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Subject:Interviewing for a job (was Employment) From:wanda <wetcoastwriter -at- me -dot- com> To:Techwr-l <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:12:07 -0500
Robert, I apologize for hijacking your thread. I think it's very cool that this list provided the support you needed to keep on working towards staying focused and hopeful about work prospects. I'm thrilled when I hear that someone has benefited from this list. It's been around for decades and has gone through many rounds of odd behaviour, but has always self-corrected and provided great information, support, and funny conversations for me. I'm glad that the list owners, all of them, have managed this list so well.
Congratulations on your new position, may you prosper.
And, to continue to contribute to the mutated thread conversation...
It has been a long time since I've been asked, explicitly, to explain why I left a previous position. More often now, I hear of interview practices that focus on the concrete - "give me examples of a situation where... what did you do?" kind of thing. It goes by several names, but we used STAR and forgive me but I can't remember what the S, T, A, R stood for. We ranked the answers given. I did find that candidates had a very hard time answering in the concrete, which I found fascinating. We had a standard list of questions we'd ask and each of us would rank the response. I've since created my own list of questions for employers and apply the same philosophy. It's as much me interviewing them to see if they are a good fit for me.
It's difficult to be as confident as a job seeker, but I know after my experience that I need to ensure the company is one I want to be a part of. I buy into the company when I join. I can't help but become a loyal employee. I suppose that's part of the picture for me.
Employment is a complex relationship. In hard times the employer has a greater power. Employees tend to be more conservative about their presentation to employers. There are some things about myself that I cannot hide and that has cost me many jobs (including a stint in the military which broke my teenage heart).
wanda
wetcoastwriter -at- me -dot- com
On Feb 28, 2012, at 10:43 PM, Phil Snow Leopard wrote:
> On 29 Feb 2012, at 01:08, Kat Kuvinka wrote:
>
>>
>> Prospective employers cannot be so naive as to think conflict does not exist, and that workers never leave because they are unhappy or are released because the are invaluable.
>
>
> I don't think that's the reason why criticism of current or former employers doesn't play well. Like a lot of interview questions, its more what it says about the interviewee's awareness of interview skills.
>
> Interviewers like to see - as a necessary, not sufficient condition - that candidates are sufficiently keen for the post by having prepared themselves for the interview. That's why you still get all those stupid questions about strengths and weaknesses. The answers don't matter per se (well, unless you start saying outlandish things); it's the display of being prepared for the question that counts. It marks one check box off on the interviewer's sheet: candidate is sufficiently motivated for the job.
>
> Similarly, criticising former/current employers tells the interviewer that the candidate is either
>
> i. not aware of interview norms (therefore, hasn't done their research on how to be successful in an interview and, consequently, isn't sufficiently motivated to get the job) or
>
> ii. knows the norm but breaks it in the 'heat of the moment' (a sign the candidate lacks emotional self-control).
>
>
> Phil
> Tech Writer
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