Just had my second job interview....

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

In my life. So, I’m a really nervous person, very passive, and I kinda wanted some thoughts on job interviews, maybe your experiences? My first one got me hired. I found out later they were REALLY desperate for the position. Grocery store stuff.

Well this interview was for a hospital job, just basic inventory stuff, nothing to difficult. I think I did well, but some things I probably should work on for later in my life because I can only keep up the “I’m so ignorant, I’m just a kid” attitude for so long you know? Like when I shake hands with people, I look everywhere but their face :smack: I’m not very loud, and even though I’m pretty quiet, I can ramble on and on and on.
I’m not going to go into extreme details, but it was pretty basic interview.

  1. Do you plan on showing up? I actually felt the need to mention that the only days I called off were a few days before holidays DX figure at least you hear it from me first
  2. Do you have your own car?
  3. If I called your former job, what would they say about you?
  4. Are you an asshole? I’m serious on this one, she basically asked me this. She was nice though :slight_smile:
    I’d like to hear any experience to help make myself feel better as well :slight_smile: thanks and I’m new here so hello!
2

Welcome to the Dope!
The jobs I fill require a few more qualifications than yours, but I suspect interviewers anywhere want to see something passing for enthusiasm. Not freakishly high, but enough to let them know you wanted to have this interview, and not just dragged yourself to it
For this job, maybe saying something about how you realize that your job isn’t like that of a surgeon, but you understand that those directly in contact with patients need the stuff you are going to be in charge of, and you appreciate the importance of the job. Make it what you can do for them, not what they are going to do for you.
As for being shy, remember that every interview is like acting. Decide what attitude and impression you want to create for the interview and act the part. You are playing what might be a better version of yourself.

Good luck!

3

Yeah, see that would be nice to know, more enthusiasm =/
I think it might have been obvious I’m not thrilled to be there. I mean, I’ll do my best, but I’m going to go all out (I didn’t say that!) but what did you mean about being super excited? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

4

Welcome to the SDMB.

If you can’t look at their eyes, look at their forehead. It’s close.

For this kind of job, it appears they are looking for someone who will show up reliably, and not cause more trouble than you are worth. This is a fairly minimal standard, so I am assuming it doesn’t pay very well. That’s OK, most entry level positions are like this. If you get this job, you can look around in your spare time for something better, or get some training for a better position.

If the first question they ask is “Are you going to show up?” and the second is “Do you have your own car?”, then it is pretty clear that absenteeism is an issue. Therefore you answer “what would your last job say about you” by saying “That I showed up on time when I was scheduled, ready to work. I even filled in when people were called away by emergency” or something like that.

An interview is an opportunity to brag. Don’t lie, but brag.

You need some generic responses to all the questions that boil down to “why should we hire you?” Then you can modify them on the fly during an interview.

“Are you an asshole?” “No, but I’ve worked with a few. Fortunately I can get along with almost anybody as long as they don’t distract me from work.”

Etc.

Good luck, and, again, welcome. Most of us are like Wagner’s music - not as bad as we sound.

Regards,
Shodan

5

If you really don’t want to be there, don’t go. If you do go, try to get an offer. You might change your mind. And in any case knowing what works helps in interviewing for a job you really want.
I don’t think many people could pull off super excited without going over the top.
“Oh wow, I’ll be emptying bedpans all day! I can’t wait to start!”
The trick is being high energy, as if you were telling someone about a hobby you really enjoy.
George Burns (and no doubt other people) said “Sincerity is at the heart of acting. Once you can fake that, you got it made.”
People who go out in front of the public - actors, good public speakers - can turn on a high energy mode which projects to the audience. Voice inflection, volume, stuff like that. In private, or at a party, they might be shy, but in public a switch gets turned on. I’ve seen it. To some extent you’ve got it or you don’t, but if you think in these terms you’ll do better than someone who doesn’t.

6

Exactly. If you are super enthusiastic and like this: :D:D:D the whole time, nobody would believe your sincerity, at least at the job you described. Be energetic, but not like a high school cheerleader or pageant contestant with an obviously fake smile.

Make it clear that you are listening, and ask questions or make comments based on what you hear. It shows you are interested and care. Also, listening carefully and giving thoughtful responses allows you to focus on things you might actually like that you hadn’t thought of. You might not love bedpans, but maybe you love contributing to the health of the community, or developing organizing systems, or taking ownership of projects… At least enough to convince them that you do, and to tolerate doing it for a few years.

7

You sound like a genuine person. If your interview went anything like your post, then I say that you have a good chance of getting the job. Like Shodan said, get excited about having the job, but don’t get down about the menial and low-paying aspects of it. Either use this as a way to support yourself until you find a better position, or be patient with this position. If you stay long enough, and show endurance and tenacity, and a willingness to be responsible and proficient, then one day people will start looking at you as if to say, “Hey, you’re still here. You must be good at what you do.” And then opportunities will arise.

By the way, what was originally supposed to be my Plan B for just a year, has been my Plan A for the past 15 years.

For future interviews, you need to do some research on CBI Interviewing. CBI stands for “Competency-Based Interview”. It’s new, and it is here to stay. This interview style deals with open-ended questions. Example questions would be something like, “Describe a time you disagreed with a superior on a decision,” or, “Describe a time you noticed a conflict between company policy and customer satisfaction.” And, you have to come up with an answer. “That’s never happened to me,” is not a valid answer.

Depending on the interviewer, these questions could come across as either an interrogation or a nice conversation. What the interviewer is looking for is content - or proof - that you have the skill set and personality for the position, much like a witness at a court trial, but they are also looking at how you answer the question. They are looking for examples and buzzwords, and your overall communication skills.

I drastically failed my first couple CBI interviews. But then I put some thought into my delivery to these questions, and I do pretty well now. The reason I failed at CBI interviews before was because, in my mind, I knew I was a good person and a hard worker, but I never put any effort to mentally cataloging those experiences.

So, I always keep about a dozen different instances from my past in my head, and when asked a question during a CBI interview, I pull the first one out that occurs to me. Sometimes it is like fitting a square peg into a round hole, but I use creative word-crafting to make it fit.

I also treat it like I’m telling a long story. You might only get three of these questions to fill an entire hour-long interview, so it’s expected that your answer to last several minutes. I tell the story that fits the instance in question, from setting up the beginning, to describing the travails along the way, and then wrapping up into a conclusion.

8

I don’t look for buzzwords in an interview (on a resume, yes) but I do look for examples. My favorite question to programmers is “tell me about a really difficult debugging job you had to do.” We all have to do them, we all need to admit we make mistakes, and a good answer shows the person worked on something tough and has shown some creativity.
Specifics always beat generalities. Anyone can say “I’m a hard worker” but saying “once we had a person quit suddenly, and I was able to take up the slack” shows a lot about the person.

9

One more thing which you may not believe but which can make you feel better. A good manager goes into an interview hoping the candidate is great. Interviewing takes up precious time, even more so because the business is short handed. He or she would love for you to turn out to be just what they wanted so that they can get back to work.
This isn’t always true. Some people get their jollies by making a candidate look bad - but you wouldn’t want to work for such a jerk, would you? And some are so nervous about finding the exact perfect candidate that they can’t decide. Far better to work for someone who will help you grow. But a good interviewer might be tough, but wants you to succeed. Help him or her by giving them what they want.
And always think in terms of what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.