!) yet being propositioned wasn't such a bad thing?
I can only guess why she went a bit "demented" on you was down to your sexiest behaviour. 30 second interview? You sure it didn't go like this...?
HER-> "hello, welcome to Lancashire Double Glazing. I am Debra and will be doing the interview today. So... Tell me about you?"
YOU-> "Why did the last person leave?"
HER-> "There will be plenty of time for you to ask questions at the end Mr B.L."
YOU-> "Well as I asked the question, you might as well answer"
...
TK maxx doesn't surprise me. Perhaps thats how they pay their wages? No idea how its still running. As for Sainsburys... They recently employed someone they banned for stealing goods from the same store, who was banned nationwide. Not only did he get pass shortlist and got an interview... he even started the job too.
Its well known that you should avoid jargon - its about communication - the position wouldn't be vacant if someone there could do it. The online test was done by some monkey not even in HR. Why would they be to management degree standard to doa website?
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- Original Poster
- #58
You would think that they would get input from a qualified manager before designing questions that assess who gets a management interview lol.
The one that most angered me was the question about how would you motivate your staff -
1. Tell the HR manager the staff motivation levels are low.
2. Have a one on one chat with demotivated employees.
3. Get them together as a group and motivate them.
(or however they wrote them I cant remember)
Now every qualified manager knows that motivation is done by applying Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, psychological contracts plus looking after their training and development. HR know that (its what they train to do) so I selected that answer.
Wrong answer. Thats nice so how does having a private chat or group meeting eliminate those things from a persons work environment that demotivate them? How do they increase the persons buy-in to the business? If Sainsburys think thats how motivation works then its workforce isnt going to be motivated lol.
Funny enough if I knew nothing about management I'd tick number 2 or 3.
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businessfunding
That's what everyone with a degree, a big attitude and little experience knows.
An intelligent / experienced manager knows how to get results.
My last post on this thread - how about you approach job interviews with the attitude of showing how you can fulfill their needs - as expressed by them , rather than telling them how much you know?
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toastking
It's a good point though in a way. I know all about the hierarchy of needs an other motivational theories and models but unfortunately I also reckon its total rubbish the comment suggesting that any manager of worth having would know all about it. I know you're frustrated but it's comments like that which have gotten backs up.
I think it just probably wasn't a good match, count it as a dodged bullet if you will, I would if I was feeling like that after an interview. Something else will come up and by the sounds of it I would look at a combination of grad schemes and normal jobs. Grad schemes will care about your Maslows, pretty much the rest of the world couldn't give a damn!
And although the question wasn't to me, I am bored on the train yes haha!
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- Original Poster
- #62
Yes I'm bored too especially with certain peoples baiting (not you!)
So you believe if a manager doesnt know about motivational models they can still be good at motivating? I think some can too but when you look at why you find the motivational models are more or less there even though they dont know about them.
Anyway, knowing about the grad stuff I find I can easily spot badly run firms a mile off. Many times even by the contents of their job advert. So yes why get angry at somewhere you know isnt run properly?
I suppose I just like to moan about them haha.
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Mighty quick to judge the inner workings of operations you've never seen before.
Also, there's many a great manager who leads by example and by use of common sense, not via whatever pop psychology you might believe holds the key to managing employees. Experience beats education in practical situations 99.9% of the time.
Just because someone is a nutter or appears to have no clue, does not mean they don't know how to make money. Have a look at Howard Hughes, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Foster Friess, Peter Lewis.... Many people consider each and every one of these to be absolute eccentric freaks, but they all have more than $1bil to show for it...
I spent the first 25 years thinking I knew everything, then the next 25 forgetting more than I had learned in those first 25 and appreciating how little I really know.
Young padiwan Blood Lust, methinks you need to quickly make it to age 26
Also, there's many a great manager who leads by example and by use of common sense, not via whatever pop psychology you might believe holds the key to managing employees. Experience beats education in practical situations 99.9% of the time.
Just because someone is a nutter or appears to have no clue, does not mean they don't know how to make money. Have a look at Howard Hughes, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Foster Friess, Peter Lewis.... Many people consider each and every one of these to be absolute eccentric freaks, but they all have more than $1bil to show for it...
I spent the first 25 years thinking I knew everything, then the next 25 forgetting more than I had learned in those first 25 and appreciating how little I really know.
Young padiwan Blood Lust, methinks you need to quickly make it to age 26
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Is it a real job or one of these phoney ones advertised by recruitment agencies looking to harvest cvs?
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FWIW I can completely understand why number 2 was the right answer and it does recognise Maslow in its structure and alignment with the other two answers
I also think maybe you need to work on the attitude and emotion where not being interviewed by someone you respect linked to status. HR will be used for selection and first round of interviews and they are respected in organisations for doing that. This is a tricky area to do well at but it's make or break for the first round
I also think maybe you need to work on the attitude and emotion where not being interviewed by someone you respect linked to status. HR will be used for selection and first round of interviews and they are respected in organisations for doing that. This is a tricky area to do well at but it's make or break for the first round
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- Original Poster
- #66
1. Also, there's many a great manager who leads by example and by use of common sense, not via whatever pop psychology you might believe holds the key to managing employees. Experience beats education in practical situations 99.9% of the time.
2. Just because someone is a nutter or appears to have no clue, does not mean they don't know how to make money. Have a look at Howard Hughes, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Foster Friess, Peter Lewis.... Many people consider each and every one of these to be absolute eccentric freaks, but they all have more than $1bil to show for it...
3. Blood Lust, me thinks you need to quickly make it to age 26
1. I dont understand how leading by example leaves people motivated? My experience says staff are only motivated by this because they know the manager is watching. As soon as you disappear they return to normal. The reason is nothing has happened to increase their buy-in to your business or to fix the problems demotivating them.
2. By nutter I mean psychotic not eccentric.
3. Thankyou I'm in my 30s and I've been out in the workforce for the last 12 years.
All staff start at a company highly motivated, keen to do well and keen to impress. As soon as their psychological contracts start getting violated they turn into normal staff (usually its a manager or colleague violating their rights). As more violation happens they become more and more demotivated. One quarter last 10 years but most are gone before 5 because they end up hating the place.
Leading from the front, staff meetings and private chats where you tell someone to up their act doesnt identify why they're demoivated or resolve the problem. The way staff are motivated is by building a work environment that is missing the things that violate psychological contracts - i.e. company wide no a-hole rule, dont underpay them, dont overstress them, no favourtism, etc.
Then you apply Maslows Hierarchy of needs on top of it - Get them socialising with each other, build their self-esteem, etc. Finally you increase their buy-in by developing and training them.
Leading by example is the phrase in a job advert that says the management dont know how motivation works.
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I know where you're coming from, however he wouldn't lie about his qualifications (and frankly I would never ever suhggest he should) and bearing in mind he's been out of the flying market for 4 years he, and probably a lot the other applicants, some of who we know are also trained pilots, may well have to consider a different career path as keeping up his flying hours, licences and medicals etc costs a small fortune. You say he's over qualified for the job, but his two assessments were incredibly detailed 2 hour sessions, similar in some extent to when he applied to be in air traffic control, so I think train driving is a more specialised and skilled job than we imagine, which is suggested by how well they get paid.
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You had the benefit of the doubt until you opened your mouth, I'm sure.
Stick with flying and stay away from managing others and the psychology of motivation. Play to your strengths and you might overcome your weaknesses.
If you haven't picked up on the subtle clues in this thread, the fact that you know it all leaves you no room for growth, thus forming a glass ceiling you're going to have trouble penetrating.
Have a look at the types of leadership theories and figure out where you, and Maslow in your pocket, fit into the equation...
At the rate with which you tear down the ideas and opinions of others, criticise everything which you obviously know next to nothing about and discount the suggestions which could help you improve, there's only one saving grace. Thank gawd for "the dole".
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For godsake, forget one second Maslow and his friends and open your eyes on the real world!
It is not because you've read lots of books that you will fully understand everybody everywhere!!! these theories are tools and can, I agree with you, be quite useful but there is lots more in human relationship!!!
You could for example start listening to other people's opinion, accept their criticism. That could be quite helpful in your search for a job.
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Not meaning to sound rude and with the greatest of respect,
How the hell has someones post about not getting a job manged to make 8 pages of pure arguement ...
Blood Lust you didnt get the job, the employeer outlined why, move on find another job oppertunity,
you whine more to much .. life is already too short
and you now owe my 10 mins of my life back for having to read this ..
How the hell has someones post about not getting a job manged to make 8 pages of pure arguement ...
Blood Lust you didnt get the job, the employeer outlined why, move on find another job oppertunity,
you whine more to much .. life is already too short
and you now owe my 10 mins of my life back for having to read this ..
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Not meaning to sound rude and with the greatest of respect,
How the hell has someones post about not getting a job manged to make 8 pages of pure arguement ...
Blood Lust you didnt get the job, the employeer outlined why, move on find another job oppertunity,
you whine more to much .. life is already too short
and you now owe my 10 mins of my life back for having to read this ..
Forums like this have interesting dynamics.
I see plenty of posts from small business people on here, needing genuine advice, and only getting a handful of replies. Yet somehow, everyone seems to be bending over backwards for this particular OP.
He got all the advice he needed within a few posts... but somehow, his refusal to accept the blindingly obvious, got people desperately trying to help him.
Yesterday morning, I wrote a post suggesting that the OP is just a wind-up merchant... but deleted the content quickly, because I'm not sure he is. He might be just stubborn.
If he's genuine, I hope, for his sake, that he quietly reflects on the impression he's left on people... but to be honest, I'm long past caring!
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All right. Last post on that topic because I've wasted enough time and I might become rude.
I don't know if you are familiar with that forum but it is full of lovely people (with more or less experience I admit) who are always very keen to help each other. If ALL of them tell you you are acting like a j**k, don't you think it might be time to listen? Have you ever considered the possibility that you are wrong?
If no, do yourself a favour. Ask some friends and family to read this topic and ask them to tell you honestly what they think about it, you might be surprised.
As for me, I am 30. I graduated from one of the best business school in Europe ( I have read the same books as you), I used to work as a manager for a leading strategic consulting company and I now run a successful restaurant in London. A second opening is due next year. I don't care about Maslow. I care about people (staff and customers).
And you, you are looking for job.
Search the error.
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- Original Poster
- #79
I told people the situation and some gave useful answers which I thank them for.
However most of the replys here have nothing to do with the reality of the situation. They come from people not limiting themselves to what was written but deciding to invent and add stuff in themselves. Then I have to listen to their criticism and based on that which is all negative.
Its no wonder the people here are unsuccessful with small businesses -
1. Its like someone asking for a day off.
2. The next moment the owner has decided all by themselves without any evidence that the person is attending a job interview.
3. Then they get called into the office and faced with the wild accusations.
Thats whats going on her. For the final time I did not take any arrogant attitude into the interview, I did not even speak the person running the test, I was simply confused over how I didnt pass. I got a feedback email explaining which I've excepted.
Now for the person I'm replying too. I work thanks. For someone so focused on people you seem rarer poor at it.
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Root 66 Woodshop
I agree there are always more than one reason as to why a business is small, providing that business is doing well that is all that matters no matter how large it actually is.
Personally, I prefer to work for a small business simply because you always get people within larger companies who think that they can do better than you in your own job.
Example
I worked for a very large PLC 5 years ago, who had a truck driver who considered himself to be something of a knowitall. - One day he stood behind me while I did my job and made some rather snide comments about how easy my job was compared to his own.
I stood up, passed him the paperwork and said OK go ahead - I got onto his pallet truck and started to do his work for him.
Came back an hour later and he was sat there with the paperwork in front of him sweating, and looked at me with a rather sheepish look on his face, apologised and got back to work.
I don't think I'd ever want to work for a large PLC company again, too many people think they know it all and not enough people know what they're actually meant to be doing.
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