Nothing like a bit of interview feedback to zing you

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

I went for a job interview a month back, got through some preliminary tests to an interview and group work exercise. Role play is traditionally not something I like, but I felt confident enough, buoyed up slightly by one of the interviewers saying that I’d seemed confident giving a pre-interview presentation.

Sadly failed to get the job, the feedback I got later on indicated what I had thought had gone wrong, lack of sufficient experience in decision making mainly. And it showed up something I hadn’t thought of, in the group work I was able to raise objections and see things from alternative points of view but didn’t have enough original ideas of my own.

But then they went on to say that I appeared, in effect, quite timid. Nervous and speaking softly to the point of being inaudible, I seemed to be afraid to speak out at the the role play exercise. A familiar taunt from school, but I never really thought I appeared that bad, or was so softly spoken to be inaudible :smack:

#2

But it’s very useful to see yourself as others see you. Now you know what you need to work on. A painful lesson but very worthwhile.

#3

True, I’d practised the presentation to myself so I was word perfect, but I’d not tried it out in front of anyone else. I can see now that projecting the words is as important as being able to reel them off without hiccup.

Reminds me to go through my work experience with a finer toothed comb for examples of decision making too.

#4

You can be coruscatingly brilliant and insightful, but if others can’t hear you, or have the perception from your body language that you’re unsure of yourself, it can be very hard to exert leadership. But I know you’ll do better next time. Good luck! :slight_smile:

#5

I was recently in a meeting with a low talker. Someone tried to excuse him saying that it is a technique to get people to listen closely. I called bullshit on that, saying that anyone who talks so softly in a dead silent room is either deaf himself or not very confident in what he has to say. Too bad he was a big shot. I would have liked to shout out that he might as well not be speaking at all, since no one could absorb a fucking thing he said.

Anyhoo, back to the OP. I agree it is valuable to receive feedback on a presentation. You know exactly what you need to do next time.

#6

I’d like to have another crack at the job, should it be readvertised. It was for the position of trainee police analyst, from what I’d read and from what a friend of Dad’s had told him it sounded quite interesting.

Apart from projecting myself more I’ll have to dig around for more experience in work on decision making, perhaps another work place can offer me that.

#7

I agree with the previous posters. As for some decision making skills, form opinions on some things and write them down in a formal manner. Have a friend read them and are if they don’t convey your viewpoint properly and concisely.

You’ll be fine, though. Ill happily help if I can.