Interviews

How good are you at them, did you ever Suss the silent treatment, a question is asked, and the interviewer goes silent, waiting for you to incriminate yourself, get the shovel and start digging.

Re: Interviews

Always been OK at interviews. The silent treatment never worked with me I never feel that uncomfortable that I needed to fill silence with babble, quite happy to sit there quietly until they speak again.

(Oh yes and I used to like getting into a crowded lift and not turn round until the lift reached my destination, that is a lot of fun)

Come to think of it I can't recall ever not getting a job, often had to choose which one I would take. However the last job I applied for was about 1989 - 1990.

Re: Interviews

Ive been on the end of the silent treatment, not in a job interview, but from a Psychiatrist in a group situation. Like gunfighters at dawn, just needed the Ennio Morricone soundtrack and a few tumbleweeds.

Re: Interviews

I suppose really it depends on what type of job your interview is for? I have done ok at interviews in the past as i alway's had the same type of work. But since i was made redundant there's been a few strange one's where you have had to do different tasks and tests and yes the silent treatment thrown in for good measure, but still managed to get through it, just....

Re: Interviews

I had one `bad` interview, this guy ends up asking;

And now the $64000 question,what class of degree will you get?

Oh dear this is not going to end well -I was then a graduate with a an upper second.

Re: Interviews

In the early days, it was easy to give an interviewer more gravitas than they deserved, in reality, most found the procedure, more awkward than the interviewee, so sometimes they ganged up on a Panel. It always made me laugh when a Panel was formed, to recruit a person for most basic of functions, presumably this was so the blame could be spread, if a Lemon was employed.

Re: Interviews

I sat on many panels as a `non voting` member-thus was the civil service. They wanted my advice but I had no authority to actually vote.

How many times did I ask `what are you looking for? Are you sure you have thought about the job description?

Re: Interviews

Was there ever an honest answer to "where do you see yourself in 20 years time".

Re: Interviews

I used to have a manager who looked just like the pictures of Henry 8th.
In the days when you could smoke at work, he used to smoke cigars in his office. His idea of interviewing people was to puff on his cigar, take it out, stare the interviewee in the eye and ask " why should I employ YOU"? This was enough to scare most people.

One day he told me about interviewing a colleague who could "talk for England". He said that he asked the usual qustion "Why should I employ YOU?", and twenty minutes later, he wished he had never spoken!

I've never had too much problem with interviews, and most of them were fairly informal chats at the coffee machine. Its often more about whether you will fit into an environment rather than your skill.

Re: Interviews

Never had a problem with interviews I think the secret is to do your homework first so you know nearly as much about the organisation as the interviewer. It is also a good idea to have a couple of questions of your own ready too..