Just like everyone else, after my studies, I was attending job interviews. Lovely experience. Quite relaxing. Very pleasant. Loved to repeat it.
Few times interviewers were behaving like a sane person, all others had shown their sadistic psycho side without knowing it. Their questions, their body language, gestures, the look was what betrayed them even if they were highly self-controlled. Sometimes, when the atmosphere is too tense, I used to drop a soft joke, a funny thing that might help melt the icy conversation, and usually it works well.
Sometimes not.
I remember once female interviewer was like all-business, trying to act as professional as she will never be (because professionalism includes human side and understanding your client, in this case interviewee), buttoned up, tiny glasses and a pen in nervous hand. She behaved the way I imagine female interrogators do their duty in Guantanamo, alright, not really, but you get the point. After 15 minutes of speaking to the machine, I was fed up, and made a little joke on something neutral.
OMG!
Her respond told me she didn't get the lure, meaning that she has no sense of humor and lacks spontaneity. Both characteristics are the most-unwelcome in creative industry I work in, so, it tells a lot of the company. A lot of bad.
I am not sure if she was more surprised with the unfamiliar style of conversation, or I was more entertained with where is this taking us. She was puzzled, obviously hating to stand in unknown field of fun and leisure. I was horrified with the option to explain jokes to a terminator on everyday basis.
Funny thing employers seems never to understand is that interview is a MUTUAL thing for both sides of the table: how they represent the company is also a test, they either pass it, or fail.
I admit I had funny episodes with such creatures, you wouldn't believe it.
Once, I had a female creative director having a cup of coffee and, I swear it, a cigarette during an interview. She blew smoke in my direction, while asking questions and demanding high professional standards. After the official thing was over, I asked her "This is just a show to put me off, right? You're not REALLY smoking in the office?"
Once, there were two guys doing an interview (one of them was an engineer, the other company owner/no professional reference). For half an hour they were telling me what conditions I should fulfill BEFORE we start talking about actual job. Hey girls, did I apply for NASA? Google? Foreign Office?
Once, an interviewer was holding me for two hours in a meeting room, with the life story. Look, I'll charge you a 2 hrs therapy session, you know that, right?
Once, the business owner held me for half an hour telling me what the business is all about, without a single question about, well...me. I went home telling him my name only.
Yeah, once, a hot blonde was hitting hard on me during an interview. Babe, seriously?
In some sick way I see it an X factor show with high stakes, and why I'm right? Because this X unknown is already taking its place in the new economy as an important factor in hiring industry (see image)
These are the episodes you actually might get into. These interviewers from sitcoms are not just figured out, they really exist, and they do harm. Not the Guantanamo harm, but yes...the bad attitude they release is a sort of bad PR for the company. If you think this is just personal, you're wrong, because tomorrow you'll have to work with such person (and we all know the situations you might get into, depending on such). More important is the corporate values company embraces by putting vain, ineffective, self-absorbed dickhead/bitch to position of evaluating potential employee.
All above was actually GOOD and EASY experience:when the other side makes major fails like the ones I mentioned, you understand where you DON'T want to work, so after few conventional phrases you just end the agony and sashay away. It is just the matter of how long you'd like to play - for me, it was just a question of "How huge your sickness is?"
The bottom line is the interview is actually a power duel: if you're highly-skilled, full-portfolioed professional, you'll be welcome in a good environment sooner or later and the good HR will recognize it (and by that, signal the interviewer to attract you), so the story changes on who/what is more demanded, and employee or a job. Even Guantanamo interrogators go through it.
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| Smart advice (click to enlarge) |
Sometimes not.
I remember once female interviewer was like all-business, trying to act as professional as she will never be (because professionalism includes human side and understanding your client, in this case interviewee), buttoned up, tiny glasses and a pen in nervous hand. She behaved the way I imagine female interrogators do their duty in Guantanamo, alright, not really, but you get the point. After 15 minutes of speaking to the machine, I was fed up, and made a little joke on something neutral.
OMG!
Her respond told me she didn't get the lure, meaning that she has no sense of humor and lacks spontaneity. Both characteristics are the most-unwelcome in creative industry I work in, so, it tells a lot of the company. A lot of bad.
I am not sure if she was more surprised with the unfamiliar style of conversation, or I was more entertained with where is this taking us. She was puzzled, obviously hating to stand in unknown field of fun and leisure. I was horrified with the option to explain jokes to a terminator on everyday basis.
Funny thing employers seems never to understand is that interview is a MUTUAL thing for both sides of the table: how they represent the company is also a test, they either pass it, or fail.
I admit I had funny episodes with such creatures, you wouldn't believe it.
Once, I had a female creative director having a cup of coffee and, I swear it, a cigarette during an interview. She blew smoke in my direction, while asking questions and demanding high professional standards. After the official thing was over, I asked her "This is just a show to put me off, right? You're not REALLY smoking in the office?"
Once, there were two guys doing an interview (one of them was an engineer, the other company owner/no professional reference). For half an hour they were telling me what conditions I should fulfill BEFORE we start talking about actual job. Hey girls, did I apply for NASA? Google? Foreign Office?
Once, an interviewer was holding me for two hours in a meeting room, with the life story. Look, I'll charge you a 2 hrs therapy session, you know that, right?
Once, the business owner held me for half an hour telling me what the business is all about, without a single question about, well...me. I went home telling him my name only.
Yeah, once, a hot blonde was hitting hard on me during an interview. Babe, seriously?
 |
| IQ EQ XQ (click to enlarge) |
These are the episodes you actually might get into. These interviewers from sitcoms are not just figured out, they really exist, and they do harm. Not the Guantanamo harm, but yes...the bad attitude they release is a sort of bad PR for the company. If you think this is just personal, you're wrong, because tomorrow you'll have to work with such person (and we all know the situations you might get into, depending on such). More important is the corporate values company embraces by putting vain, ineffective, self-absorbed dickhead/bitch to position of evaluating potential employee.
All above was actually GOOD and EASY experience:when the other side makes major fails like the ones I mentioned, you understand where you DON'T want to work, so after few conventional phrases you just end the agony and sashay away. It is just the matter of how long you'd like to play - for me, it was just a question of "How huge your sickness is?"
The bottom line is the interview is actually a power duel: if you're highly-skilled, full-portfolioed professional, you'll be welcome in a good environment sooner or later and the good HR will recognize it (and by that, signal the interviewer to attract you), so the story changes on who/what is more demanded, and employee or a job. Even Guantanamo interrogators go through it.
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