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I really hate job interviews!


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I just had one over the phone an hour or so ago & it was terrible :(. The lady was nice & stuff but she kept on & on asking about my strengths and then my weaknesses more than once but rephrased differently. Then she wanted to know why I didn't have a drivers license & this got my heart pounding! All of this is so so unfair 'cause all I want is start working again after I was told to resign from my last job & this lady is making it impossible for me to do it u know :(. Now she says they go over a bunch of stuff & then call me back to do another interview but in person & then schedule a drug test and then a background check on & on. What's going on? Am I the only one getting this?!

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No, Kat, this is just the way it is. Look at it this way - you survived the phone interview, even if you sweated thru it! If they call you in for a face to face interview, it means they're very interested. Hang in there and wait for that call, good luck!

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A drug test? Why? If you partake in the occasional puff that`s your business. But good luck, sounds very promising.

 

 

I just had one over the phone an hour or so ago & it was terrible :(. The lady was nice & stuff but she kept on & on asking about my strengths and then my weaknesses more than once but rephrased differently. Then she wanted to know why I didn't have a drivers license & this got my heart pounding! All of this is so so unfair 'cause all I want is start working again after I was told to resign from my last job & this lady is making it impossible for me to do it u know :(. Now she says they go over a bunch of stuff & then call me back to do another interview but in person & then schedule a drug test and then a background check on & on. What's going on? Am I the only one getting this?!
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A drug test? Why? If you partake in the occasional puff that`s your business. But good luck, sounds very promising.

 

Drug tests are pretty standard over here. I've peed in a cup for jobs I knew I wasn't going to get. They've made such a cattle line of the whole process.

 

 

I don't think Kat's a toker. Or maybe he is? ;)

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Thats insane,

 

I am sure that`s not the case over here but the industry i work in, it is almost wise to toke a bit just to get a foot in the door. `Oh you have an 8th? Sign this and don`t forget to leave your bank details with Claudia`.

 

But i don`t imbibe any more, those kingfishers days of uni are behind me. Child care and the necessity to keep working has sealed my fate.:laugh: (Wouldn`t have it any other way)

 

Drug tests are pretty standard over here. I've peed in a cup for jobs I knew I wasn't going to get. They've made such a cattle line of the whole process.

 

 

I don't think Kat's a toker. Or maybe he is? ;)

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I just had one over the phone an hour or so ago & it was terrible :(. The lady was nice & stuff but she kept on & on asking about my strengths and then my weaknesses more than once but rephrased differently. Then she wanted to know why I didn't have a drivers license & this got my heart pounding! All of this is so so unfair 'cause all I want is start working again after I was told to resign from my last job & this lady is making it impossible for me to do it u know :(. Now she says they go over a bunch of stuff & then call me back to do another interview but in person & then schedule a drug test and then a background check on & on. What's going on? Am I the only one getting this?!

 

This sounds like a very common job interview experience. It's very normal to do a preliminary phone interview, and then if they like you, to go in and do an in person interview. Depending on the job, drug tests and background checks are also very normal.

 

Go online and Google "common interview questions." You will find many web sites that have all kinds of questions that are commonly asked at job interviews. Sit down and think through what a good answer is to each of those questions. Think about how you would answer the question if you were asked. Start a Word document, and copy and paste in the questions and type in your answers, so you can review your answers. This way, when you get some of those questions, you won't be caught off guard. You'll generally know how to respond. You should know all of your strengths, weaknesses, why you want to work for the company, how you handle conflicts or stress, how well you work with others, etc.

 

You really need to have an explanation ready for why you don't have your driver's license also. I'm assuming it's necessary for the job since she's asking about it, so it really shouldn't have caught you by surprise.

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Just realised!!!!!! But mind you i have had my most interesting encounters whilst waitng to be interviewed. Smiling inanely and adjusting my trousers.

 

 

This isn't even a dating question unless you ask her on a date.
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This isn't even a dating question unless you ask her on a date.

 

So? I see lots of non dating questions in these places u know.

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I've worked many jobs and got my license at 22 and never have been asked whether or not I have a license unless the job requires driving and I never apply to those, even after I did get my license. The most common question is whether or not you have reliable transportation. If they asked whether or not you have a license, odds are the job requires driving on the job, so if there is a company car involved, they will need to know that you are licensed.

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Eternal Sunshine

I found that by far most common questions are:

 

Why did you apply for this role?

 

Tell me about your current/previous role or tell me about your career highlights?

 

Tell about your long term career plans?

 

Also, it helps if you have a few points that you want to get across to highlight your strengths and find a suitable point to get them in.

 

Some questions are not allowed like "are you single/married?". For myself, it's a huge advantage that I am single because my job involves long hours and travel at short notice. But since interviewers can't ask that, I find a way to say that I am unattached without blurting it out randomly ;)

 

Basically, you need to brag without looking like you are blatantly bragging. You should also find a way to connect with the interviewers. They need to get a vibe that they would like working with you, so you can't be too stiff or formal.

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What's going on? Am I the only one getting this?!

 

 

Don't think so. I have had somewhere in the ballpark of 7 phone interviews for out-of-area jobs in the last 8 months, and only recently got 2 call backs for on-site interviews. Tis the nature of the beast nowadays.

 

 

If I had one piece of advice (okay, maybe 2), I would start by suggesting that you find a way to make a phone interview more of a conversation than an interview. Don't let the person control it like a reporter. Have questions you want to ask of the person and when you give a response that leads to your question, turn it back on them. You will find the tone quickly changes to a conversation, and let's face it, it easier to have a conversation than to be grilled by a reporter.

 

 

Second, while I would never suggest you owe them anything, I can tell by your tone that you need to have a bit more respect for the interview process and what is at stake for the employer. This tone may be coming through in your phone interviews. Respect is key. Respect your interviewer and converse with them. And NEVER list off weaknesses when asked (my own opinion).

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Eternal Sunshine

Just like dating, the less desparate you seem for a job the better.

 

P.S. I never had a phone interview. In Australia it's a straight up interview or nothing.

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I just went through the phone interview/normal interview/job offer/drug screening in the past couple of weeks. I am very excited. And yes, this is all VERY normal. It's important to be confident, and to phrase all of your answers as positively as you can. And don't worry. Sometimes they lob out random questions just to see how you handle yourself.

 

A month or so ago I found this video, and although I consider myself pretty good at interviewing, I thought this was an awesome tool:

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Eternal Sunshine

I have always wondered how interviewers don't get sick of canned responses found on job interview sites and books. Seriously, they are all the same :(

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I have always wondered how interviewers don't get sick of canned responses found on job interview sites and books. Seriously, they are all the same :(

 

Yep. I was recently subject to behavior interview question method - that is one intended to prove strong feelings of situations. Fortunately they advised me ahead of time and I was able to get my system or response down pat and got the job.

 

In the past, depending on the situation I have had some minor fun turning the tables and asking some difficult or challenging questions of my interviewers especially if there is more than one of them in the room.

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I had a job interview yesterday that was about an hour commute round-trip. I have a current job, though part time, but I wanted to go to the interview for this position as I'm still looking for full time work. I was hesitant to make the commute, but wanted to hear them out since it was up my alley. Well....I got there and basically I was shot down in the interview, because they "thought" what I wanted in 5 years didn't have to do with this position. I disagree, because this position had essential components that are a necessity in the marketing field. Needless to say, I was ticked off...they didn't even allow me to ask about the company or anything. I assured them that I was flexible in my career goals and that the job description would allow me to get to where I want to be in 5 years. Nope. They wanted to tell me if the position aligned with my career goals. If it didn't, I wouldn't have bothered with the interview as I'm looking for something long term. Needless to say, I emailed the recruiter and explained to them my disappointment in being shot down right then and there if they thought I was a great candidate for an in person interview, after a 30 minute commute. I suggested they do phone screens for that reason...save time for the hiring manager and applicants. She said they do phone screens "in certain cases", but felt it was appropriate to bring me in. Well, if you were that interested in pursuing me as a candidate, you wouldn't shoot me down right there in the interview over one question. I didn't understand the reason for an in-person interview either...when I basically come in to talk to the hiring manager over speakerphone. :rolleyes:

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I had a job interview yesterday that was about an hour commute round-trip. I have a current job, though part time, but I wanted to go to the interview for this position as I'm still looking for full time work. I was hesitant to make the commute, but wanted to hear them out since it was up my alley. Well....I got there and basically I was shot down in the interview, because they "thought" what I wanted in 5 years didn't have to do with this position. I disagree, because this position had essential components that are a necessity in the marketing field. Needless to say, I was ticked off...they didn't even allow me to ask about the company or anything. I assured them that I was flexible in my career goals and that the job description would allow me to get to where I want to be in 5 years. Nope. They wanted to tell me if the position aligned with my career goals. If it didn't, I wouldn't have bothered with the interview as I'm looking for something long term. Needless to say, I emailed the recruiter and explained to them my disappointment in being shot down right then and there if they thought I was a great candidate for an in person interview, after a 30 minute commute. I suggested they do phone screens for that reason...save time for the hiring manager and applicants. She said they do phone screens "in certain cases", but felt it was appropriate to bring me in. Well, if you were that interested in pursuing me as a candidate, you wouldn't shoot me down right there in the interview over one question. I didn't understand the reason for an in-person interview either...when I basically come in to talk to the hiring manager over speakerphone. :rolleyes:

 

what was the position and what was your 5 year goal?

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what was the position and what was your 5 year goal?

 

Digital Content Strategist and my goal is to be in a managerial position for online marketing.

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Digital Content Strategist and my goal is to be in a managerial position for online marketing.

 

yeah it sounded like it was connected to the position since marketing is involving in being a digital content strategist. Not sure what they was looking for.

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yeah it sounded like it was connected to the position since marketing is involving in being a digital content strategist. Not sure what they was looking for.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. I was rather shocked they shot me down during the interview over that even after I explained how content and SEO is essential to online marketing and my career goals. I politely suggested in an email later that they conduct phone screens in the future. (Basically so no one's time/expenses are wasted...though I said it in a polite/professional way). :p

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